Christopher - Christmas Ornaments to Crochet

Christmas Ornaments to Crochet

Barbara Christopher

Dover Publications, Inc.

Mineola, New York

Copyright

Copyright 1993, 1995, 2014 by Dover Publications, Inc.

All rights reserved.

Bibliographical Note

Christmas Ornaments to Crochet, first published by Dover Publications, Inc., in 2014, contains a selection of projects from the following previously published Dover books by Barbara Christopher: Elegant Christmas Ornaments to Crochet (1995) and Victorian Crocheted Christmas Ornaments (1993).

International Standard Book Number

ISBN-13: 978-0-486-79727-4

Manufactured in the United States by Courier Corporation

78961601 2014

www.doverpublications.com

Introduction

Christmas is a time for decoratingwindows, trees, packages, cards, tables, and anything else you can think of. Nothing makes a more elegant Christmas decoration than a crisp, dainty, crocheted snowflake, star, or other ornament. Here are more than 50 different ornaments to choose from.

The ornaments are made with three different sizes of DMC Cebelia#10, 20, and 30. You can easily change the size of the ornament by using a different size thread and hook. The ornaments look best if they are crocheted tightly, so you may find that you need to use a smaller or larger hook than called for in the instructions in order to get the effect you want.

Each ornament should be blocked and starched to give it a crisp look. If the piece is soiled, wash it in warm water with a mild soap. Rinse it thoroughly and roll it in a towel to remove the excess moisture.

Commercial products are available to stiffen the ornaments, but homemade solutions work just as well. The traditional (but messy) choice is sugar starch. To make it, mix equal amounts of sugar and water in a small pan. Bring the mixture to a rapid boil, then let it cool to room temperature. Another possibility is to use white craft glue diluted with an equal amount of water. I usually use a thick solution of commercial boilable starch. Dont use a spray or liquid starch; they wont give the piece enough body.

Fill a bowl with the stiffening solution and immerse the crocheted piece for several minutes. Take it out and gently press out the excess solutionthe piece should still be very wet. Place the piece right side up on a plastic-covered pinning board (I use a piece of pressed cardboard). Using rustproof pins, carefully pin the piece to shape, starting at the center and pinning each point and picot in place. For the Layered Star on page one for 5-pointed stars, one for 7-pointed ornaments and one for 9- or 18-pointed ornaments. Trace the appropriate guide onto tissue or tracing paper and extend the arms out to the finished size of the piece. Place the guide under the plastic on the pinning board. As you pin, align the points with the arms of the guide. For wreaths and circles, draw a circle of the appropriate size. Let the piece dry thoroughly before removing the pins.

information on where to obtain DMC threads, write to the DMC Corporation, 10 Basin Drive, Suite 130, Kearny, NJ 07032.

with the permission of the American School of Needlework, Inc., ASN Publishing, 1455 Linda Vista Drive, San Marcos, CA 92069.

Lace Circle Star

Approximately 2'' in diameter

Materials:

DMC Cebelia #20, 11 yds.

Size 10 steel crochet hook

Ch 12; join with sl st in first ch to form ring.

Rnd 1: Ch 1, (4 sc in ring, ch 2) 5 times; join with sl st in first sc of rnd.

Rnd 2: Ch 1, turn, sl st in ch-2 sp, turn; ch 3 (counts as dc), in same sp, work dc, tr, 2 dtr, tr and dc, (in next ch-2 sp, work dc, tr, 2 dtr, tr and dc) 4 times; sl st in top of beg ch 3.

Rnd 3: Ch 1, sc in same sp, ch 6, sl st in 6th ch from hook for picot, *sc in next st, work p, rep from * around; sl st in first sc of rnd.

Rnd 4: Work sl st and ch 1 up side of p to top, ch 1, sc in same p, ch 4, (sc in next p, ch 4) 29 times; ch 2, hdc in first sc of rnd (this brings thread into position for next rnd).

Rnd 5: Ch 1, sc around post of st just made, ch 4, (sc in next ch-4 lp, ch 4) 29 times, ch 2, hdc in first sc of rnd.

Rnd 6: Ch 1, sc around post of st just made, ch 3, *sc in next ch-4 lp, ch 3, rep from * around; sl st in first sc of rnd. Fasten off.

Picot Heart

Approximately 1" in diameter

Materials:

DMC Cebelia #30, 6 yds.

Size 12 steel crochet hook

Ch 11; join with sl st in first ch to form ring.

Rnd 1: Ch 1, 16 sc in ring; sl st in first sc of rnd.

Rnd 2: Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in next sc, tr in next sc, 2 dtr in next sc, dtr in next sc, (tr in next sc) twice, dc in next sc, 5 dc in next sc for bottom point, dc in next sc, (tr in next sc) twice, dtr in next sc, 2 dtr in next sc, tr in next sc, dc in next sc; sl st in top of beg ch 3.

Rnd 3: Ch 1, (sc, hdc and dc in next st, dc, hdc and sc in next st) 11 times; sl st in first sc of rnd.

Rnd 4: Sl st to sp bet first 2 dc, ch 1, (sc in same sp, ch 9, sl st in 9th ch from hook for picot, sc in same sp, ch 5, (work sc, p, sc and ch 5 bet the dc of next point) 10 times; sl st in first sc of rnd. Fasten off.

Glittering Snowflake

Approximately 2'' in diameter

Materials:

DMC Cebelia #30, 5 yds.

Size 12 steel crochet hook

Ch 12; join with sl st in first ch to form ring.

Rnd 1: Ch 1, 18 sc in ring; sl st in first sc of rnd.

Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in same sp, work hdc, dc and hdc in next sc, sc in next sc, (sc in next sc, work hdc, dc and hdc in next sc, sc in next sc) 5 times; sl st in first sc of rnd.

Rnd 3: Sl st in next hdc and dc, ch 1, sc in same sp, ch 6, (skip 4 sts, sc in next dc, ch 6) 5 times, skip 4 sts; sl st in first sc of rnd.

Rnd 4: Ch 8 (counts as dc and ch 5), (*dc in next ch-6 sp, ch 5,* dc in next sc, ch 5) 5 times, rep bet *s once; sl st in 3rd ch of beg ch 8.

Rnd 5: Ch 1, (work 2 sc, hdc, dc and tr in next ch-5 sp, ch 6, sl st in 6th ch from hook for picot, work tr, dc, hdc and 2 sc in next ch-5 sp) 6 times; sl st in first sc of rnd. Fasten off.

Bow

Approximately 2" by 3"

Materials:

DMC Cebelia #20, 13 yds.

Size 10 steel crochet hook

Ch 9; join with sl st in first ch to form ring.

Center Ring: Ch 3 (counts as first dc), 13 dc in ring; sl st in top of beg ch 3.