If you don't already know it, there's a group on facebook called Ice Drop Addicts, and have plenty of pics and patterns in the files.

Shuttle tatted with Lizbeth size 20 thread, color 151 Angel's Love.   So,  I finally got a chance to make another ice drop... I think this is my fouth one. I had lofty dreams of making the pink fudge drop, but things kept going wrong. First I strung my beads, then as I was tatting the 2nd row, I realized that I had actually decided to change my ice drop center and now those beads were not going to work. Then as I go along, I realize that the thread is disappearing way faster than I thought it would, and I was going to run out. Lastly, I had a knot in my thread, that made me wonder if I was going to have to cut.

So, I just decided to do something that would use less shuttle thread, and leave off the beads, but then realized I could get in some different beads by connecting the chains to the picots with a bead in there. Better than nothing. I ended up having to take the last bit off the shuttle and finger tat it, and was lucky enough that I got the little knot in a place that was not a slip to close spot, and tatted it in! Well, this is my 'I winged it again' ice drop!

This is Patrizia Pirocca’s tatted Angel pattern, which I adapted into cro-tatting.   I know the tatted version will be more delicate looking, but I just wanted to do it now!    It took me about an hour to do the angel, and then I painted on Mod Podge glossy on each side, letting it dry before doing the other side.   It kinda gives it a 'glass' like texture.   She came out pretty well, and I'm happy I was able to get something done so quickly, as my time is very busy right now.   I'm using a 1.5mm prym cro-tat hook, that I got  from: http://www.ds9designs.com/crochethooks.shtml    - bottom of page where you see the 3 black handle ones, and DMC Petra 5 in white/blanc.    I got the bead on a string of beads separated by little silver 'caps' at Walmart beading section, (if your walmart has a craft section)

CRO-TATTED: 1.00 mm Prym/Lacis cro-tat hook with DMC Pearl 5 in white, 502green & 842 light beige brown. This is Doily no.6 from Annies Attic Dainty & Delicate Mini Doilies - found on ebay.

I have the Annies Attic hook and also recently ordered another 1mm and 1.5mm and 2mm Prym hooks from the bottom of the page here. I was happy to have the larger sizes because I’m using DMC Petra 5. Imagine my surprise to find out I was using the 1mm, by mistake. It is a little hard to get all the DMC 5 into the hook without splitting it, so mad at myself for not using one of the medium size hooks. 2mm would be too large for this, and should be used on DMC 3 or other 3 thread.    

 I think if I made it again, I'd look for a reg crochet hook to do the edge, that was just a little larger than the hook on the cro-tat hook, because I have a problem with making my chains to tight when I crochet.

This is a real busy time of fall yard clean-up - especially when you let it go in the summer!   But I've finally gotten a little time to make another cro-tat snowflake.    Although many of the cro-tat books can be found on ebay, this one is like a needle in a haystack, A Flurry of Snowflakes:

I made snowflake no 1 with 1mm prym cro-tat hook & Hobby Lobby size 10 Artiste cotton thread in white porcelain.

I have to say I don't like the crochet picots, which seem to just look like lumps, compared to tatting picots. BUT! I did this one and there was a little error in the pattern, which made a little divot in the round that the first set of rings go on.

Long explanation:  The error is that it has you start off with slipping 3 st to get to the place for the first ring.   But then it has you do a chain 3 all the rest of the way around, and I kinda thought it would end that way, and make up the difference.   But when I got around to the end of the round, I couldn't go up to the ring with a ch 3, because I had to start the large outer chain from that point in between the rings. 
SHORT EXPLANATION:   Don't start with slp 3, but a ch 3, then into the middle of the next loop for the first ring.