Guest Author - Gillian Buchanan

This book is a nice collection of traditional style snowflakes, designed by Samantha Melnychuk. The book itself is produced in softback with a plastic cover and ring binding so it can be opened flat as you work. The instructions are in both diagrammatical and notational format and are very easy to follow; Samantha also includes full instructions on how to interpret them.

Samantha challenged herself to keep the snowflakes in multiple row format but less than 3 inches in size when worked in size 20 thread - quite an achievement. Her patterns are varied and imaginative, including SCMR techniques and split rings as well as more traditional tatting and simple two shuttle tatting. She does not use beads in the tatting but they could easily be added. However some of the snowflakes are quite tightly fitted within themselves so you would need to plan carefully when considering adding beads.

This is a nice publication from one of our youngest authors and I would think that most tatters would enjoy it. Samantha's web site is here and the book can be obtained directly from her along with her two other books, A Veritable Tatted Blizzard and The Psychadelic Shuttle, both of which I have enjoyed.