Anastasia - This mandala has a special place in my heart. A group of talented ladies around the world came together and each crocheted a mandala to fill up a wall for the home of the famous Dedri Uys as a surprise. I was honoured to be a part of this unbelievable project! (you can see more on social media #dreamingofmandalas and #arteeni_anastasia). Dedri was thrilled by this unexpected gift, she felt happiness and joy in every mandala that she received. What an amazing adventure!
Of course, I took my inspiration from the wonderful designs of Dedri. Every stitch has a special meaning.
I asked Dedri to name this little mandala. In my blue, yellow, & orange Mandala design, Dedri saw the same style of the beautiful tiles from Portugal. So from there comes the name of a Portuguese lady: Anastasia. What a great name. Thank you Dedri!
Special thanks goes to: Testing the pattern: Anne, Pippa, Boa and Monika Translating the pattern: Mervi, Dedri and Lynnette and not forgetting Boa (for having this idea) and the mandala ladies for this amazing journey. A group of warm-hearted, wonderful ladies - big thanks to you all!
Anastasia -Mandala
Design by Sari Åström
Materials:
Drops Safran (100% cotton, 160 m / 50 gr) in Denim Blue (06), Light Ice Blue (50), Yellow (10), and Medium Pink (02). I used approx. 22 g of yarn in total.
3.75 mm crochet hook
Scissors and tapestry needle to weave in ends.
Size
The Mandala measures approx. 23 cm from point to point with hook size 3.75 mm. You could also use yarn from your stash if you would rather choose your own colour combinations or use a different yarn and hook size.
Abbreviations:
(Us Terminology Used)
ch chain
sl-st slip stitch sc single crochet hdc half double crochet dc double crochet
tr treble crochet bphdc back post half double crochet pc popcorn (5 dc) picot picot (3 ch)
Special Stitches
Special sc: will be made on both sides of the st of the previous round. Insert hook in the next ch-1 space before st and pull up a loop [2 loops on the hook], insert hook in the ch-1 space after st, pull up a loop [3 loops on the hook], yarn over and pull through all 3 loops.
Special hdc: will be made on both sides of the st of the previous round (as for special sc). Yarn over, insert hook in the next ch-1 space before st and pull up a loop [3 loops on the hook], insert hook in the ch-1 space after st, pull up a loop [4 loops on the hook], yarn over and pull through all 4 loops.
Special dc: will be made on both sides of the st of the previous round (as for special sc). Yarn over, insert hook in the next ch-1 space before st and pull up a loop [3 loops on the hook], insert hook in the ch-1 space after st, pull up a loop [4 loops on the hook], yarn over and pull through 3 loops, yarn over and pull through 2 loops.
Picot: ch 3, insert hook into the centre of the base st, yo, pull through all lps on hk.
Popcorn: make 5 dc in the same st. Remove your hook from the last st and insert it into the first st. Pull the last st through the first st to complete your popcorn.
Repeats
*-* Repeat instructions between asterisks the amount of times specified. This is normally a repeat for a complete side and will consist of multiple instructions.
(…) Repeat instructions between parentheses the amount of times specified. This is a lower level repeat.
[…] Hints in brackets are typed in italics and coloured purple, they are to help and guide you and hopefully make life a little easier.
Copyright This pattern belongs to me, Sari Åström, and I retain all rights to it. Please do not copy, reproduce, or distribute this pattern in part or as a whole. When sharing a pattern, please include a link to my blog. This pattern is not to be reproduced or resold. You may sell items made with this pattern if you mention or link back to me as the designer. Thank you!
Instructions:
Every round of the mandala will be made with a different colour and there is going to be a lot of weaving ends of yarn. I have designed the pattern so that you can hide the different coloured yarn along the way so that it appears invisible. What do you think about the picture – you cannot really see the carried through yarns, can you? Only the medium pink yarn is cut between rounds, because there are more rounds with other colours in between. It is also possible to carry this coloured yarn behind along on the wrong side of the mandala.
