Mission unlock and my mandala love

We are still battling the pandemic or rather we have learnt to live with it, lockdown is being lifted in phases and many relaxations have been given on lockdown norms but life will take more time to come to normalcy. “Mask” has become the new mandate..!! Meanwhile I am focusing on improving our immunity and have started taking “Kadha” – an energy drink recommended by “Aayush Ministry of Government of India”, a ministry which focuses on indigenous alternative medicine systems in India. This kadha (holy basil leaves, small stick of cinnamon, few peppercorns, black raisins and ginger are slowly brewed and kadha is ready to drink after adding a touch of jaggery and a few drops of lemon juice) seem to have improved my immunity, at least towards common cold and cough.  

All bad things seem to have been happening in 2020 only, In the month of June we were hit by Tropical cyclone “Nisarga”, one of the strongest tropical cyclone to hit Maharashtra and West Coast. Few weeks earlier India’s East coast was hit by cyclone Amphan. Both the cyclones wreaked havoc in the respective region and caused widespread damage. Millions evacuated, thousands of homes destroyed, power grids damaged causing power-out, livestock and animals died, there were also some fatalities. All this is happening when we already are grappling with ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

So when life gets cloudy, create your own sunshine is my mantra nowadays. So here I am presenting my “Sunshine Mandala” pattern.

As soon as I finished the mandala and took the first picture of the finished product, the first word that came to my mind was "Sunshine", though it mostly resembled the flower (startflower as one my beloved tester, Aparna, quoted). So I went ahead and named it Sunshine Mandala, firstly because it kept me engaged in these gloomy times and was my sunshine to get through, secondly because those 12 spokes reminded me of sunrays (partly because of the bright colors that I used).

So presenting my newest pattern, "Sunshine Mandala".

It is a fun weekend project, 29 rounds and you will have a medium sized mandala measuring around 11'', your hook size and yarn type (typically your gauge) will determine your mandala size.

Sunshine Mandala

MATERIAL NEEDED:

Yarn of your choice

Matching hook

scissors

tapestry needle for weaving in your ends

Stitch markers

 

YARDAGE:

350+ yards

 

FINISHED SIZE:

11 inches when made in fingering weight yarn and 3.5mm hook

 

PATTREN NOTES:

Join rounds with slip stitches in the first st made unless otherwise noted.

Pattern repeats are marked within round with any of the following: **, (), {}.

Stitch count for each round are listed at the end of the round.

Groups of stitches are marked in parenthesis () or {}.

Please go through the "STITCH GUIDE & ABBREVIATIONS" section before you begin. All stitches in this pattern are listed and/or explained in this section unless they are explained within the round itself.

It is always best to wash your product by hand and block appropriately.

I have done my best to make sure this pattern is accurate. However, if you find any errors or typographical mistake or have any query with regard to the pattern, please drop me an email on hooksbooksnme@gmail.com

In most of the rounds I start by saying, start your round with standing st and the position where the stitch has to be placed; this is just a starting instruction and should not be counted as a st . Moreover, you can start the round with slip st and corresponding chains for a standing st (such as ch3 for dc, ch4 for tr and so on)

Ch1 does not count as a stitch unless explicitly mentioned.

 

STITCH GUIDE / ABBREVIATIONS (U.S. Terminology):

 

