Happy Days Mandala

Coffee Cotton is a Cotton, Pan Fibre, Coffee Extract Blend which does not split and makes for a very neat stitch. 

Sadly the colours are not very vibrant and there are only 9 colours to choose from.

Last week I worked through my Coffee Cotton stash by crocheting a few quick and easy mandalas. 

I made this one for my daughter's craft room in her lovely new home:

I had the idea to use these to make up small gifts, by wrapping cellophane around a small potted herb, threading ribbon through the "meshy" part of the mandala and then tying that around the pot. 


 

I have not as yet been able to find small potted plants (ideally herbs) and have therefore not been able to test my idea as yet!!

 

YARN:  DK (8ply / light worsted weight) 100% cotton (or any cotton blend) (I used "Coffee Cotton" - a blend of cotton, pan fibre and coffee extract)
 
HOOK: 4.00mm

SIZE:  23cm in diameter

PATTERN TERMS:   US

This is the pattern I used as the focal point for the Happy Days Mandala Square.   (Note:  Row by Row photos of the first 11 rows can be found HERE)

Foundation:  3ch, sl st to form a circle OR make a magic circle

Row 1:  3ch (counts as 1dc);  11 dc into circle;  sl st into 3rd ch at start to close (12dc)

Row 2:  Join yarn into any sp between dc,  3ch (counts as 1dc) 1dc in same space as join (2dc grouping);  [2dc into each sp between dc  (2dc grouping)] x11;   sl st into top of 3ch at start to close (24dc)

Row 3:  Join yarn in centre of any 2dc grouping;  4ch (counts as 1trc), 2trc into same space as join;  [3trc into centre of next 2dc grouping (3trc grouping)] x 11, sl st into top of 4ch at start to close (36trc).   Break off yarn.

Row 4:    Join yarn in space between 1st and 2nd trc posts on any 3trc grouping;  3ch (counts as 1dc), 1dc into same space as join;  2dc into space between 2nd and 3rd trc post;   1dc into space between 3trc groupings;   [2dc into space between 1st and 2nd trc posts on next 3trc grouping;  2dc into space between 2nd and 3rd trc posts;   1dc into space between 3trc groupings] x11; sl st into top of 3ch at start to close (60dc).   Break off yarn.

Row 5:  Join yarn in any dc;  2ch (counts as 1hdc);  (1hdc into each dc) x59;    sl st into top of 2ch at start to close (60hdc).   Break off yarn

Row 6:  Join yarn in any sp between 2 hdc;  4ch in same sp as join (counts as 1sc, 3ch);  (skip 2sp between hdc;   1sc, 3ch into next sp between hdc) x19;  sl st into 1st of 4ch at start to close.   Break off yarn

Row 7:  Join yarn in any 3ch sp;  3ch (counts as 1dc), 3dc in same sp as join (4dc grouping);  [4dc in next 3ch space (4dc grouping)] x19 (20 x 4dc groupings);  sl st into top of 3ch at start to close.  Break off yarn.

Row 8:  Join yarn in any sp between 4dc groupings;  5ch in same sp as join (counts as 1sc, 4ch);  [1sc, 4ch in next space between 4dc groupings] x 19;  sl st into 1st of 5ch at start to close.    Break off yarn.  (see photo for Row 6) 

Row 9:  Join yarn in any 4ch sp, 2ch (counts as 1hdc); 4hdc into same sp as join;   [5hdc into next 4ch sp (5hdc grouping)] x19;   sl st into top of 2ch at start to close.  Break off yarn.

Row 10:  Join yarn in 1st hdc of any 5hdc grouping,  3ch (counts as 1dc), 1dc into next dc;  2dc into next dc;   (1dc into next dc) x2;  [(1dc into next dc) x2;  2dc into next dc;  (1dc into next dc) x2] x19

Row 11:  Join yarn between any two dc on last row of Mandala, 4ch in same space as join (counts as 1sc, 3ch);  [skip 2 spaces between dc (this means you will skip 3dc posts) 1sc into the 3rd space, 3ch] repeat all around the circle;  3ch sl st into first chain at start of row (40 x 3ch loops).   Break off yarn

Row 12:  (edging)   Join yarn with a sl st in any 3ch space;   [(1hdc, 2dc, 2trc, 2dc, 1hdc) into next 3ch space;   sl st into next 3ch space) x 19;  (1hdc, 2dc, 2trc, 2dc, 1hdc) into next 3ch space.     Break off yarn and join to first sl st in the row with a yarn needle.