The Juliette Mandala

Hidyhi dear lovely ladies!

I have a new mandala pattern for you ~

Ta-dahh!  presenting the Juliette Mandala!

Pattern terms:  US.  
Here is a little chart to use for conversion if necessary.

Materials:  Stylecraft Special DK and US F .. 4mm hook for the Mandala below and the diameter is 35cm ...  and Raeesah DK 100% Cotton and US G ..  4.5mm hook for the Mandala in yellow and green with a diameter of 40cm. 

Start with either a magic circle or 3ch and slip stitch into first chain.

Row 1:  14 sc into circle, sl st to close (14 sc)

Row 2:  5ch (counts as 1 tr and 1ch), 1 tr into next stitch, 2ch, 1tr into next st, 1 ch, 1 tr into next stitch, 2ch.  Continue all round ending with 2ch and sl st into 4th chain of starting 5 chain.

(14 x trs, 7 x 2ch gaps and 7 x 1ch gaps) 

Row 3:  Join new colour (pink for reference) into any 1ch space.  1sc into same space, 5 dc into 2ch space, sc into 1ch space. Continue all round, finishing with 5dc into last 2ch space and sl st into first sc.

(7 x 5dc groups and 7 x sc)

Row 4:  In same colour, and in same st as sl st,  work 1hdc, 3ch, 1hdc into 3rd dc of 5dc group, 3ch, 1hdc into next sc.  Continue all round,  ending with 3ch and sl st into first hdc.

(14 x 3ch and 14 x hdc) 

Row 5:  Join in new colour (lilac) into any 3ch space.  3ch (counts as first dc) and a further 3dc into space (4dc group).  Continue working 4 dc into each 3ch space. Sl st into 3rd chain of starting 3ch. (14 x 4 dc groups)

Row 6:  Join new colour (blue).  We will work the next three rows in the same colour. Join yarn into first dc in any 4dc group.  2sc into same stitch, 1sc into next 3 sts, 2sc into next st, 1sc into next 3 sts.  Continue to end, finishing with sl st into 1st of 2sc at start.

Row 7:  5ch (counts as first dc + 2ch), miss 1 sc, 1 dc into next st. 2ch, miss 1st, 1dc into next st, 2ch, miss 1st, 1dc into next st, 2ch.  Continue to end, as per photo, and after last 2ch, sl st into 3rd of 5ch at beginning. (35 spaces and 35 x dc 'legs')

Row 8:  Sl st into first 2ch space. 2sc, 1ch, 2sc into next 2ch space, 1ch.  Continue all round, finishing with 1ch and sl st into first sc. 

Row 6

Row 7

Row 8

                      

Row 9:  Join new colour into any 1ch space (red).  4 ch (counts for 1dc + 1ch).  1dc into same st. Miss 2 sts.  Work 1dc-1ch-1dc (forming a V) into next 1ch space.  Miss 2 sts and work a V into next 1ch space.  Continue all round with the row of V's.  End with sl st into 3rd ch of 4ch at start of work. (35 x V's)

Row 10:  Join new colour (lilac) into top of any V .. see photo.  3ch and 2dc (counts as 3dc group) into space.  Continue all round finishing with sl st into top of 3ch at start of work. The picture also shows where to start the surface chain if you should wish to add it now. A short description for this is at the end of the pattern.

Rows 6, 7, 8 in blue; row 9 in red; row 10 in lilac

Row 11:  Join new colour (purple) to any space between 3dc groups.  1sc into same space. 2ch, 1sc into next space between groups, 2ch.  Continue to end, finishing with 2ch and sl st into starting sc.

Row 11

Row 12:  Join new colour (blue) to any 2ch space.  3ch (counts for 1dc), 3dc into same space (4dc group).  Continue working a 4dc group into each 2ch space, finishing with sl st into top of starting 3ch.

Row 12

Rows 13, 14 and 15

Rows 13, 14, and 15 work in the same colour(purple).

Row 13:  Join new colour to any st.  1sc in same st, 1sc into each st all round, sl st to first sc to close round.

Row 14:  Repeat Row 7.

Row 15:  Repeat Row 8.

Row 16:  Join new colour (pink) into any 1ch space and repeat Row 9,  the V's row.

Row 17:  Join new colour (lilac) to any 1ch space (in the centre of V).  3ch, 1dc into same space (2dc group), 3dc into next 1ch space (3dc group), 2dc into next 1ch space. Continue working one 2dc group alternating with one 3dc group into each 1ch space to end, finishing with sl st into top of starting 3ch.

Row 17

Row: 18: Join new colour (blue) to any stitch.  1sc into same st, 1sc into next 3 sts. Now we will work a picot as follows:

 
1 ~ 1sc into next st, 1ch
2 ~ Sl st into loop behind sc, as I have pointed to with my needle
3 ~ yarn over hook and pull loop through 
4 ~ sl st through 1ch

Then sc into same st.  And so there is the little picot finished.

Surface chain pattern:

Here is a group of photos showing how to do the simple surface chain pattern.  You can see where I have positioned the chains.

  

I have crocheted a surface chain between rows 9 and 10, and again between rows 16 and 17. Your loops must be loose as you pull the yarn through from the back to the front of the mandala, so as not to pucker up your work. Once you have completed the surface chain row and sewn the yarn to the back of your work (photo 8) securely stitch the ends in neatly.

Love the colours of the yellow and green Juliette mandala too.

Hope you enjoy making the Juliette mandala .. 

this being my first pattern in simply ages. I had forgotten how much time (and pleasure!) go into the creative process .. I really enjoyed challenging the brain cells again!

  Please feel free to post your beautiful creations, and I think no mandala can possible not be beautiful .. to my Facebook page!

