This pattern is now available to buy. It will automatically come up as half price.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sunburst-mandala-cushion

Join the group for the CAL here: http://www.ravelry.com/groups/craft-cove-crochet

One Week to go

Sunburst Mandala Cushion CAL

 one week to go

With just one week to go, you might want to make sure you have got all the items you need. But if you're ordering it, and it hasn't come in yet, don't worry, the first part is easy and quick. You'll catch up in no time.






Of course the main thing you'll need is the yarn (or wool, as we call all fibers in Australia).

The original pattern was designed with 8 ply yarn, which is DK in US.  I realize it's not easy to get this weight in America, so if you don't want to bother ordering it, you can just use Aran weight, worsted weight (10 ply), you'll have a larger cushion, but it will be lovely. You could also use a finer yarn, or even thread. I'd love to see them done this way.

I chose acrylic, because it's nice and cheap, easy to get in Australia, and it's so easy to wash and dry. It also blocks beautifully with steam. 

But if you prefer, you can use wool or cotton, or whatever your favorite fiber is.

There are 4 colors in this pattern. I originally designed it with yellows eg. white, pale yellow, medium yellow, and a deep yellow. I have also made it with white, pale grey, darker grey, and black. You can use four shades of a color, or choose any four colors you prefer.

If you're using 8 ply acrylic, you will need approximately 120 grams of the palest color, and 100 grams of each of the other colors.

You will also need a 3.25 mm crochet hook, and a 3.50 mm crochet hook.  Or larger, or smaller, depending on your yarn

You might also want to familiarize yourself with these special stitches. (But they really aren't difficult)

Special stitches used:

• Front Loop Only (FLO). Work this stitch in the front loop only, leaving back loop free.
• Back Loop only (BLO). Work this stitch in the back loop only, leaving front loop free.
• Front loop double crochet (fldc). Front loop double crochet is a dc worked in the front loop only.
• Back loop double crochet (bldc). Back loop double crochet is a dc worked in the back loop only.
• Front loop treble (fltr). Front loop treble is a tr worked in the front loop only.
• Back loop treble (bltr). Back loop treble is a tr worked in the back loop only.
• Front post double crochet (fpdc). Front Post Double Crochet is worked around the front of the post of the stitch on the previous round. Insert hook through the right front and back out the left front, yarn around hook, pull through 2 loops.
• Front post treble (fptr). Front Post Treble is worked around the front of the post of the stitch on the previous round. Yarn around hook, insert hook through the right front and back out the left front, yarn around hook, pull through 2 loops, yarn around hook, pull through last 2 loops.
• Front post double treble (fpdtr). Front Post Double Treble is worked around the front of the post of the stitch on the previous round. Yarn around hook, twice, insert hook through the right front and back out the left front, yarn around hook, pull through 2 loops, yarn around hook, pull through another 2 loops, yarn around hook, pull through last 2 loops.
• Back post double crochet (bpdc). Back Post Double Crochet is worked around the back of the post of the stitch on the previous round. Insert hook through the right back and back out the left back, yarn around hook, pull through 2 loops.
• Back post treble (bptr). Back Post Treble is worked around back of the post of the stitch on the previous round. Yarn around hook, insert hook through the right back and back out the left back, yarn around hook, pull through 2 loops, yarn around hook, pull through last 2 loops.
• Back post double treble (bpdtr). Back Post Double Treble is worked around the back of the post of the stitch on the previous round. Yarn around hook, twice, insert hook through the right back and back out the left back, yarn around hook, pull through 2 loops, yarn around hook, pull through another 2 loops, yarn around hook, pull through last 2 loops.

Don't be intimidated by these stitches, they're just basic stitches worked into different places.

And now you should be ready to start.



Get the pattern here:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sunburst-mandala-cushion  (available 13th February)

Join in the discussion here:  http://www.ravelry.com/groups/craft-cove-crochet

Sunburst Mandala Cushion CAL (Crochet-a-long)

Sunburst Mandala Cushion CAL

I will be hosting a CAL (crochet-a-long) for this lovely cushion I have created

The pattern utilizes a lot of back and front post stitches, as well as some front and back loop work. Knowledge of overlay crochet will be helpful

What is Overlay Crochet?

From http://www.lillabjorncrochet.com/p/overlay-crochet.html

"Overlay crochet is a relatively new technique. It was developed by an artist and fantastic jewelry maker Melody MacDuffee in the United States and first introduced in 2003. Melody MacDuffee started to spread her inventions and conducted lots of workshops for hundreds of crochet lovers.

Overlay crochet has its roots in Aran crochet. Though it may look a bit complicated and quite often is offered to advanced crocheters, in fact it uses ordinary crochet stitches, and only few special ones. To master this technique it is necessary to already know how to make a slip stitch, a chain, single, double and treble crochet stitches, how to increase the number of stitches, how to make a long stitch.

What is interesting about this technique is that with changing colors on every round it is possible to achieve an effect as if the colors are actually changed after every few stitches."

