Pattern - Mandala crochet blanket

Posted on

25 Nov 2011

MANDALA CROCHET RUG
Worked in blocks like patchwork. I’ve used
cheap acrylic 8 ply yarn. I use a 4mm crochet hook, but most would use a
3 or 3.5mm for the same result. In the past, I’ve done these afghans in
all double crochet (English) so they make really thick warm blankets.
Using trebles is quicker and still warm and not as stiff.
Instructions use English terms.
Colours used:
White – small amount for centres – less than 1 ball.
Aqua – I think I used about 3 to 4 x 100g balls.
Jacaranda blue – about the same.
Bright violet – about 2 to 3 balls.
Deep purple – I think about 4 balls.
I
tend to make the patterns up as I go, so make a central design, then
crochet around it in bands of colour. You could get an even more
graduated effect with more colours, though I tried it recently and
preferred the way this one turned out.

CENTRE BLOCK: Make one.
With WHITE, 3 ch (or more if preferred),
sl st into a ring. 2 ch, 2 tr (English), (1 ch, 3 tr) 3 times, 1 ch, sl
st to starting ch. Break off.
(I weave the ends through the backs of
the st loops when I finish a colour. The next row is crocheted over it.
Very strong and no finishing off!)
With AQUA, join to the tr in
middle of row. Work 1 row of tr around centre. TRICK – When you get to
the chain worked in each corner, turn the work 90 degrees so the side
just worked is down the right side. Work 2 ch for first st of the side.
Work 1 tr into the body of the last tr worked (It’s now lying across,
not standing up. I find if you insert the needle close to what was the
bottom of the st, it works fine. There are 3 strands in the st. You need
to pick up 2 of them for the st to sit well) and then work 1 tr into
the ch st in the corner (makes 2 sts worked into it). Then complete the
side, turn and continue to end. Sl st into the first ch st. Break off.
With
JACARANDA, join to middle of row (or a st not in the 3 sts of the
corner. It’s just easier) and work 1 row of tr as for previous row. I
then turned the work over and worked a row of double crochet (English)
in the same way, except that when you turn the work at the corner, work
just one ch as first st. Break off.
With BRIGHT VIOLET, work 2 rows of tr.
With DEEP PURPLE, work 4 rows of tr. End of centre block.

Side blocks around centre: Make 4.
With WHITE, work same centre. With AQUA, work 1 row tr.
With DEEP PURPLE, work 4 rows tr.
With BRIGHT VIOLET, work 2 rows of tr.
With JACARANDA, work 1 row tr, 1 row dc. End.

CORNER BLOCKS AROUND CENTRE: Make 4 = 16 small blocks for this part. These are worked in 4 small blocks joined.

Start with the same WHITE centre.
SMALL BLOCK 1 – join AQUA to the ch st in the corner. Work 1 row of tr ON TWO SIDES ONLY. Break off.
Join
JACARANDA to first aqua st, work 1 row tr on same two sides. You can
either turn over and work 1 row dc back around last row, or you can
break off, rejoin at the beginning if you don’t want the “backs” of sts
showing. I found with the dc row amongst the tr rows, it made no
difference. Break off.
Join BRIGHT VIOLET to beginning, work 2 rows of tr. Break off.
Join DEEP PURPLE, work 3 rows tr. Break off.
(Because this is a quarter block, and a whole centre is used, 1 less row of tr is required) Make 8 of this small block.

SMALL BLOCK 2 – basically the same, only reversing the order of colours.
WHITE
centre. DEEP PURPLE – 1 half row tr. BRIGHT VIOLET – 1 half row tr, 1
half row dc. JACARANDA – 2 half rows. AQUA – 3 half rows.
Make 8 of this small block.

Follow the picture to join these blocks. All white centres face into the centre of the centre block. What a mouthful!

BLOCK AT CENTRE OF NEXT ROW:
Repeat the previous 4 blocks, but
join differently – turn the 2 aqua blocks so centres are touching, turn
deep purple blocks so centres are facing away. (see pic)

BLOCKS SURROUNDING PREV BLOCK: Make 8.
Make as for small blocks.
Start with white centre. Work 1 tr row in AQUA. Work 2 tr rows, 1 dc row
in JACARANDA. Work 4 tr rows in BRIGHT VIOLET. Work 10 tr rows in DEEP
PURPLE.

CORNER BLOCK: Make 4 = 16 small blocks.
For each block, make 3 of SMALL BLOCK 2 + 1 of SMALL BLOCK 1.
(see picture for placement)

All of the above, joined make the square centre of the rug. To make it rectangular, I added some small squares down to sides.
AQUA SMALL SQUARE: Make 4.
WHITE centre. DEEP PURPLE – 1 tr row. BRIGHT VIOLET – 1 row dc. JACARANDA – 1 row dc. AQUA – 1 row tr, 1 row dc.

DEEP PURPLE SMALL SQUARE: Make 5.
WHITE centre. AQUA – 1 row dc. JACARANDA – 1 row dc. BRIGHT VIOLET – 1 row dc. DEEP PURPLE – 2 tr row.

