Crochet Mandala for Outside

Just a little bit obsessed with making mandalas at the moment and I am thinking about hanging this one outside on the wall of my garage to see how it is affected by the weather before making more.

I would really love to paint the outside of my house in bright zany colours, like Katwise, but my neighbours would ……. well you can imagine! So the next best thing might be to cover my house in crocheted mandalas

This one is in Stylecraft Special DK made with a 4.5mm hook and attached to a 70cm coated metal ring which I got from Dannells. I’m on the look out for larger hoops but so far have not found any in the UK. I might have to use some Hoola Hoops.

It is sewn onto the hoop with the same yarn

This pattern and yarn combination would stretch to a 1m hoop I think, if the edges did not cover the frame.

The pattern, Tuuli, is a free pattern by Zoya Matyushenko and I think it is my favourite of her designs. I have made it before in cotton thread, for Little Miss M, and one for myself.

I am sure to make it again – next time in white.

Please let me know if you know where I can get large hoops, maybe wooden, preferably white or a natural wood colour.

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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.

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….

 

 

Crochet Mandala

Ever since making a dreamcatcher for Little Miss M, Another Birthday, Another Dreamcatcher, I have wanted a similar one for myself.

The design is Tuuli by Zoya Matyushenko.

I made this with Scheepjes Sugar Rush and Rico Essentials 2ply cotton yarn and a 2.5mm hook. Attaching it to a 50cm coated wire hoop from Glitterwitch.

If you make this design, don’t make the same mistake as me and make far too many loops and points on the final rounds – oops – when will I learn to constantly check the stitch count!

Here it is photographed against a turquoise background

Now to decide whether to hang it on the wall or dangling from the ceiling.

Happy 6th Birthday

I finished the Dreamcatcher in time for Little Miss M’s birthday!

Hurray!

She loves it, especially as her big sister has one, she seemed especially pleased about that. I love it so much I am going to have to make one for myself as well.

It fits perfectly on a 40cm coated metal hoop which I got from Glitterwitch.

The 2ply crochet thread used is Rico Essentials with the turquoise (Tropic) from Scheepjes Sweet Treat. I used a 2mm hook.

The pattern is Tuuli by Zoya Matyushenko, a free pattern if you join her Facebook Group

Zoya’s patterns are a delight to work, at almost every row you could stop and have a finished design

I’m tempted to try one in DK to see what size it would be, but just at the moment it is so hot here I don’t even feel like crocheting – now that is seriously hot!!!

Little Miss M’s birthday party was yesterday – on the hottest day so far this summer in the UK (according to the News) – the theme was ‘The Greatest Showman’, there was a bouncy castle, dressing-up, a Mum brought a rainbow coloured parachute for parachute games, circus skills eqipment to play with… it was fun! It was HOT! I got out my little indoor watering cans and sprinkled the children on their heads, wrists and the backs of necks to keep them cool.

Rain is forecast for Sunday – yes please!!!

A Dreamcatcher for Miss E

A certain special person has an 11th birthday this week and I made her this dreamcatcher

Using one and a half balls of  Scheepjes Sweet Treat, Chrystaline and a 2mm hook.

I’m waiting to see if Miss E wants it hanging up on the wall or twirling free like a mobile before I add any dingle-dangles, and something to hang it up with.

It is a free pattern by Zoya Matyushenko from Estonia, if you join her Facebook Group.

It is not as complicated as it looks, and Zoya’s instructions are very clear and easy to follow, but I did find Round 25 a bit of a struggle which was also the round when the first ball of yarn ran out. Thank goodness for Facebook Groups where everyone is so helpful with handy hints and advice on how to get through the tricky bits.

 

There is only one photo for this pattern (her paid for patterns have a photo for each round), but I had the photo enlarged next to the pattern on screen and that worked well. ( I have obscurred some of the instructions)

 

Zoya’s patterns are a delight, each round creates beauty

Stopping here would make a sweet little coaster or mat.

(or in yellow a little Sun to applique onto a fabric collage)

I must discover how to join foundation rings in a neater way – any tips?

It was blocked to pull out all the picot points – I love my new blocking pins –

before attaching it to the 45cm wire ring with stitch markers

I try to use small independent suppliers when I can and found Glitterwitch, based in Kent, UK. A very efficient service and nice friendly communication with Jan the owner.

After attaching the mandala to the ring with the stitch markers I sewed each point on individually with the same thread, going over the ring 5 times, and sewing through the picot, working from the back.

Here it sits on a nail in my hall.

Of course it is also Teddy’s birthday and since she is part of the family, she got a couple of new dresses, with a bag to keep them in.

The little Tote Bag comes from my Society 6 Shop

It is one of my paintings photographed and printed on fabric.

Can you guess what Miss E’s favourite colour is. 😉

I’m in the process of writing a pattern for the dress, but in the current heatwave, my brain is not co-operating very well.

There seems to be a heatwave in most of the Northern Hemisphere this Summer – how are you all doing? I’m loving the early mornings and glorious evenings.

Happy Friday!