This cushion starts with a mandala created to look like a sunburst.

It is then encircled with a border, then changed into a square with a similar border

The back is made as a square with very simplified rays made with overlay crochet

The pattern will be available in sections. There will be 11 sections, a new one available each week, starting on February 13^th. A new file will be added to the original file each week (Ravelry will send you a notification), at the end of the CAL, the whole CAL can be downloaded as one file

Clue 1: Monday, February 13th
Clue 2: Monday, February 20th
Clue 3: Monday, February 27th
Clue 4: Monday, March 6th
Clue 5: Monday, March 13th
Clue 6: Monday, March 20th
Clue 7: Monday, March 27th
Clue 8: Monday, April 3rd
Clue 9: Monday, April 10th
Clue 10: Monday, April 17th
Clue 11: Monday, April 24th

The pattern will be half price while the CAL is going. After the CAL is finished, the pattern will be available at full cost

Buy it here:
Sunburst Mandala Cushion Pattern   This pattern will be active on 13th February, 2017

Please join my Ravelry group http://www.ravelry.com/groups/craft-cove-crochet for help and conversations

Created by Jenny Lawson

http://craftcove.weebly.com/

http://flowercove.weebly.com/

For any questions, email me at: craftcove@gmail.com

More tutorials can be found at: Jewellery from Craft Cove http://craftcove.blogspot.com/

and Craftsy: http://www.craftsy.com/user/50761 and

Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/stores/craft-cove-designs

Please do not distribute, lend or copy this pattern.

Do not mass produce articles made with this pattern. 

Cyclone Swirl

The latest pattern is here


Cyclone Swirl Mandala

Want this as a printable pdf? Get it here for a small fee

US terms

measures 25 cm (10 inches)

4 mm hook

8 ply wool in following colours:

black, or other dark colour - a

4 shades colour 1 - b, c, d, e (dark to light yellow)

4 shades colour 2 – f, g, h, I (dark to light blue)

2 opposite shades - j, k (purple and green)

4 shades colour 3 - l, m, n, o (dark to light red/pink)

Using e, magic circle

Rnd 1: Using e. 1 ch, 12 sc in circle. Join with slst (12 sts)

Rnd 2: Using a, 1 ch, *2 sc in each st. Rep from*. Join with slst (24 sts)

Rnd 3: Using b, 1 standing fpsc, *1 fpsc in each st, Rep from*. Join with slst (24 sts)

Rnd 4: Using b, 3 ch,* 1 sc and fpsc in next st, Rep from*. Join with slst (36 sts)

Rnd 5: Using c, 1 standing fpsc, *1 fpsc in each st, Rep from*. Join with slst

Rnd 6: Using c, 3 ch, *1 ch, 1 fpsc in each st, Rep from*. Join with slst

Rnd 7: Using d, 1 standing fpsc, *1 ch, 1 fpsc in next fpsc, Rep from*. Join with slst

Rnd 8: Using d, 3 ch, *1 ch, 1 fpsc in next fpsc, Rep from*. Join with slst

Rnd 9: Using e, 1 standing fpsc, *1 ch, 1 fpsc in next fpsc, Rep from*. Join with slst

Rnd 10: Using e, 1 ch, *1 sc in ch sp, 1 ch, 1 fpsc in next fpsc, Rep from*. Join with slst

Rnd 11: Using e, 1 ch, *1 sc in ch sp, 1 ch, 1 fpsc in next fpsc, Rep from*. Join with slst

Rnd 12: Using f, 1 ch, *1 sc, 1 ch and 1 fpsc in next fpsc, Rep from*. Join with slst

Rnd 13: Using f, 1 ch, *2 sc in ch space, 1 ch and 1 fpsc in next fpsc, Rep from*. Join with slst

Rnd 14: Using g, 1 ch, *2 sc in ch space, 1 ch and 1 fpsc in next fpsc, Rep from*. Join with slst

Rnd 15: Using g, 1 ch, *2 sc in ch space, 1 ch and 1 fpsc in next fpsc, Rep from*. Join with slst

Rnd 16: Using h, 1 ch, *2 sc in ch space, 1 ch and 1 fpsc in next fpsc, Rep from*. Join with slst

Rnd 17 Using h, 1 ch, *3 sc in ch space, 1 ch and 1 fpsc in next fpsc, Rep from*. Join with slst

Rnd 18: Using i, 1 ch, *3 sc in ch space, 1 ch and 1 fpsc in next fpsc, Rep from*. Join with slst

Rnd 19: Using i, 1 ch, *3 sc in ch space, 1 ch and 1 fpsc in next fpsc, Rep from*. Join with slst

Rnd 20: Using j, 1 ch, *4 sc in ch space, 1 ch and 1 fpsc in next fpsc, Rep from*. Join with slst

Rnd 21: Using k, 1 ch, *5 sc in ch space, 1 fpsc in next fpsc, Rep from*. Join with slst

Rnd 22: Using l, 1 ch, *1 sc in each of next 5 sc, 1 sc in fpsc, fpsc in next fpsc. Rep from*. Join with slst

