Midnight Mandala

The world has gone a bit Mandala mad, and we've been inundated with requests for mandala hoops...so like a dedicated dealer yarn shop owner, I have gone out into the wild and hunted some down. Which then of course meant I started playing around with ideas for a mandala display in the shop, because who doesn't need a whole window of mandalas?

So this then led onto (of course it did, I mean, it's not like I have a newborn baby to look after alongside a 5 year old and also 2 businesses to run...) writing my own mandala pattern... and here it is in all its glory. I've even done photos for you, cos I is nice like that.

I used Stylecraft Classique Cotton, but you could use the equally lovely Rico Design Ricorumi, or for a bit of extra yummy sheen, Rico Design Essentials Cotton or Rowan Summerlite DK.

We've put a handy kit together for you as well, which contains 6 shades of Cotton Classique, a 30cm hoop, and a printed copy of this pattern.

You can also buy a pretty glossy printed version of this pattern if your heart desires. You can find it here.

The hoops are also available here.

Over in the Facebook Group we have been running a sock challenge (which there is still time to enter, the socks just have to be completed in June or July - so go find those half finished socks!) and I've decided to run an overlapping challenge for July and August to make a mandala. It doesn't have to be my pattern, just find any jolly mandala, and away you go. And if you want to loan your mandala to us for our shop window, even better!

So, go and be creative. Grab your colours, and go wild.

(and if you're wondering about the name...it felt apt after staying up past midnight doing adjustments to the pattern...!!)

Using a 3.5mm hook

Round 1: Magic ring to start. ch2, 15tr into centre. Fasten off (16)

Round 2: Change colour. *ch3, miss stitch, sl st, repeat from * 7 times, sl st to close (24)

Round 3: sl st into chain space. ch2 (counts as first htr), htr, dc into chain space. * dc, htr, dc into next chain space. Repeat from * 6 times, sl st to top of ch2 to close. Fasten off (24)

Round 4: Change colour. Join to top of htr. ch2 (counts as treble), tr into same stitch, htr into next stitch. *htr, 2tr into next stitch, htr. Repeat from * 6 times. htr into next stitch, sl st to top of chain 2. Fasten off. (32)

Round 5: Change colour. Join at any of the second trebles. *ch7, miss 3 stitches, sl st into next stitch. Repeat from * 7 times, sl st to close. (56)

Round 6: sl st into chain space. ch2 (counts as first dc), dc, 2htr, 1tr, 2htr, 2dc all into chain space. *2dc, 2htr, 1tr, 2htr, 2dc all into next chain space. Repeat from * 6 times. sl st to top of chain 2 to close. Fasten off (72)

Round 7: Change colour. Join to top of any treble. *ch9, miss 8 stitches, sl st. Repeat from * 7 times. sl st to close. (72)

Round 8: sl st to chain space. ch2 (counts as first htr), htr, 5dc, 2htr into chain space. tr into top of treble of round 6 * 2htr, 5dc, 2htr into next chain space. tr into top of treble of round 6. Repeat from * 6 times. sl st to top of chain 2 to close. Fasten off. (80)

Round 9: Change colour. Join at top of 3rd dc of any set. ch 2 (counts as 3rd dc in 5dc group), 2dc, 2htr, 1tr, *2htr, 5dc, 2htr, 1tr. Repeat from * 7 times. 2htr, 2dc, sl st to top of chain 2 to close. Fasten off (80)

Round 10: Change colour. Join to last htr of any set. ch2, *2dc in next stitch, dc in next stitch. Repeat from * 38 times, 2dc in next stitch, sl st to top of chain 2 to close (120)

Round 11: Change colour. Join on top of any single dc, ch2 (counts as first dc), dc in next 2 stitches. *ch4, miss 3 stitches, dc in next 3 stitches. Repeat from * 18 times, ch4 and sl st to top of chain 2 to close. (140)

Round 12: Change colour. Join on any chain space, ch2 (counts as first dc). 3dc in same chain space. *ch3, 4dc in next chain space. Repeat from * 18 times, ch3, sl st to top of chain 2 to close. (140)

Round 13: Change colour. Join in any chain space, ch2 (counts as first htr), 2htr in same chain space. *htr in each of next 4 stitches, 3htr in next chain space. Repeat from * 18 times, htr in next 4 stitches, sl st to top of ch2 to close (140)

Round 14: Change colour. Join to top of any middle stitch of 3htr group. *ch8, miss 6 stitches, sl st to next stitch. Repeat from * 18 times. ch8, miss 6 stitches, sl st to join. (160)

Round 15: Change colour. Join in any chain space, (ch2 (counts as first dc), dc, 2htr, 2tr, 2htr, 2dc) into chain space. *(2dc, 2htr, 2tr, 2htr, 2dc) into next chain space, repeat from * 18 times, sl st to top of first chain 2 to close. (200)

Round 16: Change colour. Join to top of first tr in any group. ch2 (counts as first htr), htr in next stitch. *ch2, miss 3 stitches, tr in next 2 stitches, ch2, miss 3 stitches, htr in next 2 stitches. Repeat from * 18 times. ch2, tr in next 2 stitches, ch2, sl st to top of chain 2 to close. (160)

Round 17: ch2 (counts as htr), htr in next stitch, *3htr into chain space, htr into top of two tr of previous round, 3htr into chain space, htr into 2 htr of previous round. Repeat from * 18 times, 3htr into chain space, sl st to top of chain 2 to close (200)

Round 18: Pin your mandala to the hoop with stitch markers.

Change colour. Join to any stitch, *With yarn in front of hoop, ch8.

Miss 7 stitches. Pass yarn over hoop, and sl st into next stitch. Remove hook and bring chain under hoop and in front.

Repeat from * 24 times. Fasten off.

Ta dah!!

I can't wait to see all of your amazing colour combinations! Make sure you pop them in the Facebook Group to join in our challenge :)

Sam x