If you can manage the basic crochet stitches, it is easy to follow the pattern.
Round 1. With blue yarn, into a magic ring: ch 5 [counts as tr and ch 1], (tr, ch 1) 15 times, tighten up the ring and join to 4th st of the beginning ch-5 with a sl-st. Pull the skein of yarn through the loop, do not fasten off. Secure and fasten off the initial yarn end [Photo 1]. Total stitch count: 16 tr, 16 ch-1 spaces
Round 2. With light ice blue yarn, start by making a standing sc into the next ch-1 space [leave blue yarn waiting behind the work], sc into the same space, 2 sc into every ch-1 space until the end of the round [Hint: you can secure and fasten off the beginning of the blue yarn under scs], join to the first sc with a sl-st. Pull the skein of yarn through the loop, do not fasten off [Photo 2]. Total stitch count: 32 sc
Round 3. With yellow yarn, start by making a standing sc into the same sc, ch 2, skip 1 st, (1 sc, ch 2, skip 1 st) 15 times, join to the first sc with sl-st by change back to blue yarn at the same time [Changing the colour with sl-st: Insert hook into starting standing sc, pull blue yarn through instead of the yellow – continue next round with blue one]. [Hint: make sure that all waiting yarns behind your work stay behind from here on] [Photo 3]. Total stitch count: 16 sc, 16 ch-2 spaces
Round 4. Ch 1 [does not count as a stitch], make a special sc on both sides of the same sc of previous round [Photos 4.a–e, for more information, refer to Special Stitches], ch 2 [counts as a special dc], 2 dc in the next ch-sp [Hint: you can secure and fasten off the beginning of the yellow yarn beneath the dcs], (special dc, 2 dc in the next ch-sp) 15 times, join to the first special dc with a sl-st. Pull the skein of yarn through the loop, do not fasten off [Photo 4.f]. Total stitch count: 16 special dc, 32 dc
Round 5. With medium pink yarn, start with a standing dc in any first dc of 2 dcs, 4 dc into same dc, close as a popcorn, ch 3, skip 2 st, (make a popcorn in the next st, ch 3, skip 2 st) 15 times, [Hint: secure yarns behind your work hiding under a dc], join to the first dc with sl-st, fasten off. [Hint: Your work will pull in a bit again, don’t worry, this will straighten out in the next round] [Photo 5].
Total stitch count: 16 dc, 16 ch-3 spaces
Round 6. [Hint: This round will be worked into Rnd 4 and OVER the ch-3 spaces of Rnd 5]. Locate the yarn end from Rnd 3 and insert your hook in the first special dc of Rnd 4 after that [Rnd 4, photo 6.a], yarn over, pull up a loop on the front side [Photo 6.b], ch 7 [counts as 1 dc and ch 4, photos 6.c-d], (skip the popcorn from Rnd 5 and the next dc from Rnd 4, dc in next special dc from Rnd 4, remembering to work OVER the ch-3 space from Rnd 5, [Rnd 4, photo 6.e], [Hint: you can secure and fasten off the medium pink yarn under following dcs], ch 4) 15 times. Join to 3rd ch of beginning ch-7 with a sl-st and change back to the blue yarn at the same time [Photo 6.f].
Total stitch count: 16 dc, 16 ch-4 spaces
Round 7. Ch 1 [does not count as a st], special sc on both sides of beginning st [Hint: secure yarns behind your work beneath the special sc] ch 1 [counts as special hdc], 4 hdc in next ch-sp, (special hdc on both sides of next dc, 4 hdc in next ch-sp) 15 times. Join to the first special hdc with a sl-st and change back to yellow yarn at the same time [Photo 7].
Total stitch count: 16 special hdc, 64 hdc
Round 8. Ch 1, sc in the same beginning st, ch 3, skip 2 st, (sc, ch 3, skip 2 st) 26 times [on last repeat just skip 1 st]. Join to the first sc with a sl-st, change to light ice blue yarn [Photo 8].
