Crochet Mini Mandala Free Pattern

Happy New Year! I love the week between Christmas and New Year’s. It has always been a kind of limbo week for us. Seemingly not part of the year just past, but not the new year either. I’ve traditionally spent the week finishing up all my planning for the new year, but this time I completed all that earlier, so I had a busy week getting ready for all the new projects I have planned for Pink Mambo! One of those projects was preparing the photos to get this Mini Mandala posted for you.

I recently contacted Kathryn Vercillo of Crochet Concupiscence to ask if she had enough mini mandalas to hand out at the opening of the Mandalas for Marinke exhibit in San Francisco in 2016. The reason I asked was because I have this little mandala pattern that I thought she might like to share and ask people to make some to send her to hand out. The mandalas are just a little token of love and peace, and a reminder that the recipient is loved and that someone has taken the time to make a little gift for them. Kathryn said she would love to have more, so I’m posting the pattern for you today.

The mandala has a little button loop that is optional so it can be buttoned onto an article of clothing or hung as an ornament, or without the loop it becomes a decoration for a hat, purse, jacket and more. It’s just a little handmade takeaway from the exhibit that will remind people of the reason for the exhibit and give them a connection to the person that made the mandala. When I make mine, I think of the person who might receive it, wonder what their life is like, and send them some measure of comforting and loving energy through my stitches.

Kathryn has put info on her blog about how you can mail your mandalas to her and the deadline by which she needs them. http://www.crochetconcupiscence.com/

Crochet Mini Mandala

By Carolyn Christmas

Materials

Four colors dk or worsted/aran-weight yarn of choice and appropriate hook size. I used a E/5/3.50mm hook with the dk-weight cotton I used. I recommend a G/7/4mm hook with worsted/aran-weight yarn

Notes

Finished size: about 3” across when made with Drops Muskat or other dk-weight cotton; mandala will be slightly larger when made with worsted/aran-weight yarn.

Yarn: I used Drops Muskat in four colors for each mandala.

Gauge: Gauge is not important with this project.

Crochet terminology: This pattern is written in American terminology.

Skill level: Adventurous beginner

Special Stitches

Magic ring or magic circle (optional)

Needle join (optional)

Instructions

Rnd 1: Ch 5, join with sl st in first ch to form ring (or make a magic ring), ch 3 (counts as dc), 13 dc in ring, join with sl st in top of ch 3 (or make a needle join). Fasten off. (14 dc)

Rnd 2: Join second color with sc in any st, ch 2, skip next st, (sc in next st, ch 2, skip next st) around, join with sl st in first sc. Fasten off. (7 sc, 7 ch-2 sps)

Rnd 3: Join third color with sl st in any ch-sp, ch 2 (counts as hdc), 2 hdc in same sp, ch 1, (3 hdc in next ch-sp, ch 1) around, join with sl st in top of ch 2. Fasten off. (7 3-hdc groups)

Rnd 4: Join fourth color with sl st in center hdc of any 3-hdc group, ch 3, (dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in same st, working in front of ch-1 sp on rnd 3, dc in next sc on rnd 2, *2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in center hdc of next 3-hdc group, working in front of ch-1 sp on rnd 3, dc in next sc on rnd 2; repeat from * around. Before joining, work hanging loop if desired. For loop, ch 10, sl st by inserting hook from top to bottom through two top front strands of last dc made, yo and pull through these lps and lp on hook. Join with sl st in top of first ch 3 or make needle join. Fasten off.