A Week Of Mandalas

I must admit that I have been eyeing up the beautiful mandalas found all over the internet for years now, but until now had never gotten around to making any. As it turns out they are very addictive and it's impossible just to make one.

Last month I decided to bite the bullet and ordered a huge range of Stylecraft Classique Cotton DK.

There are some beautiful colours which inspired me to dive right in on the day it arrived on the mail.

Like an excited school girl I pulled out a pattern from my stash and started my week long obsession with mandalas.

Day 1

"Pastel Posey" found in a book called "100 Colourful Ripple Stitches to Crochet" by Leonie Morgan.

Colours - White, Soft Lime, Shell Pink, Sky Blue, Poppy.

This was always going to be my first attempt, I've had this book for a couple of years now and just love everything about this mandala. The colours are beautiful, the pattern is easy to follow, and I love the ripple effect.

The only negative is that I crochet quite tight, and my last row of dc in white curls up slightly around the edge even after steaming. Next time I make this I think I'll go up a hook size for that final round and see if it makes a difference. 

This mandala is a medium sized and fits a teapot on it beautifully.

This is definitely one of my favourites.

Day 2

"Tulips From Amsterdam" found in a book called "Mandalas to Crochet" by Haafner Linssen.

Colours - Lavender, Ivory, Soft Lime, Shell Pink, Fuchsia. 

This is another pattern that I'd been patiently waiting to make. I excitedly picked my colours and jumped in. The pattern is well written and easy to make.

However, this is not one of my favourites. I'm not even sure that I actually like my finished mandala. I think my colour choices and yarn thickness is the problem and will definitely try making this again using a finer more delicate thread.

It does look a bit better when being used.

Day 3

"Colourful Crochet Mandala Pattern" found on the Mollie Makes website found here.

Colours - Sunflower, Shrimp, Sky Blue, Wisteria, White, Leaf, Shell Pink, Peppermint.

This is another one of my favourites. Great pattern, easy to follow but not boring at all. The colour combination makes me happy, I really do like this mandala. It also sits nice and flat and is a larger size. It could easily been used as a place mat. 

This gets a big thumbs up from me.

Day 4

"Star Doily Pattern" found on the Sweet Sharna website found here.

Colours - Sky Blue, Lapis, Peppermint, Ivory, Fondant.

I love this mandala. I think it's the simplicity of the stitch combined with the colour combination. This is another small one but as you can see fits a teapot on it perfectly. A perfect addition for any home.

It's definitely one of my favourites. 

Day 5

"African Flower Love" found in a book called "Mandalas to Crochet" by Haafner Linssen.

Colours - Fondant, Fuchsia, Ivory, Lavender, Wisteria, Greek Blue, Lapis.

I really dislike this mandala. I don't like the colours. I don't like the way it sits. But it's my husbands favourite. Proof that men and women see beauty differently.

Day 6

"Simple Folk Circle Potholder" found in a book called "Crochet Home" by Emma Lamb.

This is one of my all time favourite crochet books. Every single pattern looks amazing and inspires.

Colours - Peppermint, Fondant, White, Sky Blue, Shrimp, Soft Lime, Shell Pink, Sunflower, Wisteria.

This is by far my favourite mandala. To the point where I don't want to use it, I just want to admire it.

I find it strange that for years I've been ogling some beautifully complex mandala patterns and the ones that I love the most use the simple "granny" stitch. I guess it shows that sometimes it's all about simplicity and colour. I will without a doubt be making some more of these. They are really quick to make up and sit lovely and flat and only need a minimal steam/block.

Day 7

"Maybelle" by A.B. McKenna found here.

Colour - Lapis

So my week came to an end with a tiny little flower coaster. This is a very easy pattern to follow, works up very quickly and is the perfect size for mugs and cups. I'll be making up the set very soon to place around my coffee table. 

I hope you enjoyed a glimpse of my week in mandalas.

Xx