2026 VVCAL
Published on May 8, 2026

2026 VVCAL: Bubblegum Coral 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.

Bubblegum Coral 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.

Bubblegum coral | Animals | Monterey Bay Aquarium

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Photograph of bubblegum coral

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Bubblegum Coral (Paragorgia Arborea) - NOAA Ocean Exploration

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Fun Facts

Bubblegum coral (Paragorgia arborea) is a deep-sea, cold-water organism that thrives in the dark, ranging from 130 to 6,200 feet deep. Unlike tropical corals, they do not need sunlight. They grow slowly, forming massive, tree-like colonies that live for hundreds of years and act as critical habitats for other ocean life.

Sometimes growing as tall as a horse, the bubblegum coral (Paragorgia arborea) fans knobby branches into the currents. Paragorgia’s feathery polyps feast on plankton and other organic matter carried by currents washing over seamount slopes.

Life moves at a slower pace in the frigid waters of the deep sea. Paragorgia grows just a centimeter each year. The largest bubblegum corals are hundreds, if not thousands, of years old. These are the old-growth forests of the ocean, and they provide a home to a dazzling diversity of fishes and invertebrates. But this unique ecosystem faces a fragile future. Harmful fishing gear can damage and destroy delicate corals, and changing ocean chemistry will make it harder for them to grow.

Bubblegum Coral 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
  • beg beginning
  • beg 2dccl (beg dc, dc) in st/sp indicated – when joining rnd, ss into full dc
  • 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
  • pc popcorn 4dc in st/sp, release lp from hook, insert hook front to back through first dc, grab lp, pull through to front of work to close popcorn
  • sc single crochet
  • sp space (ch-sp = chain space)
  • ss slip stitch
  • st stitch
  • 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 (1sc, ch3, pc, ch3, 1sc) in every ch-sp around, ss in first sc. [6 pc, 12 sc, 12 sp]

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Rnd 3 Ss in the first 2 chs, 1sc in same ch-sp, [ch3, 1sc in next ch-sp] 11 times, ch3, ss in first sc. [12 sc, 12 sp]

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Rnd 4 (1sc, ch1, 4dc, ch1, 1sc) in every ch-sp around, ss in first sc. [24 dc, 12 sc, 12 sp]

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Rnd 5 Pull the working lp to the back of the work, [1sc in the sc from Rnd 3, ch4] 12 times, ss in first sc. [12 sc, 12 sp]

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Rnd 6 Beg dc in first ch-sp, [2dc in same sp, (3dc, ch1, 3dc) in next sp, 1dc in next sp] 6 times omitting final dc on sixth rep, ss in beg dc. [54 dc, 6 sp]

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Rnd 7 Beg dc in same st as ss, * [ch1, sk1, 1dc] 3 times, ch1, 1dc in same cnr sp, [ch1, sk1, 1dc] 2 times, rep from * 5 times omitting final dc on fifth rep, ss in beg dc. [36 dc, 36 sp]

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Rnd 8 [6 sc, 3sc in cnr sp, 5sc] 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
  • beg beginning
  • beg 2trcl (beg tr, tr) in st/sp indicated – when joining rnd, ss into full tr
  • beg tr(1dc, ch1) – counts as 1 tr
  • chN chain N number of times
  • dc double crochet
  • MR make ring: slip knot, ch3, ss in third ch from hook
  • pc popcorn 4tr in st/sp, release lp from hook, insert hook front to back through first tr, grab lp, pull through to front of work to close popcorn
  • 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 (1dc, ch3, pc, ch3, 1dc) in every ch-sp around, ss in first dc. [6 pc, 12 dc, 12 sp]

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Rnd 3 Ss in the first 2 chs, 1dc in same ch-sp, [ch3, 1dc in next ch-sp] 11 times, ch3, ss in first dc. [12 dc, 12 sp]

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Rnd 4 (1dc, ch1, 4tr, ch1, 1dc) in every ch-sp around, ss in first dc. [24 tr, 12 dc, 12 sp]

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Rnd 5 Pull the working lp to the back of the work, [1dc in the dc from Rnd 3, ch4] 12 times, ss in first dc. [12 dc, 12 sp]

back of work

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Rnd 6 Beg tr in first ch-sp, [2tr in same sp, (3tr, ch1, 3tr) in next sp, 1tr in next sp] 6 times omitting final tr on sixth rep, ss in beg tr. [54 tr, 6 sp]

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Rnd 7 Beg tr in same st as ss, * [ch1, sk1, 1tr] 3 times, ch1, 1tr in same cnr sp, [ch1, sk1, 1tr] 2 times, rep from * 5 times omitting final tr on fifth rep, ss in beg tr. [36 tr, 36 sp]

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Rnd 8 [6 dc, 3dc in cnr sp, 5dc] 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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