2026 VVCAL
Published on June 12, 2026

2026 VVCAL: Sea Dragon 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 11 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 Dragon 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.

Leafy seadragon - Wikipedia

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Leafy Sea Dragon Facts: Leafy DRAGON of the SEA | Animal Fact Files

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Fun Facts

At first glance, the delicate appendages that earn leafy seadragons their claim to fame may give you the impression that they’re used to swim through the water. It may be surprising, but none of these gauzy attachments are actually used for movement; rather, their sole purpose is to serve as camouflage, blending them into the lush kelp forests and seaweed surrounding them and rendering them nearly invisible.

Weedy sea dragons have a few small leaves as well. But they do not look identical to seaweed. Instead, they are red with yellow and purple spots. This species stands out more among seaweed and seagrass, but can blend in with coral reefs and sea rocks.

Sea dragons have bony plates under their body’s skin for extra protection. These plates consist of several small spines running along their sides. Weedy sea dragons have yellow or purple stripes that accent these spines. On leafies, the spines look like thin white stripes along their yellowish-green bodies.

Like seahorses, male sea dragons are responsible for child rearing. During mating, the female sea dragon will deposit up to 250 eggs onto a special patch on the underside of the male’s tail. The eggs are fertilized during the transfer. The male is then responsible for the eggs until they hatch. This usually takes between 4-6 weeks, but can take up to 9.

The male sea dragon does not take care of the newborns. Once the eggs hatch, the newborns must take care of themselves. Sea dragons are born with external yolk sacs. They will eat their yolk sacs for the first few days of their lives. After that, they feed on zooplankton. As they rapidly grow, juveniles start hunting mysid shrimp.

Sea Dragon 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 st
  • beg dc (1sc, ch1) – counts as 1 dc
  • beg dc6tog beg dc, (yoh insert hook into next st/sp, yoh, pull up lp, yoh, draw yarn through 2 lps) 5 times, yoh, draw yarn through 6 lps on hook – join in full decrease to finish round
  • chN chain N number of times
  • dc double crochet
  • dc6tog (yoh insert hook into next st/sp, yoh, pull up lp, yoh, draw yarn through 2 lps) 6 times, yoh, draw yarn through 7 lps on hook
  • 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
  • yoh yarn over hook

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

Rnd 11 MR, [puff st, ch2] 9 times, ss in first puff st. [9 puff st, 9 sp]

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

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Rnd 3 Beg dc in ch-sp, [5dc in same sp, 1dc in next sp] 9 times omitting final dc on ninth rep, ss in beg dc. [54 dc]

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Rnd 4 Beg dc6tog over first 6 sts, [ch5, dc6tog] 8 times, ch5, ss in beg dc6tog. [9 dc6tog, 9 sp]

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Rnd 5 [7sc in ch-sp, 1sc in dc6tog] 9 times, ss in first sc. [72 sc]

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Rnd 6 Ss in next 2 sts, [1sc in next st, ch3, sk3] 18 times, ss in first sc. [18 sc, 18 sp]

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Rnd 7 * 5sc in next ch-sp, [1sc in next st, 3sc in next ch-sp] 2 times, 1sc in next st, rep from * 5 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 dc, dc) in st/sp indicated – when joining rnd, ss into full tr st
  • beg tr (1dc, ch1) – counts as 1 tr
  • beg tr6tog beg tr, (yoh insert hook into next st/sp, yoh, pull up lp, yoh, draw yarn through 2 lps) 5 times, yoh, draw yarn through 6 lps on hook – join in full decrease to finish round
  • chN chain N number of times
  • dc double crochet
  • tr6tog (yoh insert hook into next st/sp, yoh, pull up lp, yoh, draw yarn through 2 lps) 6 times, yoh, draw yarn through 7 lps on hook
  • 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 11 MR, [puff st, ch2] 9 times, ss in first puff st. [9 puff st, 9 sp]

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

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Rnd 3 Beg tr in ch-sp, [5tr in same sp, 1tr in next sp] 9 times omitting final tr on ninth rep, ss in beg tr. [54 tr]

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Rnd 4 Beg tr6tog over first 6 sts, [ch5, tr6tog] 8 times, ch5, ss in beg tr6tog. [9 tr6tog, 9 sp]

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Rnd 5 [7dc in ch-sp, 1dc in dc6tog] 9 times, ss in first dc. [72 dc]

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Rnd 6 Ss in next 2 sts, [1dc in next st, ch3, sk3] 18 times, ss in first dc. [18 dc, 18 sp]

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Rnd 7 * 5dc in next ch-sp, [1dc in next st, 3dc in next ch-sp] 2 times, 1dc in next st, rep from * 5 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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