st	Stitch	sk	skip
yo	Yarn Over	hdc	Half Double Crochet
ss	Slip stitch	bpdc	Back Post Double Crochet
sc	Single Crochet	htr	Half Treble Crochet
dc	Double Crochet	bpsc	Back Post Single Crochet
fl	Front loop	bl	Back loop
fpdc	Front post double crochet	fphtr	Front post half treble crochet
fpsc	Front post single crochet	fphdc	front post half double crochet
fptr3tog	Front Post treble crochet 3 together {YO twice, insert hook around the st indicated, YO and pull up a loop (4 loops on the hook), (YO and draw through 2 loops) × twice} × 3 times, (4 loops on the hook), (YO and draw through all the loops on the hook)
fpdc2tog	Front Post treble crochet 2 together {YO, insert hook around the st indicated, YO and pull up a loop (3 loops on the hook), (YO and draw through 2 loops) } × 2 times, (3 loops on the hook), (YO and draw through all the loops on the hook)
tr3tog	treble crochet 3 together {YO twice, insert hook in the st indicated, YO and pull up a loop (4 loops on the hook), (YO and draw through 2 loops) × twice} × 3 times, (4 loops on the hook), (YO and draw through all the loops on the hook)
dc2tog	double crochet 2 together {YO, insert hook in the st indicated, YO and pull up a loop (3 loops on the hook), (YO and draw through 2 loops) } × 2 times, (3 loops on the hook), (YO and draw through all the loops on the hook)
picot	ch2, ss in the back loop of the second ch from the hook
reverse puff	{YO, insert hook in the st indicated, YO and pull up a loop} × 4 times (9 loops on the hook), (YO and draw through all the loops on the hook), ch1 to close Similar to normal puff but instead of next st, we will work in the previous st thus named reverse puff

 

 COLOR GUIDE:

 Mustard Yellow

Orange

Light Blue

Green

White

Rust Orange

Royal Blue

 

PATTERN INSTRUCTIONS:

Start with a double magic ring, if you are not comfortable with using MR, ch4 to form a ring.

 

ROUND 1 in Mustard Yellow

(Hdc, ch2) 6 times in the MR. Join with ss in the first st made. Fasten off.              ~ 6 hdc, 6 ch2 sps

 

ROUND 2 in Rust Orange

Start with standing sc in any ch2 sp, *sc in next ch2 sp, 3 dc's in the same sp, skip hdc from previous round* rep from * to * around. Join with ss in the first st made. Fasten off.       ~ 6 sc, 18 dc

 

ROUND 3 in Light blue

We will be working behind the round 2.

Start with standing bpdc around hdc from round 1, *bpdc around hdc (from round 1), ch3* rep from * to * around. Join with ss in the first st made.                        ~ 6 bpdc, 6 ch3 sps

 

ROUND 4 in Light Blue

Continuing with the same color in the ch3 sps made in the previous round, ss in the next ch3 sp, ch1 (does not count as stitch), *sc in ch3 sp, 5 htr in the same ch3 sp* rep from * to around. Join with ss in the first st made. Fasten off.                ~ 6 sc, 30 htr

 

ROUND 5 in Light Blue

We will be working behind the round 4 to make ch sps.

Start with standing bpsc around bpdc from round 3, * bpsc around bpdc (from round 3), ch5* rep from * to * around. Join with ss in the first st made. Fasten off.                        ~ 6 bpsc, 6 ch5 sps

 

ROUND 6 in Green

Start with standing tr in any ch5 sp (keeping one loop on the hook), *(tr3tog-ch1-tr3tog-ch1-tr3tog) in ch5 sp* rep from* to * around. Join with ss in the first st made. Fasten off.                   ~ 18 tr3tog, 12 ch1 sps

 Put a stitch marker around second tr3tog, we will use this st in round 9.

 

ROUND 7 in White

Start with standing dc in any ch1 sp (ch1 sp worked after tr3tog), *(dc-ch1-dc-ch1-dc) in ch1 sp, (dc-ch1-dc-ch1-dc) in next ch1 sp, fpdc2tog over next 2 sts* rep from * to * around. Join with ss in the first st made. Fasten off. ~ 36 dc, 24 ch1 sps, 6 fpdc2tog

 

ROUND 8 in Mustard Yellow

Start with fptr around first dc of 3 dc group from the previous round (keeping one loop on the hook), *[(fptr3tog around dc, sc in in ch1 sp) × twice, fptr3tog around dc] × twice, ch1* rep from * to * around. Join with ss in the first st made. Fasten off.                   ~ 36 fptr3tog, 24 sc, 6 ch1 sps

 

ROUND 9 in White

Start with standing sc in the first fptr3tog, *sc in the fptr3tog, sc in the next sc, (sc, ch3 picot, sc) in the next fptr3tog, sc in the next sc, sc in the next fptr3tog, fpdc around fpdc2tog (from round 7), sc in the fptr3tog, sc in the next sc, (sc, ch3 picot, sc) in the next fptr3tog, sc in the next sc, sc in the next fptr3tog, fphtr around tr3tog 2 round below (from round 6 - second tr3tog from 3 tr3tog group where you have put the st marker in round 6)* rep from * to * around. Join with ss in the first st made. Fasten off.                   ~ 72 sc, 12 picot, 6 fpdc, 6 fphtr

 

ROUND 10 in Rust Orange

This entire round is worked in back loop only.

