Two coils twisting past each other, one pale blue and one white, with a big snowflake at the top and a snowman, a pair of ice skates, small snowflakes, snowballs and glass drops hanging into the space between them.
It is a winter piece rather than a Christmas one, which means it can go up in November and stay until the weather turns. Nothing on it is red or green.
The double coil is the same construction I use on the evil eye and the angel hangings. If you have made either, you already know the two rules and can skip that section.
What you’ll need
Size 3 crochet cotton or a light 4 ply cotton in pale blue and white. Small amounts of black, orange and grey for the charms.
A 2.5 mm hook.
You’ll also want polyester fibrefill, three or four small clear glass drops or faceted beads, fabric stiffener, fine gold cord for the hanger, about a metre and a half of 0.8 mm florist wire, and a tapestry needle.
Finished length is about 45 cm.
Abbreviations are US terms. ch is chain, sl st is slip stitch, sc is single crochet, hdc is half double crochet, dc is double crochet, inc is two stitches in one, dec is an invisible decrease, MR is magic ring.
Part 1. The two spirals
Make one pale blue and one white. Identical apart from colour.
Ch 90. Keep the chain relaxed.
Row 1. Ch 2, then work 2 dc into the third chain from the hook and 2 dc into every chain across. Do not fasten off.
Row 2. Turn and work sc into every stitch across the full length. The work will be coiling hard by now, so follow the curve with your hands rather than trying to flatten it. Fasten off.
Thread florist wire through the base of the row 1 stitches along the inner edge of each coil, folding both ends over and tucking them back inside so nothing can poke out.
Part 2. Setting the double spiral
Two rules, and both matter more than anything else in the pattern.
Both coils must twist the same way. Set them with the wire so they are wound in the same direction. If one ends up left handed and the other right handed they will fight each other and tangle instead of nesting, and it is the one mistake you cannot fix later by nudging.
They attach half a turn apart. The blue coil goes at the front and the white at the back, directly opposite. Side by side the two sit on top of each other and look like an error. Opposite each other they wind past each other the whole way down.
Once both are attached, work down from the top with your fingers, setting the spacing so the blue band always sits in the gap between two white turns.
Part 3. The big snowflake
In white, worked large enough to carry the whole piece visually.
MR, ch 1, work 12 sc into the ring, sl st to join.
Next round, ch 3, skip one sc, sl st in the next sc, repeated around for six loops.
For each arm, working into a ch 3 loop, ch 9, sl st in the second ch from the hook, sc in the next 2 ch, ch 4, sl st in the second ch from the hook, sc in the next 2 ch, sl st back into the stem, sc in the next 2 ch of the stem, ch 4, sl st in the second ch from the hook, sc in the next 2 ch, sl st back into the stem, sc in the remaining chains, then sl st into the next loop. Repeat for all six arms and fasten off.
Soak it in fabric stiffener and pin it flat to dry. A floppy topper on a piece this size looks like a mistake.
Part 4. Small snowflakes, make four
Same method but shorter arms. Work the centre the same, then for each arm ch 6, sl st in the second ch from the hook, sc in the next 2 ch, ch 3, sl st in the second ch from the hook, sc in the next ch, sl st back into the stem, sc in the remaining chains, then sl st into the next loop.
Stiffen these flat as well.
Part 5. The snowman
Head. In white, 6 sc in MR (6), inc six times (12), sc for three rounds (12), dec six times (6), stuff and close.
Body. In white, 6 sc in MR (6), inc six times (12), sc and inc repeated six times (18), sc for three rounds (18), sc and dec repeated six times (12), stuff firmly, dec six times and close.
Top hat. In black, 8 sc in MR (8), inc eight times (16), sc in back loops only around (16), sc for two rounds (16), then dec eight times (8) and fasten off without stuffing. Turn it right side up so the flared edge becomes the brim and sew it flat to the top of the head.
Carrot nose. In orange, 4 sc in MR, sc around twice, close. Sew to the centre of the face.
Face and buttons. Two black French knot eyes, a curved row of tiny black knots for the smile, and three down the body.
Scarf. In pale blue, ch 22, sc back along the chain. Tie it loosely around the neck and use the ends to sew the head to the body.
Part 6. The ice skates
Make two and join them at the laces so they hang as a pair.
Boot. In white, starting at the sole. Ch 5. Work 2 sc into the second ch from the hook, sc in the next 2 ch, 4 sc into the last ch, then along the other side of the chain sc in the next 2 ch and 2 sc into the last, join (12).
Rounds 2 and 3. Sc around (12) Round 4. Sc 3, dec twice, sc 5 (10), which shapes the instep. Rounds 5 to 8. Sc around (10), forming the ankle.
Change to pale blue. Round 9. Sc around (10). Fasten off, stuffing lightly.
Blade. In grey, ch 10. Sl st in the second ch from the hook and in each ch across, then work 3 sl st into the final chain to curl the toe end. Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Push a short length of wire down the length of it so it holds the curve, then sew it along the underside of the boot with the curled end at the toe.
Laces. Thread a length of white through the front of each ankle in a criss cross, then tie the two skates together by their laces so they hang side by side at slightly different heights.
Part 7. Snowballs, make three
In white. 5 sc in MR (5), inc five times (10), sc for two rounds (10), dec five times (5). Stuff and close.
Putting it together
Sew the big snowflake to the top of both coils, catching each coil at its top end so the snowflake carries them both. Attach the gold cord behind it.
Run a length of white cotton down through the centre channel between the two coils, attached at the top only so it hangs free without touching either.
Hang the snowman from that centre cord at about the halfway point, where the coils are widest apart. He is the heaviest thing here and the middle is where there is room for him.
Attach everything else to the underside of the coils on short lengths of white thread, varying the drops from 2 cm to 6 cm. Alternate between the blue coil and the white one as you work down, and alternate heavy charms with light ones.
Put the skates lower down and towards one side, the snowballs scattered, the small snowflakes at three different heights, and the glass drops wherever the light will catch them.
Space them unevenly on purpose. Two charms close together and a gap somewhere else looks considered. Even spacing looks like a chart.
Hang it up and leave it a day before finishing the ends. Two coils always want one more adjustment once they are carrying their own weight.
Notes and variations
An all white version with silver charms is beautiful and reads as pure winter.
Swap the snowman for a penguin or a polar bear, both of which work at the same scale.
Skip the charms entirely and hang just the two coils under the snowflake. It is a lovely quiet piece and takes about two hours.
Questions I get asked
Why do my coils tangle instead of nesting? Check the handedness first. If both twist the same way and it still tangles, they are attached too close together at the top.
Why does my snowflake droop? Not enough stiffener, or unpinned too early. It should feel like thin card.
Can I use acrylic? For the coils it is fine, since the wire does the work. For the snowflakes, cotton holds a much crisper shape.
Is it safe for a nursery? Not with glass drops. Use crocheted bobbles instead and hang it out of reach.
How long does it take? About seven hours.