Mandala making is an addiction beware!
A mandala is the new doily.
Little circles of colour and pattern completed in an hour,
perfect to satisfy any colour craving and the need for creativity!
They are beautiful around your home
for use as table mats to protect furniture
or just alone to add a cheerful burst of colour and crochet!
This star doily is 9.5 inches / 24 cm diameter
and is perfect for under a vase.
This granny star doily is a free pattern from the blog of
it is really easy and suitable for beginners
who have mastered the granny square.
If you don't want to make your own,
you will find these for sale in my Etsy shop
I have been using the gorgeous colours of
and have put together 3 colour packs for you to suit all tastes.
Rainbow, pastels and Cath Kidston style
in my colour pack shop
Small mandalas are perfect for use as coasters.
These coasters are 5 inches / 13cm diameter.
This pattern is a particular favourite of mine as it is very thick.
It is from the book
Vintage Style Crochet Projects
by Agnieszka Strycharska.
It is clearly written in US terms and has a lovely clear chart too.
I like to buy crochet books to give payment to the author,
knowing how much time it takes to write a pattern and get it into print.
However if you wish to search around
you will find many free patterns for mandalas on
Ravelry and Pinterest.
Classique cotton dk is a thick cotton yarn with a good twist.
It does not split and it has a lovely natural cotton finish.
The colours are just wonderful
and as I said before mandala making is addictive!
Coffee and crochet is as always my favourite pastime
and much pleasure is to be had matching my mug to my yarn!
This is another free pattern from the blog of
called the Little Cherry Blossom Mandala.
It is a medium sized mandala 9 inches / 23 cm in diameter.
It is a wonderful step by step tutorial with photos and
instructions in Swedish and English using US crochet terms.
When this pattern is made the mandalas curl,
as you can see in the stack below.
So blocking is important to improve their finish.
I pin them out onto a foam blocking board (bought on ebay)
spray with cold water and leave to air dry over night.
The transformation is amazing!
Blocking is magic and well worth doing.
It really doesn't take long and when you get used to doing it,
it just becomes part of the process.
There are stacks of these pretty colourful doilies
here in my
waiting for new homes!
They are perfect gifts for Mothers Day, Easter,
New Home, Birthdays
or at any occasion when you may gift flowers.
Light weight and easy to post too!
When you have accomplished these smaller mandalas,
you may like the challenge of a giant mega mandala!
These are super as a table centre.
They are fascinating to make, using a variety of stitches and colours.
This is another free pattern from the blog of
called Mandy's Mega Mandala.
It measures a giant 16 inches / 40cm in diameter
and will make a wonderful crochet statement in your home.
If I haven't yet tempted you to dig out your hook and get making,
then take a look here at my
for a collection of mandala patterns!
Wishing you all a happy hooky day
Heather
x x x
