2026 VVCAL
Published on May 30, 2026

2026 VVCAL: Sunstar 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 9 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.

Sunstar 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.

Deep-sea sunstar | Monterey Bay Aquarium

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Eleven-armed sea star in sunset colors: red in center, pale orange around the center, red-orange arms with whitish tips

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Purple Smooth Sunstar (Solaster) | Maine Sea Star Specimen | Gulf Of Maine, Inc.

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Fun Facts

Sun stars (or sunstars) are striking, multi-armed sea stars named for their vibrant, sun-like appearance. They are voracious ocean predators, famous for their numerous arms, lightning-fast tube feet, and the ability to swallow massive prey or even regrow their entire bodies.

A California sun star has a voracious appetite and it’s not picky about its next meal. It scuttles along the mud on an army of tiny tube feet, following the scent of a rotting feast. But this sea star doesn’t just dine on scavenged scraps—it can be a cunning predator. It feasts on crabs, amphipods, worms, and other small invertebrates by trapping them in its arms and swallowing a meal whole.

The surface of the star is also covered in tiny spines lined with pincers that puff up like pom-poms. When something swims too close or crawls on top, those pincers grab tight to help capture potential prey. Remarkably, MBARI’s remotely operated vehicles (or ROVs) have even seen this species snag fast-moving prey passing in the currents. A hungry sun star raises an arm to grab krill, shrimp, and fishes from the waters overhead.

Like other sea stars, this sun star can shed its arms when threatened. While the wiggling arm distracts its predator, the star scurries to safety and will regenerate its lost limbs.

Sunstar 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
  • 3trpc 3 treble popcorn: 3tr in st/sp indicated, remove lp from hook, insert hook front to back through first tr, grab lp, pull to front of work to close 3trpc
  • 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
  • FPdc Front Post 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, [1sc, ch3] 6 times, ss in first sc. [6 sc, 6 sp]

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Rnd 2 FPdc around same sc as join, [ch3, pc in ch-sp, ch3, FPdc around next sc] 6 times omitting final FPdc on sixth rep, ss in FPdc. [6 pc, 6 FPdc, 12 sp]

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Rnd 3 Ss in 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 Beg 2dccl in next ch-sp, [(ch2, 3trpc) 3 times in next ch-sp, ch2, 2dccl in next ch-sp] 6 times omitting final 2dccl on sixth rep, ss in beg 2dccl. [18 3trpc, 6 2dccl, 24 sp]

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Rnd 5 [1sc in next ch-sp, ch3] 24 times, ss in first sc. [24 sc, 24 sp]

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Rnd 6 [3sc in next ch-sp, 5sc in next sp, 3sc in next 2 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
  • 3dtrpc 3 double treble popcorn: * yoh 2 times, insert hook in st, yoh pull through, (yoh, pull through 2 lps on hook) 2 times, rep from * 2 times, yoh and pull through all 4 lps
  • beg beginning
  • beg 2trcl (beg tr, rt) 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
  • FPtr Front Post 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, [1dc, ch3] 6 times, ss in first dc. [6 dc, 6 sp]

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Rnd 2 FPtr around same sc as join, [ch3, pc in ch-sp, ch3, FPtr around next dc] 6 times omitting final FPtr on sixth rep, ss in FPtr. [6 pc, 6 FPtr, 12 sp]

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Rnd 3 Ss in 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 Beg 2trcl in next ch-sp, [(ch2, 3dtrpc) 3 times in next ch-sp, ch2, 2trcl in next ch-sp] 6 times omitting final 2trcl on sixth rep, ss in beg 2trcl. [18 3dtrpc, 6 2trcl, 24 sp]

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Rnd 5 [1dc in next ch-sp, ch3] 24 times, ss in first dc. [24 dc, 24 sp]

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Rnd 6 [3dc in next ch-sp, 5dc in next sp, 3dc in next 2 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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