Maybe it's kind of lame that my first substantive post on our "knitting" website is about crochet. But I can't help it - I love these little snowflakes! They are so easy that I decided to use them on all my holiday cards this year. So if you are one of my 70-80 closest friends and family, expect to receive one of these suckers mid-December.
There are many widely available patterns for crocheted snowflakes. I found two inexpensive pattern books at the craft store, both published by Leisure Arts (White Christmas in Thread Crochet by Kathryn A. Clark and Lacy Snowflakes by Brenda S. Greer) that have a ton of neat designs. This pattern below that I picked for my cards this year is, I think, from an old Martha Stewart Living.
You don't need much to get started, just a bit of no. 10 cotton crochet thread, a US 7/1.65 mm steel crochet hook, a bottle of fabric starch, some cardboard and clear tape, and pins. You can make these snowflakes much smaller by using regular sewing thread, or make a fluffy one with mohair.
Classic Snowflake Pattern
ch 6, join with sl st to form the foundation ring.
Round 1: ch 2 (counts as first sc), 11 sc into ring, join with sl st.
Round 2: sl st in first sc. *ch 5, sl st in 6th ch from hook (same loop as before), sl st in each of next 2 sc.* Repeat * to * 5 more times around. [photo at right]
Round 3: sl st in each of the next 3 ch's (of the 5 ch's of previous round) to the top of first loop. *ch 5, sl st in 3rd ch at top of next loop.* Repeat * to * 5 times, join with sl st. [left]
Round 4: * ch 8, sl st in 9th ch from hook (same loop as before), ch 12, sl st in 10th ch from hook, ch 14, sl st in 12th ch from hook.
** ch 12, sl st in 13th ch from hook (same loop as before).** Repeat ** to ** once. [right]
Sl st in each of next 3 ch's (working back down the main "branch" to the center), ch 10, sl st in 11th ch from hook (same loop as before). Sl st in each of next 3 ch's toward center, ch 8, sl st in 9th ch from hook (same loop as before).
Ch 6, sl st in 4th ch from hook, ch 2, skip 5 ch's of Round 3, sl st in next st.* This is the little "bridge" that moves you to the point where the next branch begins. [left]
Repeat * to * 5 more times. Join with sl st. Weave in the ends using a sharp tapestry or quilting needle. The resulting snowflake will be very floppy. 
[right]
To get it blocked flat, prepare a piece of cardboard with six intersecting lines. Cover it with clear packing tape (to prevent the wet starch from soaking through). You'll also need some fabric starch (Stiffy is a good brand) and a set of pins - be warned that the pins will get mucky from the starch, and you won't want to use them on another project after this.
Now soak the snowflake in the starch for about a minute or two in a shallow dish. Spread out the snowflake on a piece of paper towel and blot off all the extra starch. Using the intersecting lines on the cardboard as a guide, pin the snowflake out to dry. Try to make sure that it is relatively symmetrical.
Let the snowflake dry overnight. In the morning, carefully wiggle the pins out and remove the snowflake from the cardboard. Sometimes there are little bits of dried starch stuck to it, so it helps to use an old soft toothbrush to clean off any flakes.
You can attach a jeweler's jump ring to one of the branches and use the snowflake as an ornament, or several of them can be sewn together to make a garland. This is a great beginning crochet project because it requires only the three most basic stitches (chain, slip stitch, and single crochet) and stitch definition is not important. You can make what seems like the ugliest, floppiest snowflake and it will still turn out great once it is pinned into shape and blocked with starch.
S
UPDATE: This pattern is from Martha Stewart - I just found it on her website.
