Blogtober 2020 :: Day 4

I've got the most beautiful flowers on my table at the moment, a spontaneous £3 purchase from the supermarket. After a whole summer crushing on my sweet peas I feel like I'm cheating a bit on my home grown blooms, but I just couldn't make myself walk past these flowers without bringing a bunch home. 

They are soooo swoon-worthy that I'm sure I must have little hearts dancing in my eyes every time I look at them. The colours are incredibly vibrant, like a shot of summer brightening up the room - how can they possibly be for real? Totally dreamy.

Despite my fixation with the summer season, it seems I can't get enough of my Yuletide colour palette and I've not been able to leave it alone just yet. I've got bits of a Yuletide Garland in progress, and yesterday I started working on a Yuletide Mandala.

I had the idea to turn the Yuletide stitch pattern from a square into a circle, thinking that it would be a simple thing to grapple with. Ho-ho!! Simple it is not. In fact, it's quite a vexing matter trying to work out flat circle increases while also attempting to throw those spike stitches down into previous rounds.

You can see that I wasn't vexing all alone though, that's good to know isn't it?! I had the Yuletide blanket on the table because I needed to see which order to use the colours for my mandala and Tilly decided that I'd obviously put it there just for her. It was very sweet actually, and I did really enjoy having her quiet moral support.

After much faffing, ripping back, restarting from scratch, ripping back again and so on, I did eventually make some progress with the crochet maths, and managed to pause long enough to scribble down the numbers and make a few pattern notes. 

This afternoon I picked up where I left off yesterday, and despite needing to rework a few whole rounds I eventually cracked it. Oh, happy, happy me! It was insanely satisfying to reach the final round, do my sums and realise I had the exact right number of stitches to work one of my favourite scallopy edges...

....look!!!!!!!!! Isn't it a cutie?

I was ridiculously pleased with myself by this point in the proceedings, whizzing along making these sweet little scallops.

Ahh........ta-dah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This mandala came out a bit larger than the ones I usually make, it measures 23cm across (the one on my table with the pink scalloped edge measures 17.5cm).

I'm super happy with it, and furthermore I'm delighted to say that I managed to hastily type up the pattern in a word document before I forgot what the bloomin' heck I had done with each round. 

Last winter I bought a really lovely enamel jug for my Christmas table (it was from Amazon) and I remember thinking at the time that I would like to crochet a new mandala mat in festive colours to go with it.

My enamel jug is packed away with the Christmas decorations so I haven't been able to see how it looks with the Yuletide mandala just yet, but I do think it's going to work really well.

I'm more than happy to share the pattern for this mandala if you think it's something you'd like to make? Of course you don't have to use festive colours, you can use any scraps left over from crocheting blankets to make whatever flavour of mandala you like. The possibilities for colour play are extremely tempting I have to say, and I'm already thinking that Autumn shades will be next on my hook.

If you're familiar with the Yuletide blanket pattern, then this mandala follows pretty much the same kind of construction. But please do let me know in the comments if you'd like me to work on a full photo tutorial, or whether a written pattern would be enough, and I'll see what I can do.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Marylin Ollivier]

Hi Lucy You can count me in for a big whopping yes to a mandala tutorial. It is beautiful. Colors too, make me ridiculously happy. Been having some wet walks here to on Vancouver Island, Canada and still waiting for some autumn sunshine before putting my outdoor garden flowers to bed.
Enjoy sitting and reading your daily blog with a yummy coffee. Take Care, Hugs, MO

[Kay]

Beautiful! A written pattern will be great. Thank you for the brilliant designs.

[Sara Jane Apple]

Oh yes please. Mandalas are such a quick satisfying project. I love your happiness, it's contagious. Thanks for posting thru October, it brightens the darkening days! Sending greetings from the Canadian Pacific old growth forest.

[Donna Philpott]

I love everything you do. Thanx alot for the time & energy. I'd love instructions, too.

[Karen Wagge]

Would love a photo tutorial as I'm still a newbie. Quite fancy the mandala when I've finished yuletide. Could use the odds & ends

[CJ]

Nicely done, and that pink and dark plummy red combo is one of my favourites, especially in flowers. I am just about out of sweet peas now as well, although still some dahlias and cosmos and marguerites out there and even the odd butterfly. CJ xx

[Kate]

I would love to see the pattern Lucy! Your Yuletide Mandela is so beautiful! I am now on round 11 of the blanket and I am in love. Thank you for your patterns that give so much joy and comfort! 😘

[Carol Blakeley]

Your mandala is beautiful. I would definitely love the pattern.
I’m also in love with that red jug ❤️

[Rosemary Conway]

Thank you so much for your daily postings. Rather a treat to catch you every day this month. I'd be very interested in your mandala pattern, thank you. I am resisting starting the Yuletide blanket (and every other blanket come to that) needing to focus on my collection of WIPs and yet to be started projects. However, I'm sure I could fit in such a small and delightful distraction.

[J Crafter]

Thank you so much for your daily blog and for sharing your latest design. I love all your designs and endeavour to have a go at them all. This latest design is no exception and I long to attempt the mandala. I do appreciate your photo tutorials but I realise they must be very time consuming to create. Please would you be kind enough to share this lovely pattern with us. Wishing you joy and happiness always. Jx

[Gillian Edwards]

Yes please to the pattern. Love it ❤

[Maureen Ballard]

Yes please to the pattern, I can see the right spot for it! 🙃

[Charlotte]

Excited to see you doing the Blogtober post. I had started only checking the Attic every 3 or 4 weeks but it’s lovely to know that you will be here every day for October. Yes, a written pattern for the Mandela would be great.

[Cindy Z]

Lovely!! Would love the pattern, and photos of the more difficult stitches would be very helpful. Just in time for the Holidays. Thank you

[Sandra Louise Viglietti]

Yes, love the Yultide Mandela. Written directions would be appreciated and your idea of a Fall one works for me also.

[Juliana]

Hi Lucy, that is beautiful! I would love to make it too! Just finishing a summer garden blanket for my son - with the spot on border, and in the colours I could find here. ;) A written pattern would be great, I don't think that more details are necessary... Thank you so much for sharing, it's so generous of you! I am enjoying every single post of yours, as always! 🤩

[Natasha Goldberg]

I’d love to make this! Written pattern should be fine. Xx

[Cindy]

I love October because I love to read your blog every day!❤️ I would love to make your Mandela and I could probably figure it out but photos are always a help. Love to you from Cindy in the US.

[Brenda Meyer]

Beautiful! Would ❤️ the pattern !!

[Talitha]

Yes please for the pattern! Written pattern enough for me now but I did very much appreciate the photo tutorials when I was learning so I imagine others would be grateful for one.

[Deb]

I love the mandala. Thanks for all you do, your blog, sharing your talent.

[Kate]

I LOVE your mandala, Lucy, and would very much like the pattern. I thank you in advance. ^^

[Astrid Jansen]

I hope you"ll post the pattern. Can I start making a present for my sister.

[Tricia Fraser]

I would definitely make these as Yuletide placemats. I think they would be just lovely either as presents or for my own table. A pattern would be great. Thanks, Tricia

[Carly O]

Of course we would like the pattern! I LOVE it!