With much love to all

Pat xxxx

Mandala for Wink

Hello again dear friends,

I have decided to join and contribute to the crochet art initiative currently underway.  The crochet world is indeed in shock at the recent passing of a most talented and creative young lady, Marinke Slump, known to the blog world as Wink, writer of the wonderful blog A Creative Being.  She bravely lived with crippling depression, and eventually succumbed some days ago.

This is such an insidious and dark disease, taking the light out of life, and filling the soul with such numbing hopelessness, pain and despair.  I speak as a sufferer, and from having to keep myself together and keep my two children closely gathered to my being, when their dad took his life. 

My depression is manageable, only occurring very, very occasionally.  I know the signs and can cope with the week or so of fumbling around trying not to go 'down the dark hole' too far.  Most of the time I am fine, happy and coping extremely well with my everyday.  I 'fess up' to taking a mild medication, mostly to control panic attacks that became part of the picture.  

Crochet has been a life saver for me .... I have focus and purpose ..... and this may sound a tad quirky, and I suppose it is, but I don't clench my jaws when I am immersed in a project, playing with colours, planning a pattern, or simply making Minion hats .. I am making many many Minion hats at the moment!! The movie opens here in South Africa in a week or so, and the demand will be great!  I recently made a 'girlie' Minion for the first time, what fun!  May I introduce you to Moppit!

And so I decided to make a Mandala in honour of Wink, using one of her lovely free patterns.  If you would like to join the project, details are available here,  also on Facebook on #MandalasforMarinke

My blogging has slowed, and for that I am sad .... just too much on my plate, as does happen to us all. I have ideas in my head, photos to take, posts to fine tune ..... very exciting!   And to end may I say a huge and heart-felt thank-you to the many dear ladies who leave a comment now and again, it is sooo appreciated.  There is no feeling like it .. 

Until next time, love and light, from Pat x

Snowflake Mandala

♥ A beautiful Christmas themed Mandala ♥

The centre of this pattern is based loosely on a diagram on a page from a 1987 Crochet Magazine I have had forever :::: have I ever mentioned that I am a horder of note!  If I could pass on an attribute to the designer I would so happily do so, it is a very pretty and almost delicate little centre, reminiscent of a snowflake!

So here we go:

Yarn:  Elle Gold DK in Chilli, Lily and Limeade

Hook: Size 4mm

Special Stitches:  

Puff St ~ link here 

Picot ~ find a link here 

Row 1:   Start with a Magic ring or 5 ch joined to create a circle.

Row 2

Row 2

3ch;   then 23dc;   join with a sl st to top of 3ch to end row.   (24 dc)

Row 3a 

Row 3b

Row 3

6ch;  (counts as first sc and 5ch;  skip 2dc;   1sc into next st.  *5ch;  skip 2 sts;  1sc into next st.   Repeat from * to end of row; sl st into first sc at start of row. (12 x 5ch loops)

Row 4a

Row 4b

Row 4c

Row 4d

Row 4
Sl st into first 5ch loop and make another sl st, as per photo 4a.  This moves the yarn to the top of the loop.   Into first 5ch loop:  *Puff st;  5ch;   1sc 2ch 1sc into next 5ch loop; 5ch.  Repeat from * to end of row;  sl st into top of first Puff st to finish row. Photo 4d shows:  6 Puff sts and 6 2ch loops.

Row 6

Row 6

Join new colour in a 5ch loop before any Puff st.  3ch (counts as 1dc), 1dc, 1ch, 2dc all into loop;  1ch;  2dc, 1ch, 2dc into chain loop after Puff st;  3ch.  * 2dc, 1ch, 2dc into next chain loop;  1ch;  2dc, 1ch, 2dc into next chain loop;  3ch.  Repeat from * a further 4 times. Join to top of starting 3ch.

Row 7

Row 7

Join new colour into any 3ch space and work 3ch (counts as 1dc plus 4dc (making a 5 dc cluster);  into next 1ch space work 1dc;  into next 1ch space make 2dc, 1ch, 2dc;  into next 1ch space make 1dc;  into next 3ch space work 5dc cluster.  Continue to end of row, finishing with a sl st into top of starting 3ch.

Row 8

Row 8

Join new colour into third dc of any 5dc cluster and 6ch (stands for 1dc plus 3ch);  Puff st into top of next 1dc;  3ch;  1dc into third dc of 5dc cluster;  3ch;  Puff st into top of next 1dc.  Continue to end of row, finishing with a sl st into third ch of beginning 6ch.

Row 9

Row 9

Sl st into 3ch space;  Into each 3ch space, work 5dc cluster

Row 10

Row 10

Join new colour Into space between 5dc clusters;   work 1sc and 6ch;  1sc into next space between clusters; 6ch.  After last sc into last space between clusters, finish row with 3ch and 1dc into starting sc.

Row 11

Row 11

Sl st across first 3 chain sts;  6ch;  sc into next 6 ch space.  Finish row after last 6ch with a sl st into 1^st sc.

Row 12

Row 12

Join new colour into any 6ch space.  3ch and 6dc (making a 7 stitch cluster);  next a Picot;  7dc cluster into next 6 chain space;  then a Picot.  Continue to end, making a Picot seperating each 7dc cluster.  Finish row with last Picot and a sl st into starting 3ch.

And there we are .. I love this Mandala!  Hope you enjoy making it up.  And if you do I would love to see your photos on the Sunshine FB page!

I must add an apology at this point;  after some most annoying problems on my blog template these past few weeks, all is sorted thanks to my beloved son Arend ♥ soo sorry for the delay in getting this post out, soo happy to see it finally on it's way :) Please forgive any out-of-sync looking pics too!

Until next post 

thank you for reading

Pat xxxxxxxxx