Little flakes and stars

I'm still tatting snowflakes, and I've added a few small stars to the mix:

I've been testing out different beaded centers with the flakes, and have come up with a formula for calculating the picot gauge needed when using size 20 thread. The picot gauge is used with Frivole's method for adding beads, which you can view by clicking here. Hopefully I'll have more about that next week.

These snowflakes and stars are inspired by one of my earlier designs. I had the idea to create snowflake pairs that consist of one small and one large version, both using similar design elements. In this case, both designs feature outward facing clovers tatted in two rounds:

The small snowflake and star are tatted in Lizbeth size 20 thread while the large snowflake and star are tatted in size 40. I have several other design pairs drawn, and I hope to tat them over the next few months. Part of my goal with this project is to create snowflakes that are suitable for both small and large threads.

To draft these designs, I've been using the Amaziograph app that I blogged about earlier. Here is the sketch of the small snowflake from today's post:

I'm really pleased with this app and can get lost in it for hours. I think it's a great way to visualize a design before attempting to tat it.