Start with standing sc in the sc which is worked after ch3 picot from previous round, * sc in the st, hdc in the next st, dc in the next st, htr in the next st, dc in the next st, hdc in the next st, sc in the next st, skip picot, dc in the next st one round below ( work the dc between the 2 sc's and behind the picot)* rep from * to * around. Join with ss in the first st made. Fasten off.   ~ 24 sc, 36 hdc, 24 dc, 12 htr,

 

ROUND 11 in Royal Blue

Start with standing tr around fpdc from round 9 (keeping one loop on the hook), *fptr3tog around fpdc (from round 9), ch9, fptr3tog around fphtr (from round 9), ch9* rep from * to * around. Join with ss in the first st made. Fasten off.             ~ 12 fptr3tog, 12 ch9 sps

 

ROUND 12 in Rust Orange

This round is worked in the sts made in round 10 (you will have to pull ch9 sps backwards) in the back loop only.

Start with standing fpsc around fptr3tog from previous round, *fpsc around fptr3tog (from round 11), skip the st right behind fptr3tog and push the ch9 backwards, sc in next 7 sts (from round 10) * rep from * to * around. Join with ss in the first st made. Fasten off.                   ~ 12 fpsc, 84 sc

 

ROUND 13 in Light Blue

Start with standing fphdc around fptr3tog (from round 11), *fphdc around fptr3tog (from round 11 - where we have already worked fpsc in previous round), skip fpsc, dc in the fl of next st two round below (round 10), sc in the bl of next 5 sts, dc in the fl of next st two rounds below (round 10)* rep from * to * around. Join with ss in the first st made.              ~ 12 fphdc, 24 dc, 60 sc

 

For the next few rounds (round 14 to round 25), sc's will be worked in bl only and dc's will be worked in fl only.

 

ROUND 14 in Rust Orange

Start with standing sc in the first dc from previous round, *sc in the next 3 sts, dc in the next 2 sts one round below (round 12), 2 dc in the next st one round below (round 12), dc in the next 2 sts one round below (round 12)* rep from * to * around. Join with ss in the first st made.            ~ 36 sc, 72 dc

 

ROUND 15 in Light Blue

Start with standing sc in the second dc of 6-dc group, * sc in the next 4 sts, skip next st, 2 dc in the next st one round below (round 13), dc in the next st one round below (round 13), 2 dc in the next st one round below (round 13), skip next dc * rep from * to * around. Join with ss in the first st made.     ~ 48 sc, 60 dc

 

ROUND 16 in Rust Orange

Start with standing sc in the first st of 5-dc group, * sc in the next 5 sts, dc in the next 4 sts one round below ( 2nd to 4th dc from round 14)* rep from * to * around. Join with ss in the first st made.                 ~ 60 sc, 48 dc

 

ROUND 17 in Light Blue

Start with standing sc in the first dc of 4-dc group from previous round, * sc over the next 4 sts, 2 dc in the next st one round below (round 15), dc in the next 3 sts one round below (round 15), 2 dc in the next st one round below (round 15) * rep from * to * around. Join with ss in the first st made.     ~ 48 sc, 84 dc

 

ROUND 18 in Rust Orange

Start with standing sc in the first 7-dc group from previous round, * sc in the next 7 sts, dc in the next st one round below (round 16), dc2tog over next 2 sts one round below (round 16), dc in the next st one round below (round 16) * rep from * to * around. Join with ss in the first st made.                    ~ 84 sc, 24 dc, 12 dc2tog

