Yennefer completed

You can see the beginning of this mandala journey in this post. It took a while but at last I found a 70 cm metal hoop to attach the mandala to.

Using Scheepjes Whirl, Turquoise Turntable, and a 3.5mm hook, I cut the thread after Round 19, 24, 30 and 32 to wind off until the next colour join or two. I think I have used just over half the Whirl on this mandala and I will make another with the yarn that remains.

I didn’t block this one, I attached each point to the hoop with a stitch marker

and then using a needle and a length of the yarn, I sewed each picot point to the hoop, threading the yarn through the edge to get to the next point

It will hang on the wall above my fireplace, but I’m wondering if I should mount it on something first.

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Yennefer

Sometimes to urge to start a new project is overwhelming and I have to set all of the WIPs aside and just go for it. 

Zoya Matyushenko’s new pattern Yennefer was irresistable.

The instructions are well written but do not come with a photo tutorial, so I make a copy of the photo on my laptop and then crop it and enlarge so that I can see the details as a guide.

I’m using Scheepjes Whirl Turquoise Turntable – ooooo – I just have to pause to delight in this gradient yarn – it feels gorgeous and looks so inviting – I had to stroke and squidge it for a few days before breaking into it. The photo does not do it justice. Oh the joy of the colour and how it fades from light to dark ………… ………… …….

It is soooooooooo pretty.

I tried a 4mm hook, but it did not hold together, so I am using a 3.5mm hook to make a mandala which I will sew to a metal hoop and hang in the wall. You can see other mandalas/dreamcatchers I have made here , here, here and one for a wizard here.

I am not getting the stitches even but hope, by the end, they will look ok

Zoya is a magician with crochet and creates all sorts of amazing effects. Each round is an adventure and the sense of achievement is huge and so satisfying.

I am working from the pale turquoise on the outside and by the end of Round 14, I thought I would, cut the yarn and wind off some of this pale turquoise, in order to get the full range of the gradient colours into the mandala.

At each join another strand of darker turquoise is added, I wound the yarn past one join and cut it at the next

Round 15 is started with the slightly darker yarn.

Working these Rounds is like reading an exciting book, I’m eager to get to the end of the ‘chapter’ and to get onto the next one, a real page-turner. I want to see how the next bit of the story affects the last bit and see the story unfold, each new stitch, a new character. I can’t put it down.

Sometimes I wish there was a photo to explain the next Round, so for my own future reference, this is the beginning of Round 17.

I am often asked how long I take to make a blanket or a mandala and it is always a difficult question to answer as I pick crochet up in odd moments and never time myself. But I was interested to see how long each of the ‘Petals’ took to make so I set my Stopwatch

At least I have an answer if asked about this one – if only for one part of it.

The work is much softer in Scheepjes Whirl than in a finer crisper cotton, but I’m hoping that once stretched on a hoop the details will be defined enough for a pleasing effect.

Onto the next petal….

 

 

Cosmic Bedspread Complete

Tah Dah!!!       Drum roll please!

At last it is finished

This has been a really fun project to make. The journey began back in April when Helen Shrimpton’s Crochet Along started and I finished the CAL back in June, but I wanted to do a few more rows to make it bigger and work out how to make a scalloped edge.

The bedspread, shown here on a 5′ wide double bed, had to wait patiently in the background whilst I made a couple of dreamcatchers for birthday presents, and then it was hard to pick it up again.

But I did it!!

I can highly recommend Helen’s patterns and this one is FREE and comes with a video tutorial.

To see other amazing Cosmics, join Helen’s Hookaholics on FB and go to the Photo Albums. If you ever need inspiration for colour combinations there is surely no better place to go.

I made this Bedspread with Scheepjes Whirl and Whirlettes and a 3mm hook:

2 x Rosewater Cocktail Whirl

1 x Jumping Jelly Whirl

1 x Citrus Whirlette

1x Blueberry Whirlette

I really enjoyed mixing up the Whirls and playing with the gradients in the colours to get the effect I wanted.

It measures 1m 41cm – 1m 35cm.           or             4’6.5″ x 4’5″

Blog posts showing progress:

Making a start. Parts 1 and 2

Parts 3 and 4

Parts 5 and 6

Parts 7 and 8

Part 9 and beyond

I am so happy with my zingy bedspread!

Cosmic Cal Parts 7 – 8

With Part 6 of the Cosmic Cal completed,

doesn’t it look perfect with this chair covered in a luxurious fabric by ‘Timorous Beasties‘…..

…….. on to Part 7 in which we meet the dastardly Cosmic Stars!!!

Helen’s You Tube tutorial for Part 7 is  here.

Continuing with the Jumping Jelly Whirl until completing Round 78, I worked Round 79, the first part of the Cosmic Stars, in Citrus Whirlette.

I don’t know if it is because I am left-handed and following a right-handed video, or because I was using a 4 ply cotton yarn which has no give, but I just could not get the placement of the spokes right – stitch markers to the rescue!

