2026 VVCAL
Published on May 8, 2026

2026 VVCAL: Barracuda Motif

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Hello, and a huge welcome to this week of the 2026 Vibrant Vintage Crochet-A-Long (VVCAL)! I’m so glad you’re here! I love spending this time with the VVCAL community. We are going to have so much fun relaxingly working through these motifs each week.

Attention!

If you have not yet seen the Week 6 Instruction post, please head there first and see the instructions for the version that you are working. Below, you will find the Motif pattern, in US, and UK Terms, Chart, Video, and Step by step photos.

Social Media Hashtags: #VVCAL and #CypressTextiles

PDF Version

2026 VVCAL PDF COMING SOON! – My Online Shop // Etsy // Ravelry

  • 36 hexies to mix and match
  • 3 Joining methods
  • Wide Lace Border
  • US and UK Terms included

Of course I have also created a value bundle for you COMING SOON! – 2022, 2024, and 2026 VVCALs US and UK Terms (5 PDFs) – Available on Etsy and Ravelry.

Barracuda Motif

Find the Ravelry Page for this motif here and add your project!

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Enjoy a small reflection on one of this week’s featured sea creatures.

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Five Fun Facts

Great barracudas have a large mouth containing two sets of teeth. The outer row of small, razor-sharp teeth are for tearing, and the inner set of larger teeth for piercing. These closely set teeth work in tandem to rip into the flesh of their prey. The long needle-like teeth fit into holes in the opposing jaw, which allows the barracuda to fully close its mouth. 

When hunting, they alternate between swallowing smaller prey whole and cutting larger prey in half to be devoured in pieces. Great barracudas are naturally inquisitive. Because they hunt mainly by sight, barracudas sometimes attempt to steal fish from spear fishers or approach divers, mistaking the glint of a diving knife as a shiny fish. Despite this behavior, barracudas rarely attack humans unprovoked.

Adult great barracudas are large fish – some exceeding five feet long and weighing more than 100 pounds – with a lifespan of around 14 years in the wild. Given their size and speed, barracudas do not have many predators capable of catching and eating them.

Some anglers value barracudas as a gamefish because of their strength and speed. The great barracuda is not prized as a commercial fish in North American waters, but they can be caught as bycatch in gillnets and other fishing gear.

Interestingly, ingesting barracuda is considerably more harmful to humans than eating any other fish species. People often become ill from ciguatera fish poisoning after ingesting barracudas, perhaps because the reef fish that barracudas eat themselves consume algae that may contain high levels of the toxin. 

Barracuda Motif Pattern

Reference

Scroll for chart and video instruction.

Stitch Guide (US Terms)

Note: Scroll down for UK Terms.

  • 2dccl 2dc cluster: (yoh, insert hook in st/sp, yoh, pull up lp, yoh, draw yarn through 2 lps) 2 times, yoh, draw yarn through 3 lps
  • 2trcl 2tr cluster: * yoh twice, insert hook in st/sp, yoh, pull up lp, (yoh, draw yarn through 2 lps) twice, rep from * once, yoh, draw yarn through 3 lps
  • beg beginning
  • beg 2dccl (beg dc, dc) in st/sp indicated – when joining rnd, ss into full dc st
  • beg dc (1sc, ch1) – counts as 1 dc
  • chN chain N number of times
  • dc double crochet
  • MR make ring: slip knot, ch3, ss in third ch from hook
  • puff st (yoh, insert hook in st/sp, yoh, pull up lp) 3 times, yoh, draw yarn through all lps
  • sc single crochet
  • sp space (ch-sp = chain space)
  • ss slip stitch
  • st stitch
  • tr treble crochet
  • yoh yarn over hook

Written Instructions & Step-by-step Photos (US Terms)

Rnd 1 MR, beg 2dccl, [ch2, 2dccl] 5 times, ch2, ss in beg 2dccl. [6 2dccl, 6 sp]