ROUND 19 in Light Blue

Start with standing sc in the first 3-dc group from previous round, * sc in the next 3 sts, 2 dc in the next st one round below (round 17), dc in next 5 sts one round below (round 17), 2 dc in the next st one round below (round 17) * rep from * to * around. Join with ss in the first st made.                                 ~ 36 sc, 108 dc

 

ROUND 20 in Rust Orange

Start with standing sc in the first 9-dc group from previous round, * sc in the next 9 sts, dc2tog over next 2 sts one round below (round 18), dc2tog over same st (as previous st made) and next st one round below (round 18) * rep from * to * around. Join with ss in the first st made.         ~ 108 sc, 24 dc2tog

 

ROUND 21 in Light Blue

Start with standing sc in the first 2dc-cluster from previous round, * sc in the next 2 sts, 2 dc in the next st one round below (round 19), dc in next 7 sts one round below (round 19), 2 dc in the next st one round below (round 19) * rep from * to * around. Join with ss in the first st made.         24 sc, 132 dc

 

ROUND 22 in Rust Orange

Start with standing sc in the first 11-dc group from previous round, * sc in the next 11 sts, dc2tog over next 2 sts one round below (round 20) * rep from * to * around. Join with ss in the first st made.     ~ 132 sc, 12 dc2tog

 

ROUND 23 in Light Blue

Start with standing sc in the first dc2tog from previous round, * sc in the next st, 2 dc in the next st one round below (round 21), dc in next 9 sts one round below (round 21), 2 dc in the next st one round below (round 21) * rep from * to * around. Join with ss in the first st made.            ~ 12 sc, 156 dc

 

ROUND 24 in Rust Orange

Start with standing sc in the first 13-dc group from previous round, * sc in the next 13 sts, dc in the next st one round below (round 22) * rep from * to * around. Join with ss in the first st made.                 ~ 156 sc, 12 dc

 

ROUND 25 in Light Blue

Start with standing hdc in the dc made in the previous round, * hdc in dc, dc in the next 13 sts one round below (round 23)* rep from * to * around Join with ss in the first st made.          ~ 156 dc, 12 hdc

 

ROUND 26 in Royal Blue

This entire round is worked in opposite direction so you will be working in the previous sts instead of next st. 

Start with ss in any st from previous round, * reverse puff (YO × 4) in previous st, skip next st* rep from * to * around. Join with ss in the first st made.                   ~ 84 reverse puff

 

ROUND 27 in White

This entire round will be worked in the skipped sts (of round 25) from previous round and behind reverse puff sts. You may also work this round keeping your work on the wrong side.

Start with standing dc in the skipped st from previous round, * dc in the skipped st, ch2* rep from * to * around. Join with ss in the first st made.            ~ 84 dc, 84 ch2 sps

ROUND 28 in Mustard Yellow

Start with standing sc in any ch2 sp, * (2 sc in the next ch2 sp, skip dc ) × 6 times, 2 sc in the next ch2 sp, sc in the next dc* rep from * to * around. Join with ss in the first st made.          ~ 180 sc

 

ROUND 29 in Mustard Yellow (Optional)

This is surface crochet round.

* ss around each st across* , join with invisible join in the first st made.      ~ 180 ss

 

And we’re done..!!

 

Please remember to follow me on my Instagram page @stardust0901 if you want to support me and if you have any questions I will be glad to help you. You can tag me on your finished mandalas (#sunshinebyhooksbooksnme) or send me a picture. I’m very excited to see your color selection.

 

More designs are available on Ravelry @ https://www.ravelry.com/designers/hooksbooksnme-designs

 

Follow my page HooksBooksNMe Designs on Facebook, you may also join my Facebook group HooksBooksNMe Designs Support Group

 

Copyright 2020 HooksBooksNMe Designs – All rights reserved

 

Please do not redistribute this pattern in whole or in partial, with or without change. You may sell items made using this pattern but please credit me as designer. Thank you for understanding.

 

Today’s WoW is just a random thought I came across, considering the current situation we should really help people in need wherever we can and in whichever way we can.

 

So be safe and crochet on..!!

 

Love, 

Jessica