Erishkigal Skully Snowflake

ERISHKIGAL SKULLY SNOWFLAKE

Here is the pattern you've been waiting for!
This winter, a friend posted a picture of a paper skully snowflake.  I was absolutely enchanted!  I had just begun to crochet, being confined to a cast after breaking my hand.  This friend then challenged me to come up with a good skull snowflake, and so this pattern was born.

The inspiration for this pattern comes from The Lost Souls Shawl, a great pattern; I recommend you check it out!

For this pattern I recommend that you have some experience with crochet.  If there are parts that hang you up there are great resources on youtube and ravelry to get you going again.

Here's a huge caveat.  I've been cranking out snowflakes all winter long.  None of my skully snowflakes have the same center.  I've written one out here for you but feel free to play and change it up a little bit.  I also vary with hearts at the tips of the snowflake arms, or "crown points" (see photos).  Your choice, I'm going to put both options in here for you.



Materials:
#10 crochet thread
Hook appropriate for you and the thread; I use a 1.75 mm

Begin:
1) Ch 6, join with a ss to the first stitch on the chain.
2) Ch 12, tr into ch sp, *ch 8, tr into ch sp.  Repeat 4X from *, join with ss in 4th ch of original ch 12.
3) Into next ch sp (3sc, 2dc, ch1, 2dc, 3sc).  Repeat into each ch sp, to fill out the "petals". SS join.
4) SS to the ch 1 at the top of the next petal.  Ch 3 (counts as 1st dc); dc, ch1, 2dc, ch7 to next ch 1 sp on next petal.  (2dc, ch1, 2dc in ch1 sp, ch7) in each ch 1 sp, x5.  SS join into top of ch 3 at start.

Here's where we're going to repeat a lot.  To simplify things, I'm going to compress it a little.
"Start" is how we'll start each successive round for a bit.  It looks like this:
SS into ch 1 sp.  Into the ch 1 sp: (Ch 3 (counts as 1st dc), dc, ch 1, 2 dc); ch 3.  This creates the skeleton effect next to the skulls.  Anytime I write "start" please follow the above.

5) "Start". *7dc onto the 7ch from previous round, ch 3, (2dc, ch 1, 2dc) into ch 1 sp, ch 3.  Repeat from * around, and join your last ch 3 with a ss into the top of the ch3 that you started with.
6) "Start". *sc into the first of the 7 dc of previous round. ch 7. Sc into last of the 7dc, ch 3, (2dc, ch 1, 2dc) into ch 1 sp, ch 3.  Repeat from * around, and join your last ch 3 with a ss into the top of the ch3 that you started with.
7) "Start". *7sc onto the 7ch you made on the last round, ch 3, (2dc, ch 1, 2dc) into ch 1 sp, ch 3.  Repeat from * around, and join your last ch 3 with a ss into the top of the ch3 that you started with.
8) To make this round work right: you're noticing a pattern here, right?  That you make the vertebrae first, and we're filling in the skull in between.  So each ch 3 is linking the vertebrae to the skull.  For this round, you need to cheat a little and use the last ch of the ch 3 before the 7sc so it all makes sense.  I hope that was clear.  Ok, here we go:
"Start". *3sc, 1dc, ch1 and sk 1sc (in the middle), 1dc, 3sc all onto the previous 7 sc (with the wiggle room at the sides.  You'll see, just trust me).  Ch 3, (2dc, ch 1, 2dc) into ch 1 sp, ch 3.  Repeat from * around, and join your last ch 3 with a ss into the top of the ch3 that you started with.

Now it should look like a chin, open mouth with a little nose hole.  Cute, huh?  I could kiss the lady who invented this skull.

9) "Start". *hdc into 1st sc of previous row, ch 7, sc into ch1 sp ("nose"), ch 7, hdc into last sc of previous row, ch 3, (2dc, ch 1, 2dc) into ch 1 sp, ch 3.  Repeat from * around, and join your last ch 3 with a ss into the top of the ch3 that you started with.  (Eyes!)
10) "Start". *sc into the hdc to anchor, 7 sc onto the 7ch, then 7 sc onto the next 7ch, sc into the last hdc, ch 3, (2dc, ch 1, 2dc) into ch 1 sp, ch 3.  Repeat from * around, and join your last ch 3 with a ss into the top of the ch3 that you started with.

Now we're going to develop the arms of the snowflake, having finished our vertebrae.  Things are going to get a little bit different.

11) Sl st over to the skull.  Skip 1st st.  *Sc next 6 sts, skip 1 sc, sc next 6 sts, Ch 20, ss join on next skull at the 2nd sc (so that you skip that 1st st).  Repeat from * around, until all skulls are joined.
12) *Skip 1st st, sc over next 10 sts, skip last (ss to your ch 20).  Here is where you choose 12a) hearts or 12b) crown points for your snowflake arms.

12a: Hearts) On the ch20: 15sc, 3hdc, 3dc, heart: (ch5, 1dc in 3rd cfh, 1 dc next ch, [1dc] next ch; ch4, 1dc in 3rd cfh, 1dc next ch, 1dc into top of [1dc]; ss into first of the 5ch to join the arch), 3dc, 3hdc, 15sc, ss onto skull at bottom of ch20.

12b: Crown) On the ch20: 15sc, 3hdc, picot (ch4, sc into 3rd cfh, ch1), 3dc, picot, 3dc, picot, 3hdc, 15sc, ss onto skull at bottom of ch 20.

With whatever you choose, repeat from * plus 12a or 12b around.  SS , weave in threads, starch it up and pin it to really get it sharp, and admire your amazing handiwork.