Oh my, thank you, thank you so much to those of you have have already taken up my Mandala Challenge and sent me a beautiful crochet circle. It gives me the most amazing feeling to be the Official Opener of these packages and the excitement as I open each one is almost too much to take.
So. This crazy, fabulous, creative project has been launched and I know I am at the beginning of an amazing journey. It is truly wonderful. Thank you so much for making my vision come to life, I am pretty much incapable of putting into words what this means to me, but yes, thank you with all my heart.
The mandala wheels I've received so far are very, very beautiful as you can see above. When they sit nestled all together I can get a brief glimpse of the impact that a whole wall of them will undoubtedly have. Wow. WOW!!! It's going to be quite something.
I am trying very hard to be methodical and organised with this project. I have my "mandala hour" in the early afternoon when I open and photograph the packages that have arrived in the morning. I upload the photos to my laptop, crop them to a square, resize them, number and re-name them, then upload them to Pinterest for you all to see. Many thanks to Heather who suggested the Pinterest thing, it is a great way for me to show you what has been made and to inspire you with some glorious circular colour and pattern.
If you haven't already done so, do go and feast your eyes! I'll be uploading new images as the mandala wheels arrive.
http://www.pinterest.com/yarndale/mandala-wheels/
Since I began sharing my Mandala journey here and on Facebook, I have constantly been asked the same question ::
"very pretty and all that, but what are they actually for?"
It's a fair enough question. I found an interesting website which explains the true meaning of the word mandala in the spiritual sense (see here), and it just confirms that really mandalas have no real purpose other than to make you feel good. They are joyful creations, and the making process itself is enough of a purpose as far as I'm concerned. See it as Hooky Meditation if you like.
Here in the Attic I have come to enjoy having a mandala sitting in the centre of my table with a little jug of flowers resting upon it. I've also pinned a couple up around the house and enjoy the pleasure I get just from seeing a burst of colour and pattern in an unexpected place (so far they have landed underneath the hallway mirror, and on a scrap of empty wall just outside the bathroom).
I thought it might be helpful to bring together a small collection of mandala patterns to inspire you if you've yet to succumb to their charms. If you know of any other lovely patterns, do leave me a comment with a link and I'll add them in, it's always useful to have all the info and links in one place.
Picture above is my own pattern created for this Yarndale project. Find it {here}
Granny Mini Mandala by Zelna Olivier, especially created for Yarndale.
Hakuna Matata Mandala by Zelna Olivier, especially created for Yarndale.
Sunny Flower Mandala by Zelna Olivier, especially created for Yarndale.
Little Spring Mandala by Barbara of Made in K Town. Free pattern.
Picot Mandala by Marinke Slump, also known as Wink. Wink writes a beautiful blog called "A Creative Being" and has created some wonderful mandala patterns. Some are available to buy (such as the one above) and some are available for free. Her work is truly inspiring, do go have a look if you don't already know it.
Spoke Mandala, another pattern by Wink. This one is free, and there is a fab step by step tutorial to help you create those wonderful spokes.
Bobbly Flower mandala by Mad Blanketer is a beautiful free pattern available to download via Ravelry.
Flower Potholder, by Jennifer Martin. This is not strictly a mandala, but it is soooo pretty that I wanted to include it. It's available for free via Ravelry.
These gorgeous things were made by Sue Pinner who writes "the 8th Gem" blog. Sue is an amazing designer and a genius with colour, her mandala designs are hugely inspirational.
Oh, such a lot of wonderful, glorious inspiration out there my friends, I really hope you feel like joining me on my Mandala journey. All details about making mandalas for the Yarndale project (including dimensions and postal address) can be found right HERE. Have fun!
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There is one winging its way to you from Sydney Australia as I type. My children were very intreged as to why I had sent one to someone I had never met. The answer; because she has given me so much.
Posted by: Natanya | May 15, 2014 at 09:52 AM
Oh Lucy, they are all absolutely stunning! I can only imagine how wonderful a whole wall full of them will look. Brilliant!
Posted by: susie hewer | May 15, 2014 at 09:00 AM
Mine is ready, I have to apply the glue...then I'll develop it! It is red green and white like our italian flag!
Isabella
Posted by: Isabella | May 15, 2014 at 07:06 AM
They are really beautiful. I will certainly make one of these!! Love it. Thank you!!
Greetings Emily
Posted by: Emily | May 15, 2014 at 06:28 AM
I am trying the spoke mandala. My first attempt at a mandala, so be kind when you get it. Having fun trying something new.
Posted by: Anne Dearle | May 15, 2014 at 05:48 AM
They look wonderful. I did wonder if I made lots I could join them together somehow as a big afghan. It would look spectacular.
Posted by: Sue Webber | May 15, 2014 at 04:42 AM
Looking forward to starting on mine this weekend. It will find it's way to Skipton from Brisbane....just wish I could bring it in person!
Posted by: Beth | May 15, 2014 at 02:25 AM
How about some of the mandalas (such as http://crochethealingandraymond.wordpress.com/2010/10/29/ornamental-pot-holders/) from the lovingly missed Crochet with Raymond?