Total stitch count: 27 sc, 27 ch-3 spaces
Round 9. Ch 1 [does not count as a stitch], (special sc on both sides of sc of previous round [Hint: secure yarns behind work beneath special sc], 3 sc in ch-3 sp) 27 times. Join to the first special sc with a sl-st and change to blue yarn at the same time [Photo 9].
Total stitch count: 27 special sc, 81 sc (108 st)
Round 10. Ch 2 [counts as hdc], 107 hdc. Join to the 2nd ch with a sl-st. Pull the skein of yarn through the loop, do not fasten off [Photo 10].
Total stitch count: 108 hdc
Round 11. With medium pink yarn, start with a standing sc in next st, 1 sc, *skip 3 st, (5 tr, picot, 5 tr) in same st, skip 3 st, 5 sc*. Repeat from * to * 8 more times, omitting last 2 sc on last repeat. Join to the first sc with a sl-st. Fasten off and secure ends [Photo 11.g].
Total stitch count: 9 picot fan (in each 10 tr and picot), 9 x 5 sc
Round 12. With light ice blue yarn, yarn over twice [Photo 12.a], bphdc in second sc before next picot fan [Photo 12.b-c], 6 bphdc, (sc in picot, ch 3 [Photo 12.d], sc in picot, 15 bphdc) 8 times, sc in picot, ch 3, sc in picot, 8 bphdc. Join to bphdc with sl-st, fasten off and secure ends [Photo 12.e].
Total stitch count: 135 bphdc, 18 sc, and 9 ch-3 spaces
Stitch Count per Petal: 10 bphdc, 2 sc, and 1 ch-3 space
Round 13. Locate 5th sc from Round 11 between picot fans, insert your hook in the bphdc from Round 12 that falls in that sc [Rnd 11, Photo 13.a], make a loop with the yellow yarn. Ch 1 [does not count as a stitch], sc in the same st. (Ch 2 , skip 2 st, sc) 2 times, *Ch 2 , sc in ch-3 sp, ch 2, sc in 1st bphdc, (ch 2, skip 2 st, sc) 5 times*, repeat from * to * 8 times, ch 2, sc in ch-3 sp, ch 2, sc in 1st bphdc, (ch 2, skip 2 st, sc) 2 times, ch 2, join to sc with sl-st, fasten off and secure ends [Photo 13.b].
Total stitch count: 63 sc and 63 ch-2 spaces
Round 14. With blue yarn, insert hook in last sc of previous round, ch 1 [does not count as a stitch], special sc on both sides of sc of previous round [Photo 14.a], ch 1 [counts as special hdc] [Hint: you can secure and fasten off the beginning of the yellow and light ice blue yarns under following dcs], (2 hdc in ch-2 sp, special hdc both sides of sc) 2 times, *(hdc, dc, tr) in ch-2 sp, picot, (tr, dc, hdc) in ch-2 sp, (special hdc both sides of sc, 2 hdc in ch-2 sp) 5 times, special hdc both sides of sc*, repeat from * to * 8 times, (hdc, dc, tr) in ch-2 sp, picot, (tr, dc, hdc) in ch-2 sp, (special hdc, 2 hdc in ch-2 sp) 3 times, join to special hdc with an invisible join, fasten off and join with the invisible join [Photo 14.b-c], [Photo 14.d].
Total stitch count: 54 special hdc, 108 hdc, 18 dc, 18 tr and 9 picots
Blocking: With 9 rustproof pins, lay out your mandala on a blocking board and with a spray bottle of water, dampen your work. Let your mandala dry completely. Blocking your mandala sets the stitches with a great finishing touch. The results will be beautiful!
Hint: You are most welcome to post pictures of your Anastasia -mandala in social media at ##arteeni_anastasia.
I hope you enjoy making this pattern as much as I enjoyed designing it, with such joy, experiencing all the surprises and thrills along the way!
Love,
