2026 VVCAL
Published on May 15, 2026

2026 VVCAL: Nautilus 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 7 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.

Nautilus 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.

Nautilus Facts: Habitat, Behavior, Diet

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Breaking News - There are now THREE new species of Nautilus! - OctoNation - The Largest Octopus Fan Club!

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Chambered Nautilus - California Academy of Sciences

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Five Fun Facts

The nautilus is an ancient cephalopod and distant cousin of the octopus, squid, and cuttlefish. It is most famous for its external pearly shell and for being a “living fossil,” having roamed the oceans for over 500 million years—well before the dinosaurs walked the Earth.

The Nautilus’ shell is made of isolated chambers, Nautilus are born with 4 chambers and build new chambers through time. Grown-up nautilus have more than 30 chambers.  The creature (looking like a little octopus) lives in the newest chamber, which is also the biggest. The other chambers are filled with air and water to control buoyancy.

The nautilus has a beak which cuts their food (crabs, shrimps and fish), just like other members of the octopus family. But unlike other members of the family, nautilus has poor visual perception. Eyes can only recognize light from dull, their smell is over developed and used for hunting their prey.

Chambered nautiluses use more than 90 tentacles—the most of any cephalopod—to taste and touch the world. Unlike the suckered appendages of other cephalopods, nautilus tentacles have grooves and ridges they use to feel along reefs in search of food. 

To avoid predators by day, nautiluses linger along deep reef slopes as deep as 2,200 feet (700 m). They use a hood like a trap door to seal itself inside their shell for safety. At night, nautiluses migrate up to shallower depths of about 230 feet (70 m) to feed and lay their eggs. 

Nautilus Motif Pattern

Reference

Scroll for chart and video instruction.

Stitch Guide (US Terms)

Note: Scroll down for UK Terms.

  • beg beginning
  • beg dc (1sc, ch1) – counts as 1 dc
  • beg pc beginning popcorn: (beg dc, 3dc) in st/sp, release lp from hook, insert hook front to back through beg dc, grab lp, pull through to front of work to close popcorn
  • 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
  • tr treble crochet
  • yoh yarn over hook

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

Rnd 1 MR, beg pc, [ch4, pcl] 2 times, ch4, ss in beg pc. [3 pc, 3 sp]

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Rnd 2 Beg pc in ch-sp, [ch3, pc in same sp, ch3, pc in next sp] 3 times omitting final pc on third rep, ss in beg pc. [6 pc, 6 sp]

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Rnd 3 Beg dc in first ch-sp, [5dc in same sp, ch1, 1dc in next sp] 6 times omitting final dc on sixth rep, ss in beg dc. [36 dc, 6 sp]

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Rnd 4 Ss in next st, [1sc, 1tr] 21 times, ss in first sc. [21 tr, 12 sc] Note: tr sts make tiny bobbles at the front of the work.

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Rnd 5 1sc in same sc as join, [ch3, 1sc in next sc] 20 times, ch3, ss in first sc. [21 sc, 21 sp]

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Rnd 6 Beg dc in first ch-sp, [ch1, 2dc in same sp, 3dc in next sp, 1dc in next st, 3dc in next sp, (2dc, ch1, 2dc) in next sp, 2dc in next sp, 3dc in next sp, 2dc in next 2 sps] 3 times omitting final dc on third rep, ss in beg dc. [66 dc, 6 sp]

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Rnd 7 [3sc in ch-sp, 11sc] 6 times, ss in first sc, cut yarn. [84 sc]

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Stitch Guide (UK Terms)

  • beg beginning
  • beg tr(1dc, ch1) – counts as 1 tr
  • beg pc beginning popcorn: (beg tr, 3tr) in st/sp, release lp from hook, insert hook front to back through beg tr, grab lp, pull through to front of work to close popcorn
  • 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
  • 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 pc, [ch4, pcl] 2 times, ch4, ss in beg pc. [3 pc, 3 sp]

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Rnd 2 Beg pc in ch-sp, [ch3, pc in same sp, ch3, pc in next sp] 3 times omitting final pc on third rep, ss in beg pc. [6 pc, 6 sp]

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Rnd 3 Beg tr in first ch-sp, [5tr in same sp, ch1, 1tr in next sp] 6 times omitting final tr on sixth rep, ss in beg tr. [36 tr, 6 sp]

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Rnd 4 Ss in next st, [1dc, 1dtr] 21 times, ss in first dc. [21 dtr, 12 dc] Note: dtr sts make tiny bobbles at the front of the work.

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Rnd 5 1dc in same dc as join, [ch3, 1dc in next dc] 20 times, ch3, ss in first dc. [21 dc, 21 sp]

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Rnd 6 Beg tr in first ch-sp, [ch1, 2tr in same sp, 3tr in next sp, 1tr in next st, 3tr in next sp, (2tr, ch1, 2tr) in next sp, 2tr in next sp, 3tr in next sp, 2tr in next 2 sps] 3 times omitting final tr on third rep, ss in beg tr. [66 tr, 6 sp]

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Rnd 7 [3dc in ch-sp, 11dc] 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 shortly!

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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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