The Frosted Twist Icicle is a slim, curly ornament that looks like a frozen drip caught in the light. A ribbon of stitches twists around a central chain and leaves open windows between the coils, so tree lights shine right through it.
The colors fade from sky blue at the top to pale ice blue in the middle and finish in a crisp white tip. A silver metallic loop at the top adds a little sparkle and makes it easy to hang. The style is simple, wintry, and quick enough to make a whole set in one evening.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished icicle measures 4.5 in (11.4 cm) long without the loop. It is 1 in (2.5 cm) wide at the top and tapers to 0.25 in (0.6 cm) at the tip.
You make it as one piece. First you crochet a chain, then you work back along that chain with 3 stitches in every chain. Each section uses shorter stitches than the one before, from treble crochet down to single crochet. Packing 3 stitches into each chain forces the fabric to twist into a corkscrew, and the shorter stitches create the taper.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 4.5 in (11.4 cm) long × 1 in (2.5 cm) wide at the widest point
- Skill level: Easy
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Fingering (1 / super fine) cotton or size 3 crochet thread
- Hook: 2.25 mm (US B-1)
- Number of pieces: 1
- Layout: Single vertical spiral, hung from the top
- Piece size: 4.5 in (11.4 cm) long, tapering from 1 in (2.5 cm) to 0.25 in (0.6 cm)
- Size before border: 4.5 in (11.4 cm) long
- Border depth: None, 0 in (0 cm). The tops of the Row 1 stitches form the finished edge.
Materials
Yarn: Use a smooth, mercerized cotton in fingering weight or size 3 thread. Cotton holds the spiral shape well and takes stiffener cleanly. Avoid fuzzy or very stretchy fibers, because they blur the open gaps between the coils.
- Color A – Sky Blue: 4 g, about 14 m (15 yd)
- Color B – Pale Ice Blue: 2 g, about 7 m (8 yd)
- Color C – White: 2 g, about 7 m (8 yd)
- Silver metallic thread: one 8 in (20.3 cm) length for the hanging loop
Tools:
- 2.25 mm (US B-1) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Small scissors
- Fabric stiffener or heavy spray starch
- A plastic drinking straw or wooden skewer (optional, for blocking)
- Rust-proof pins
All yarn quantities include a small safety margin for weaving in tails and testing your gauge.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- tr – treble crochet (yarn over twice, insert hook, pull up a loop, [yarn over, pull through 2 loops] 3 times)
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- yo – yarn over
Special technique – Clean color change: Work the last stitch of a section in the old color until 2 loops remain on the hook (for sc or dc) or 3 loops remain (for hdc). Yarn over with the new color and pull through all remaining loops. Cut the old color, leaving a 4 in (10.2 cm) tail.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge matters more for length than for anything else. Before you make a full set, make one test icicle.
Foundation gauge: 8 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm), measured with the chain relaxed and not stretched.
Checkpoints:
- Foundation chain: 36 ch should measure 4.5 in (11.4 cm).
- After the white section (chains 1–12): this part of the chain is 1.5 in (3.8 cm) long, and the coils are about 0.25–0.5 in (0.6–1.3 cm) wide.
- After the pale blue section (chains 13–20): the worked length is 2.5 in (6.4 cm), and the coils are about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) wide.
- Finished piece: 4.5 in (11.4 cm) long and 1 in (2.5 cm) wide at the treble crochet section.
If your chain is too long (more than 4.75 in / 12.1 cm), switch to a 2 mm hook or chain more tightly. If it is too short (less than 4.25 in / 10.8 cm), switch to a 2.5 mm hook. Do not change the number of chains. The 3-per-chain ratio is what makes the twist, and the section lengths are what keep the color bands in proportion.
Pattern
Foundation Chain
With Color A (Sky Blue), make a slip knot, leaving a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail. This end becomes the top of the icicle.
Ch 36. Fasten off, leaving a 4 in (10.2 cm) tail.
Number the chains starting from the end you just finished: the last chain you made is chain 1 (the tip), and the chain next to the slip knot is chain 36 (the top). You will work Row 1 from the tip back up to the top so that the color changes run white, then ice blue, then sky blue.
Checkpoint: 36 ch, 4.5 in (11.4 cm).
Row 1 – Tip Section (Color C, White)
Join Color C with a sl st in chain 1. Work into the back bump of each chain from now on. This keeps the spine smooth and makes the stitches lean evenly, so the coils twist neatly.
Chains 1–6: Ch 1 (does not count as a st), 3 sc in chain 1, then 3 sc in each of chains 2–6. (18 sc in this part.)
These short stitches make the tight, narrow curl at the point.
Chains 7–12: 3 hdc in each of chains 7–12. (18 hdc in this part; 36 sts so far.)
On the last hdc in chain 12, change to Color B using the clean color change.
Checkpoint: The white part should already be twisting into a tight curl about 0.25–0.5 in (0.6–1.3 cm) wide. If it lies flat, your chain stitches are too loose for the stitches crowded into them. Try a smaller hook.
Row 1 Continued – Middle Section (Color B, Pale Ice Blue)
Chains 13–20: 3 dc in each of chains 13–20. (24 dc in this part; 60 sts so far.)
On the last dc in chain 20, change to Color A.
Double crochet is taller than hdc, so the ribbon gets wider here and the gaps between the coils start to open up.