There was much chat on the FB groups about these stars and I was near to giving up on them when one wonderful person suggested working into front posts instead of front loops and this worked much better for me. Phew!

By the time I had worked along one side I was down to only needing the bottom middle marker to show me the way

Finding the ‘eye’ of the star in the completing row was tricky, so I employed a knitting needle to make the hole big enough to get my hook through

I was so relieved to get to the end of those Stars, knowing I would never have to make them again!

However, lots of people said they loved them and are making several more Cosmics including the Stars.

Mercifully Part 8 was delightfully relaxing as I continued into the orange section of the Jumping Jelly.

Part 9 to come.

Cosmic Cal Parts 5 – 6

Continuing with my account of making the Cosmic Cal designed by Helen Shrimpton …

Scheepjes Whirl Rosewater Cocktail x 2; Jumping Jelly x 1; Scheepjes Whirlette Citrus

3mm hook

Parts 1 and 2

Parts 3 and 4

Part 5

The Rows of Star Stitches, Rows 50 and 51 of the pattern, were made with the yellow yarn at the centre of the second Rosewater Cocktail Whirl.

The yarn was cut at the end of Row 51.

 

Row 52 was made continuing with the yarn of the first Whirl, up until the end of part 4, finishing with the dark blue

 

I started Part 5, Row 61, continuing with the yellow from the centre of the second Rosewater Cocktail Whirl until the last Row of Part5, Row 66, which I worked in the Citrus Whirlette.

(with hindsight I wish I had worked this row in either dark blue or turquoise so that it showed up the sunburst pattern more)

Part 6

Part 6 continued with the Rosewater Cocktail until Row 71.

I cut the yarn and

Started Row 72 with the Central Lilac colour of Jumping Jelly

The Crochet Along has 9 parts altogether.

Cosmic 4

 

I am thoroughly enjoying following Helen Shrimpton’s Cosmic Crochet Along (Cal). She really is an outstanding designer with plenty of challenges to keep you on your crocheting-toes.

Following  Part Two came the excitement of Part 3 in which we would be learning a new stitch – Star Stitch!

Cute!

But first there were a few more rows to square up the hexagon……

The rows of doubles and trebles (US) in this 4ply cotton yarn were getting to look a bit like a string vest in the corners so I decided to add a bit of texture in the form of popcorns and bead stitches.

To keep in with the Cosmic theme, I’m calling them Sputniks

The yellow for the two rows of Star Stitch came from the beginning of my second ball (yarn cake) of Rosewater Cocktail.

I continued with the first cake, which was now moving into the pink mixed with turquoise.

The photo below shows Parts 3 and 4 completed

I was thrilled that the first Whirl just made it to the end of Part 4.

The tail of yarn you can see was all that was left!

Joining in with

 

Cosmic Crochet Along

Behind the scenes I have been beavering away at Helen Shrimpton’s current Crochet Along, the Cosmic Cal 

and I have just completed Part 6

Currently measuring 32″ x 35″.

Some of you might have seen my progress on Instagram.

Having seen so many wonderful creations using gradient yarn, I was eager to try it and after much deliberation went for Rosewater Cocktail, a Scheepjes Whirl

You can see all the other colourways here.

It was not easy to choose so I joined the Facebook Group Scheepjes Whirl Creations! 

I could then see all the wonderful things that have been made with Whirls and how each colour looks when it is made up. What a wonderfully helpful community crochet groups are. I’ve learnt so much and been able to ask loads of questions. It has been an enriching experience.

Unsure of how much yarn the blanket would take, I bought 2 Rosewater Cocktails and a Citrus Whirlette as I already knew I wanted to mix up the colours a bit.

But a few rows in I realised I might want to add more colours and bought a Jumping Jelly Whirl.

In a series of blog posts I will describe how I used the Whirls and Whirlettes together:

I wanted to have some turquoise in the centre so I wound off the dark blue of the outside

Cosmic Cals started to appear on Helen’s Hookaholics and I tried out a couple of designs

On the left, I used a 3.50mm hook and included some of the Whirlette, on the right I used a 3mm hook and made the centre look more like a flower

the centre was made with yarn that was pure turquoise

the star was made with yarn that had flecks of pink in it

 

after the turquoise I introduced a round of Citrus Whilette, which is a burnt orange.

and then continued with the yellow from the centre of Rosewater Cocktail.

Wanting to define the hexagon I wondered which of the blues to use

and went for the darker blue with flecks of turquoise in it

(gosh how the colours change according to the light – the photo below does not show the true colours!)

and then one row of lighter turquoise before returning the where I left off with the Whirl.

Continuing with the Whirl until the end of Part 2

More to follow ……

Edit

You can see progress up to Part 4 in this post: Cosmic 4

~

And on Fridays a treat – pop along over  to Nanacathy for a good old Knit and Natter