Snowflower Ornaments | Purl Soho

Last weekend, with the feeling of having eaten way too much pumpkin pie still in my belly, I got busy decorating my Christmas tree. Actually, I would have done it even sooner if it had been at all seemly. The fact is I love Christmas trees, Christmas lights and Christmas ornaments more than any other part of any other holiday.

Snowflower Ornaments | Purl Soho

I love it all so much that I grow my Christmas tree inside my apartment all year long. I have an old potted Norfolk Pine that, at about ten feet tall and almost as wide, takes up way more than its fair share of New York City real estate, but when this time of year rolls around, it’s totally worth the loss of square footage!

Snowflower Ornaments | Purl Soho

Like my tree, my ornament collection keeps growing every year! This season I am so excited to add these sweet crocheted ornaments to my crowd of sequined owls, vintage glass balls and painted tin donkeys. Simultaneously evocative of fluffy snowflakes and plump dahlias, I call them Snowflowers.

Snowflower Ornaments | Purl Soho

Rich in texture and elegant in spirit, these pretty little ornaments look wonderful on my Norfolk Pine and also on this spare winter branch. They’ll bring lots of cheer to more traditional choices of timber too!

Snowflower Ornaments | Purl Soho

Because ornaments are forever, I made these with Blue Sky’s very special new yarn, Metalico. Fifty percent baby alpaca and fifty percent mulberry silk, Metalico combines naturally occurring shades of each for a wonderfully pure and gorgeously earthy yarn. And each Snowflower starts off with a bright splash of gorgeous Koigu hand dyed color. Thank goodness for mini KPM Needlepoint Skeins who make spots of color actually affordable!

Snowflower Ornaments | Purl Soho

Pretty ornaments made with your own two hands seem to me to embody the very spirit of Christmas! -Whitney

Designed by Purl Soho designer, Whitney Van Nes.

Materials

Snowflower Ornaments | Purl Soho

MATERIALS

To make up to 18 ornaments, you will need…

  • Main Yarn: 2 skeins of Blue Sky’s Metalico, 50% baby alpaca and 50% mulberry silk. Each skein is 147 yards/ 50g; approximately 288 yards required. We used the color Opal.
  • Contrast Yarn: Koigu Premium Merino Needlepoint Yarn, 100% merino wool. Each skein is 11 yards/ 3g; approximately 66 yards required. We used the colors 1155, 2229, 1265, 2100, 1520, and 1041.
  • A size D (3.25 mm) crochet hook

NOTE: Each ornament uses 15-16 yards of the Main Yarn, so with one skein of Metalico you can make 9 ornaments and with two you can make 18. We made an even dozen!

GAUGE

7 single crochets = 1 inch

SIZE

3 inches in diameter

NOTES

HOW TO MAKE A BEGINNING POPCORN

Chain 3 and make 3 double crochets into same space.

Snowflower Ornaments | Purl Soho

Remove the working stitch from the hook and insert the hook into the 3rd stitch of the beginning chain.

Snowflower Ornaments | Purl Soho

Put the hook back through the working stitch.

Snowflower Ornaments | Purl Soho

And pull the working stitch through the 2nd stitch on the hook, cinching closed the group of double crochets.

Snowflower Ornaments | Purl Soho

HOW TO MAKE A POPCORN

Make 4 double crochets into space and remove the working stitch from the hook. Insert the hook into the top of the 1st double crochet.

Snowflower Ornaments | Purl Soho
Snowflower Ornaments | Purl Soho

Re-insert the hook into the working stitch.

Snowflower Ornaments | Purl Soho

And pull that stitch through the 2nd stitch on the hook, folding the double crochets together.

Snowflower Ornaments | Purl Soho

PATTERN

Round 1: With the Contrast Yarn, chain (ch) 4 into an adjustable loop, [make 1 double crochet (dc), ch 1] 11 times into loop. Join to 3rd stitch of beginning chain with a slip stitch. Cut Contrast Yarn. (24 stitches)

Snowflower Ornaments | Purl Soho

Round 2: Joining Main Yarn into any ch 1 space, make a beginning popcorn (see Notes), ch 3, *into next ch 1 space, make a popcorn, ch 3, repeat from * to end of round. Join to top of beginning popcorn with a slip stitch. (48 stitches)

Snowflower Ornaments | Purl Soho

Round 3: Slip stitch into next ch 3 space, make a beginning popcorn into space, ch 3, make a popcorn in to same space, ch 3, *into next space [make a popcorn, ch 3, make a popcorn, ch 3], repeat from * to end of round. Join to top of beginning popcorn with a slip stitch. (96 stitches)

Snowflower Ornaments | Purl Soho

Round 4: Ch 1, *make 2 single crochets (sc) into next space, make 1 sc into top of next popcorn, repeat from * to last space, make 2 sc into last space, join to beginning ch 1 with a slip stitch. (72 stitches)

Snowflower Ornaments | Purl Soho

The Loop

Ch 30. Insert hook into same space, being careful the chain isn’t twisted.

Snowflower Ornaments | Purl Soho

Slip stitch, cut yarn and pull it through the remaining stitch. Weave in your ends.

Snowflower Ornaments | Purl Soho

Ta da!