CENTRAL SECTION: Take one of the deep purple squares. Join BRIGHT
VIOLET to one corner and work tr along one side only. Break off. Join
JACARANDA and work 1 row tr. Join AQUA and work 1 row dc. Join Join
JACARANDA and work 1 row tr. Join BRIGHT VIOLET and work tr row.
Join to opposite side and work same colours. Join squares so they alternate, ending with aqua at each end.

At this point, I joined all blocks (with some fiddling at some places
to match colours, but where one block had a solid colour at the edge, I
used that colour.)
I then crocheted around the blanket using the
same method at the corners, just alternating the colours depending on
whim and availability. I usually finish with a row of what I know as
crab stitch – just work dc from left to right, ie backwards. It gives a
nice solid edge, though I tend to skip about every 20th st because it
can make the edge flute a little.

Please contact me on Facebook (Toni Andmarc) if you have any questions. Hope you enjoy!

Tags:  blanket crochet patchwork

Write crochet pattern from crocheted article

Posted on

31 Dec 2009

I just managed to delete instructions for writing a pattern for this doily as a project LOL
Thought some notes on how to "interpret" crochet might be handy. This exercise is fantastic for honing your crochet skills. Often, you can see an easier, new or more attractive way to do it!
With this doily, I started in the centre. I count 26 "legs" from the centre. The subsequent rows only require 24 and I can see skipped stitches, so I would make it 24. The legs are longer than trebles and look like double treble to me. 3 ch would replace the first dtr, so pattern would start "6 ch, join in ring with sl st. 3 ch, 23 dtr into ring, join to top of chain with sl st." The next row is just double crochet into each dtr, so "1 ch, 1 dc into each dtr, join to beg ch with sl st."
The next row has groups of 2 legs separated by chain. I can see 1 ch between the legs in each group, but can't see that they're needed, so I'd make this as I write the pattern as see whether they are needed or not. The legs are trebles.
"2ch, (1 ch if it's necessary) 1 tr, *3 ch, 2 tr. Rep 11 times. 3 ch, join to top of chain with sl st."
The next row is made up of two groups of 3 sts into each of the chain spaces, separated by chain to make the loops around the edge. I can see they are double trebles. The doily is made with just three double trebles on the left-hand group in a chain space, and a "bobble" type group on the right. I can't see why you wouldn't just use 2 bobbles. A bobble would be made by making the first dtr to the point that 2 loops are left on the hook, making the second dtr leaving 3 loops, making the third dtr leaving 4 loops, then drawing through all loops. I've finished up against the left side of a group of two and want to be in a chain space, so I would either slip stitch into the chain space, or change the pattern for the previous row so that I start with 2ch for 1 tr + 3 ch for the space. So the pattern would be "3 ch, bobble 2 dtr into the ch sp, 6 ch, bobble into same ch sp. *Bobble into next ch sp, 6 ch, bobble into same ch sp. Rep from * to end. Sl st to first bobble.
Last row is double crochet to create corners, edges and points for joining squares as they are worked. Where I start I will call the middle of one side of the square. I count 8 dc with a picot in the middle in each ch sp. The corners are gradually bigger sts with long ch loops. Pattern is "1 ch, 3 dc, 2ch, 4 dc into ch loop. *Make corner: 1 dc, 2 tr, 1 dtr, 9 ch, 1 dtr, 2 tr, 1 dc into next ch loop. 4 dc, 2 ch, 4 dc into next two ch space. Repeat from * to end, sl st to beg ch.
Then it's just making more squares and joining by making a sl st to other squares at corners and the picot points on each side.
Hope that's useful to anyone wanting to "interpret" crochet!

Tags:  crochet pattern patterns

HAPPY WHATEVER YEAR WE'RE UP TO!!

Posted on

31 Dec 2009

Well, it's New Year's eve and I'm STILL in a flap!
Our blues band (newly reformed) is playing in Stanthorpe tomorrow, New Years day and I'm still printing set lists etc. I did succeed in painting an addition to our old banner for the band as we have changed one member and changed the name slightly.
We used to be Slow Mojo (because blues takes time - a bit like craft!), but the new member means that this band is another band called Stealer with two new members. So now we're Stolen Mojo. I'll explain that saying that the drummer had the Mojo last and says it was stolen LOL
I'll be glad to get this gig out of the way and finish off the library bags and make up the painted panels into bags to sell for the Crows Nest Rural Fire Brigade. If anyone is interested in buying bags, please email me on
b1895@internode.on.net
Have a fun and safe New Year!
Toni

Tags:  painting sewing

NOT ANOTHER CHRISTMAS!!!

Posted on

23 Dec 2009

Almost Christmas eve and I haven't bought or made anything for my partner... *sigh*
Too busy painting and sewing carry and library bags to raise money for a local rural volunteer fire brigade whose (don't laugh!) shed and equipment burned down about 18 months ago. I've never painted much, but have a few painters in the family.Let me know if you want to buy a bag!
I've had tons of bits of fabric around the house for years and needed to do something with them - couldn't stand to throw them out or just give them away - so have been making carry bags. They use up a lot of scraps that are no good for much else.
Also involved in a blues band that's back together for one gig. My partner is in a rock band. I'm the "Artistic Director" LOL
Have a safe and fun silly season!

Tags:  painting sewing

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