Rnd 23: Using m, 1 ch, *1 sc in each of next 6 sc, 1 fpsc in next fpsc. Rep from*. Join with slst

Rnd 24: Using n, 1 ch, *1 sc in each of next 6 sc, 1 fpsc in next fpsc. Rep from*. Join with slst

Rnd 25: Using o, 1 ch, *1 sc in each of next 6 sc, 1 fpsc in next fpsc. Rep from*. Join with slst

Please consider making a donation    



http://craftcove.blogspot.com.au/2015/04/donations.html

Created by Jenny Lawson

http://craftcove.weebly.com/

http://flowercove.weebly.com/

For any questions, email me at: craftcove@gmail.com

More tutorials can be found at: Jewellery from Craft Cove http://craftcove.blogspot.com/

Please do not distribute, lend or copy.

Do not mass produce.

Copyright 2016 Jenny Lawson

Sale

http://www.ravelry.com/stores/craft-cove-designshttp://www.ravelry.com/stores/craft-cove-designs

Don't miss the sale on patterns

All my patterns are 25% off for this month only

Celebrate the start of winter

Just use the code "Winter"

http://www.ravelry.com/stores/craft-cove-designs

Quilling

Sometimes I need a break from a particular craft.

I had enough of crochet for a while.

now it's time for quilling.

Spring Sale

Celebrate Spring in Australia!

Spring is my favourite season, today is the first day of spring and it's such a lovely sunny morning.

To celebrate I'm having a sale through all of the month.

Everything is half price in my Artfire shop.  This includes patterns.

In stock items only. Not including custom orders.

As you know there's a wide range of handcrafted items including wire wrapping and wire work, crochet, chainmail, beaded flowers, 3d ornaments, and much more.

http://CraftCove.artfire.com

Newest Pattern

I've created this new doily pattern.

It is now available to buy on Ravelry, Craftsy, and Artfire

I created twisted loop sets, which I think is an entirely new stitch. I've never seen it anywhere before.

This doily also has bobbles and picots, and is made with a sort of pineapple pattern.

It can be made with one or two colours

Art Theft

There are some things that are just wrong! Stealing other peoples images of their work as your own is one of them. This web site: http://www.cakechooser.com/ was using an image of my own 3d beaded cake.

I don't even understand what it had to do with what they were making.  They seem to decorate cakes, I guess.

I contacted them a week ago, explaining that it was my image, and it was illegal to use it without my permission.  I heard nothing back, and the image was still there.  After a week I contacted their ISP.  It is now gone.

But looking at the other images, they all link to an image editing program.  So I thought probably none of these images are their own.  Looking around at images on Google, I found they were definitely stolen.

I have contacted 3 websites about their stolen images.

What sort of person can do something like this?

To use the image for your own personal use, or to show what other people can do is one thing, but to show it as your own work for monetary gain, is so wrong!

Donations

Just a reminder to everyone.

Donations are always welcome, and really appreciated.

I have had free patterns downloaded over 7,000 times.  If some of you just donated a small amount for each free pattern, it would be really helpful.

Donations are very easy to do through Paypal, and you don't even have to sign up.


Updated to add: the free patterns are still always free on the blog whether you donate or not

Freeform Crochet

Freeform crochet is so amazing.  I've never done it before, and procrastinated starting it.

For anyone who doesn't know what is.  Here's a description from wikipeadia:  ” a seemingly random combination of crochet… and possibly other fibre arts to make a piece that is not constrained by patterns, colours, stitches or other limitations….” 

Prudence Mapstone does some of the most amazing freeform work I've seen: http://www.knotjustknitting.com/

Having carpal tunnel syndrome made it difficult to use fine threads, so my doily went on to the backburner for a while (of course I have other works in progress as well, but we won't mention them now)

So I finally got to the freeform.  But what could I make with it?  That's it, I need new cushion covers for the loungeoom, maybe something to match the kitchen chairs, one of which sits in front of the keyboard.  So I would need a bunch of greens, and some wood browns, and other browns to match the couch.

I found a bit of a pattern online, and made the first one.

Then I just started and continued on, and came up with this other scrumble.

Then I saw Prudence Mapstones Project on 50 Years of Flower Power. and decided to make a scrumble for that. 

I came up with this scrumble

So now back to my cushion covers.  I was feeling a lot more confident with freeform now.

I made another four scrumbles and put them together to see how they'd look.  They need a contrasting colour just to bring it all out a bit.  Some red grapes and other shapes added made the world of difference.

But then I had to have the carpal tunnel surgery. That put me out of action for a while.  I'm just starting to be able to crochet again, so more scrumbles are coming up.

Christmas Sale

Everything listed in my Artfire shop is 25% off until January 2015.

Find them here:  Craft Cove on Artfire

There are many things to buy. Crochet items such as: Santa hats,

Christmas diaper covers

Elf hats

Doilies

Beaded Jewellery

Beaded Animals

Beaded Flowers

Chainmail

And much more.