Checkpoint: Worked length 2.5 in (6.4 cm), coil width about 0.75 in (1.9 cm).
Row 1 Continued – Upper Section (Color A, Sky Blue)
Chains 21–28: 3 dc in each of chains 21–28. (24 dc in this part; 84 sts so far.)
Chains 29–36: 3 tr in each of chains 29–36. (24 tr in this part; 108 sts in Row 1.)
The trebles make the widest, loosest coils at the top of the icicle. This is where the open, lacy look shows most.
Fasten off, leaving an 8 in (20.3 cm) tail.
Row 1 total: 18 sc + 18 hdc + 24 dc + 24 dc + 24 tr = 108 sts, which is 36 chains × 3 sts.
Shaping the Spiral
With your fingers, twist the piece in the direction it already wants to curl so that the ribbon wraps evenly around the chain spine. Pull the tip and the top gently in opposite directions. The coils should space themselves out and leave clear gaps between each turn.
Border
This ornament has no separate border. The edge of the ribbon is the braided top of the Row 1 stitches, which already looks finished and matches the clean ribbon edge of the icicle.
Border gauge: The edge has 3 stitch tops per foundation chain, which is 24 stitch tops per 1 in (2.5 cm) of spine.
Edge counts by section:
- White tip: 36 stitch tops (18 sc + 18 hdc) along 1.5 in (3.8 cm) of spine
- Pale blue middle: 24 stitch tops along 1 in (2.5 cm) of spine
- Sky blue upper: 48 stitch tops (24 dc + 24 tr) along 2 in (5.1 cm) of spine
- Total: 36 + 24 + 48 = 108 stitch tops
Why the math works: Each section’s stitch count is its chain count × 3: 12 × 3 = 36, 8 × 3 = 24, and 16 × 3 = 48. The section lengths, 1.5 + 1 + 2 in (3.8 + 2.5 + 5.1 cm), add up to the 4.5 in (11.4 cm) foundation. Adding a border would put extra stitches on an edge that is already crowded, which would push the coils apart unevenly and hide the openings. That is why the edge is left as worked.
Hanging Loop
Fold the 8 in (20.3 cm) length of silver thread in half. Thread both ends through the first chain at the top (chain 36). Tie them in a firm double knot about 2.75 in (7.0 cm) from the fold. This leaves a loop about 2.5 in (6.4 cm) long. Trim the ends to 0.125 in (0.3 cm) and add a dot of clear glue if you like.
Use the 8 in (20.3 cm) sky blue tail to wrap the top of the spine twice, just under the loop. This hides the knot. Then weave the tail down into the spine.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all tails along the center chain spine, never along the ribbon edge. Leave the hanging loop alone.
- Dilute the fabric stiffener according to the manufacturer’s directions, or use heavy spray starch.
- Soak the icicle in the stiffener and squeeze out the extra. Do not wring it.
- Optional straw method: Slide a drinking straw or skewer through the center of the coils. This keeps the spiral round and straight.
- Twist and space the coils so the gaps are even from the top to the tip.
- Measure: 4.5 in (11.4 cm) long, 1 in (2.5 cm) wide at the top. Stretch or nudge the coils gently until it matches.
- Hang it to dry by the silver loop, or lay it on a towel if you are using a straw. Let it dry completely, usually 12–24 hours.
- Remove the straw once the piece is fully dry and holds its shape.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Foundation is exactly 36 ch.
- Row 1 has 108 sts: 18 sc, 18 hdc, 24 dc, 24 dc, 24 tr.
- The colors run white at the tip, then pale ice blue, then sky blue, with clean changes and no loops of the wrong color showing.
- The ribbon twists in one direction the whole way down, with no flat or reversed sections.
- The gaps between the coils are open and evenly spaced.
- Finished length is 4.5 in (11.4 cm), and the width tapers from 1 in (2.5 cm) to 0.25 in (0.6 cm).
- The silver loop is about 2.5 in (6.4 cm) long and firmly knotted.
- All tails are hidden in the spine.
Troubleshooting
The piece lies flat or only ruffles. Your foundation chain is too loose. Chain more tightly or go down a hook size for the chain only.
The coils are crowded, with no gaps. You are probably working more than 3 sts in some chains. Count by section: 18, 18, 24, 24, 24.
The colors are out of order. You started Row 1 at the wrong end. Row 1 must start at the last chain you made.
The tip flops. Use a stronger stiffener mix on the white section and let it dry hanging straight down.
The spiral reverses partway down. You switched from back bumps to the chain tops partway along. Rip back to the change and work into the back bumps again.
The top is too wide. Your treble crochet stitches are too tall. Pull each yarn-over snug, or use dc in chains 29–36 for a narrower top.
Care
Dust gently with a soft brush. If it loses its shape after storage, mist it with starch, re-twist it, and hang it to dry. Store it flat in tissue paper.
Final Notes
The measurements build on each other. With 8 ch to 1 in (2.5 cm), the 36-ch foundation is 4.5 in (11.4 cm). Working 3 sts in every chain gives 108 stitch tops and forces the twist. The sections taper by stitch height, from 1 in (2.5 cm) wide at the top to 0.25 in (0.6 cm) at the tip, and blocking sets the 4.5 in (11.4 cm) spiral. Make one and check it at each checkpoint, then make a full set for the tree in the same colors.
Happy crocheting!