2026 VVCAL
Published on May 15, 2026

2026 VVCAL: Sea Lion 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.

Sea Lion 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.

Adopt a Galapagos Sea Lion

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Steller Sea Lion | Oceana

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Five Fun Facts

Sea lions are highly social, intelligent marine mammals famous for their playful behavior and loud, barking calls. They are “walking seals” capable of rotating their hind flippers to walk on land, unlike true seals. They can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes and dive over 900 feet deep.

Sea lions can swim in burst speeds up to 25 mph, but generally cruise at approximately 11 mph. They gain speed by porpoising, gliding on the water’s surface to minimize resistance, and have often been called the “Angels of the Sea” due to the unique way that they swim. Sea lions will use their hind flippers to steer and swim using their front flippers. True seals usually only swim at about 6 mph.

There are actually seven different species, even though they often seem to be bundled into the same category. Six species can be seen today, but one is sadly now extinct. They all belong to a group of animals called pinnipeds along with seals and walruses.

These carnivores enjoy a varied seafood diet of small prey, such as herring, anchovies, crabs, and squid. Sea lions spearfish using 34 to 38 sharp teeth, and sift through reefs using their whiskers. They swallow their meals whole, and can eat up to 40 pounds a day! In some cases, sea lions have been known to consume up to 8% of their own body weight in food per day.

These playful creatures communicate in a variety of ways, although scientists are still somewhat baffled as to what their sounds mean. They travel in large colonies, which have subgroups. Some individuals will even move from subgroup to subgroup during their lifetimes – so in a way, they’re kind of like cliques.

Sea Lion 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 2trcl (beg tr, 1tr) in st/sp – Counts as 1 2trcl
  • 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
  • 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 dc, [ch1, 1dc] 8 times, ch1, ss in beg dc. [9 dc, 9 sp]

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Rnd 2 Beg 2trcl in ch-sp, [ch2, 2trcl in same sp, ch2, 2trcl in next sp] 9 times omitting final 2trcl on ninth rep, ss in beg 2trcl. [18 2trcl, 18 sp]

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Rnd 3 Beg 2dccl in first ch-sp, [ch2, 2dccl in same sp, ch2, 1sc in next ch-sp, ch2, 2dccl in next ch-sp] 9 times omitting final 2dccl on ninth rep, ss in beg 2dccl. [18 2dccl, 9 sc, 27 sp]

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Rnd 4 [1sc in next ch-sp, ch3, 1dc in next sc, ch3] 9 times, ss in first sc. [9 dc, 9 sc, 18 sp]

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Rnd 5 Note: all ch-sps are skipped, and sts are worked in to the sc or dc sts only. 1sc in same sc as join, * ch3, 1sc in same st, [ch3, 1sc in next st] 2 times, ch3, 1sc in next st, rep from * 5 times omitting final sc on fifth rep, ss in first sc. [24 sc, 24 sp]

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Rnd 6 [5sc in next ch-sp, 3sc in next 3 ch-sps] 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, 1tr) in st/sp indicated – when joining rnd, ss into full tr st
  • beg 2dtrcl (beg dtr, 1dtr) in st/sp – Counts as 1 2dtrcl
  • beg tr(1dc, ch1) – counts as 1 tr
  • chN chain N number of times
  • dc double crochet
  • dtr couble treble crochet
  • MR make ring: slip knot, ch3, ss in third ch from hook
  • 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 tr, [ch1, 1tr] 8 times, ch1, ss in beg tr. [9 tr, 9 sp]

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Rnd 2 Beg 2dtrcl in ch-sp, [ch2, 2dtrcl in same sp, ch2, 2dtrcl in next sp] 9 times omitting final 2dtrcl on ninth rep, ss in beg 2dtrcl. [18 2dtrcl, 18 sp]

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Rnd 3 Beg 2trcl in first ch-sp, [ch2, 2trcl in same sp, ch2, 1dc in next ch-sp, ch2, 2trcl in next ch-sp] 9 times omitting final 2trcl on ninth rep, ss in beg 2trcl. [18 2trcl, 9 dc, 27 sp]

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Rnd 4 [1dc in next ch-sp, ch3, 1tr in next dc, ch3] 9 times, ss in first dc. [9 tr, 9 dc, 18 sp]

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Rnd 5 Note: all ch-sps are skipped, and sts are worked in to the dc or tr sts only. 1dc in same dc as join, * ch3, 1dc in same st, [ch3, 1dc in next st] 2 times, ch3, 1dc in next st, rep from * 5 times omitting final dc on fifth rep, ss in first dc. [24 dc, 24 sp]

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Rnd 6 [5dc in next ch-sp, 3dc in next 3 ch-sps] 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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