Posted by: monkeytoe | May 15, 2014 at 01:55 AM
Oh Anne Skene, that is hilarious!! Love it :-D
Posted by: Melissa | May 15, 2014 at 01:51 AM
Oh wow! And wow! Again. What glorious, absolutely, fabulously, wonder of wonders. I an so going to join in the mandala challenge. I have made a couple recently, but am really fired up by this post and soooo hoping I can get to Yarndale to take in all this wonder first hand. Did you get my message Lucy, about my cancelled trip. A knee injury has put me out of action until fixed so I won't be able to make the 7 th June workshop as planned but hey! Let's hope my Yarndale plans come about without any more hitches. I have booked. B&B in Skipton in positive anticipation. I'm off to dig out some great colours for a mandala or two or more. Love and blessings, Trills.xx
Posted by: Trillian Locke | May 15, 2014 at 01:15 AM
great idea to put them on Pinterest. they are all so beautiful
Posted by: folksmith | May 15, 2014 at 12:56 AM
Can't wait to make one. I have Stylecraft DK Classique ordered but it hasn't come yet! *waiting impatientlt*
Posted by: Susann | May 15, 2014 at 12:46 AM
Love all that you have shown us so far. Will be starting my first ever mandal this weekend under the guidance of my expert crocheteri daughter.
Melissa of New Zealand: I chuckled at your post. Last year I was knitting for an installation artist and went to the post office with a large box to send her. "What are the contents?" 'Seven snakes and a parrot' was my reply. Hastily adding 'all knitted' assistant had a sense of humour because she then asked"have the snakes been fed? Will the parrot be safe?"
Posted by: Anne Skene | May 15, 2014 at 12:42 AM
They're glorious and I can't believe how quickly folk have done these already! I'm just a beginner and won't manage anything good enough for Yarndale, but these are so inspiring, I'm grateful you've gathered the patterns together so I know where to come when I can manage one. My mum and great auntie made dozens of fine cotton ones for pleasure so we grew up with them all over the house.
Posted by: Janice | May 14, 2014 at 11:46 PM
I also wanted to share that my husband loves the mandalas I've made. I was so shocked by this surprise. He made a wonderful suggestion that I make some and he'll put them in frames or shadow boxes and we can gift them for Christmas. I love his idea and will be starting on it very soon.
Posted by: Sheery | May 14, 2014 at 11:32 PM
Oh, your pictures of the arriving mandalas are simply gorgeous! I have one ready for you! It's being sent from the U.S. tomorrow! I have to admit that I was one who wondered what the Mandalas were for before this project. I now love making them so much that my wall is decorated with two additional mandalas that I've made. I think saying they are meditative is beautifully accurate! Oh, and thanks for sharing the pinterest page!
Posted by: Sheery | May 14, 2014 at 11:30 PM
Utterly wonderful….I feel good just looking at all this loveliness!!! Just hope I can get mine done and to you on time!
keep well
Amanda :-)
Posted by: Amanda Smith | May 14, 2014 at 11:05 PM
Am on row 8 so hope to finish tomorrow and will be posting from Norway. They are all so colour rich and together they already look amazing. Love it. As an aside have made a gift wrap crochet ribbon, come and see! http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/birdie-decoration.html
Posted by: eclectichomelife.blogspot.com | May 14, 2014 at 10:39 PM
How beautiful they all are. It is going to look absolutely amazing. Take care.
Posted by: Susan Smith | May 14, 2014 at 10:32 PM
I can see mine in the photos! So pleased it arrived safely, looking forward to seeing the end result...
Posted by: Amy | May 14, 2014 at 10:30 PM
Ohhh, hope my mandala will arrive you tomorrow, sent it away on monday... Wonderful project, so looking forward for Yarndale!
Posted by: Dada Neon | May 14, 2014 at 10:29 PM
Truly beautiful, over at Unravel & Unwind our drop in crocheters are also in the process of making Mandalas. We will be posting them out in one package for you as there are several of us wanting to take part. Good luck and have fun, I am a little jealous that you get to see all these beautiful wheels first hand but I love that you are sharing them all with us here, on Facebook and Pintrest. Thank you, Faye from Unravel & Unwind
Posted by: Faye | May 14, 2014 at 10:22 PM
I've just made my first ever Mandala and will send it soon. It's just a pleasure to be able to crochet, it's not just about what you make, but actually enjoying the making. In fact I am off to my bed now with my hook and yarn to continue my first blanket.
Posted by: maypole | May 14, 2014 at 10:17 PM
Gorgeous! So much colour. Funny thing, I posted mine yesterday, and because it's coming from New Zealand I had to fill out a little customs form. So when it came to 'contents' ... well I just wrote 'crochet' because I thought if I wrote 'mandala' they might be more inclined to open it as they mightn't know what it is. So the lady at the counter says "Crochet? What is it, clothes?"
"um, no" sez I, "It's a crochet ... circle! Sort of like a doily but not." I could tell she thought I was bonkers :-D
So the by-line now is probably "MANDALAS: Confusing postal workers the world over!" ha ha
Posted by: Melissa | May 14, 2014 at 10:10 PM
Oh my! A feast for the eyes! Mine is in the envelope waiting to be posted, it was inspired by wink's spoke mandala, with a twist of course. lol I too use them on the table even the island, like a giant coaster or hot pad. I've even turned one into a clock! :D I can't wait to see them all together! Mandala mania!
Posted by: Angela-Southern USA | May 14, 2014 at 09:54 PM