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Rnd 2 Beg dc in ch-sp, [(1dc, ch1, 2dc, ch1) in same sp, 1dc in next sp] 6 times omitting final dc on sixth rep, ss in beg dc. [24 dc, 12 sp]

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Rnd 3 Ss in next st, [(1sc, ch3, 1sc) in next ch-sp, ch3, 1sc in next sp, ch3] 6 times, ss in first sc. [18 sc, 18 sp]

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Rnd 4 [(puff st, ch2, puff st) in next ch-sp, ch2, sk 1 sc, (2trcl, ch3, 2trcl) in next sc, ch2] 6 times, join in first puff st. [12 puff st, 12 2trcl, 24 sp]

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Rnd 5 [(puff st, ch2) 4 times in next ch-sp, 3sc in ch-3 sp, ch2] 6 times, ss in first puff st. [24 puff st, 18 sc, 30 sp]

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Rnd 6 [2sc in next ch-sp, 3sc in next sp, 2sc in next 2 sp, 3sc, 2sc in next sp] 6 times, ss in first sc, cut yarn. [84 sc]

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Stitch Guide (UK Terms)

  • 2trcl 2tr cluster: (yoh, insert hook in st/sp, yoh, pull up lp, yoh, draw yarn
  • through 2 lps) 2 times, yoh, draw yarn through 3 lps
  • 2dtrcl 2dtr cluster: * yoh twice, insert hook in st/sp, yoh, pull up lp, (yoh, draw
  • yarn through 2 lps) twice, rep from * once, yoh, draw yarn through 3 lps
  • beg beginning
  • beg 2trcl (beg tr, tr) in st/sp indicated – when joining rnd, ss into full tr st
  • beg tr(1dc, ch1) – counts as 1 tr
  • chN chain N number of times
  • dc double crochet
  • dtr double treble crochet
  • MR make ring: slip knot, ch3, ss in third ch from hook
  • puff st (yoh, insert hook in st/sp, yoh, pull up lp) 3 times, yoh, draw yarn through all lps
  • sp space (ch-sp = chain space)
  • ss slip stitch
  • st stitch
  • tr treble crochet
  • yoh yarn over hook

Written Instructions & Step-by-step Photos (UK Terms)

Rnd 1 MR, beg 2trcl, [ch2, 2trcl] 5 times, ch2, ss in beg 2trcl. [6 2trcl, 6 sp]

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Rnd 2 Beg tr in ch-sp, [(1tr, ch1, 2tr, ch1) in same sp, 1tr in next sp] 6 times omitting final tr on sixth rep, ss in beg tr. [24 tr, 12 sp]

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Rnd 3 Ss in next st, [(1dc, ch3, 1dc) in next ch-sp, ch3, 1dc in next sp, ch3] 6 times, ss in first dc. [18 dc, 18 sp]

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Rnd 4 [(puff st, ch2, puff st) in next ch-sp, ch2, sk 1 sc, (2dtrcl, ch3, 2dtrcl) in next dc, ch2] 6 times, join in first puff st. [12 puff st, 12 2dtrcl, 24 sp]

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Rnd 5 [(puff st, ch2) 4 times in next ch-sp, 3dc in ch-3 sp, ch2] 6 times, ss in first puff st. [24 puff st, 18 dc, 30 sp]

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Rnd 6 [2dc in next ch-sp, 3dc in next sp, 2dc in next 2 sp, 3dc, 2dc in next sp] 6 times, ss in first dc, cut yarn. [84 dc]

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Chart

Note: Chart is meant as a visual guide to the written instruction and might not be able to stand alone due to special stitches.

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Video

Coming Monday!

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Note: Video is spoken in US Terms.

Subscribe on YouTube for more videos like this one!

Links to Weekly Instruction Posts

Quick Links to Each Week: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13/14/15/16/17/18/19/20

Pin the Motif!

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Thank you so much for stopping in for this week of the 2026 VVCAL!

You may also enjoy these completed CALs

Happy crafting,

Rachele C.

The Art of Crochet Blankets

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