2026 VVCAL
Published on July 3, 2026

2026 VVCAL: Blackdragon Motif

written by

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 14 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.

Blackdragon Motif

Find the Ravelry Page for this motif here and add your project!

–

Enjoy a small reflection on one of this week’s featured sea creatures.

Idiacanthus antrostomus - Wikipedia

–

Pacific Blackdragon — Curious Species

–

Pacific Blackdragon — Curious Species

–

Fun Facts

Female blackdragons are about two feet (61 cm) long and have fanglike teeth and a long bioluminescent chin whisker. The males are small, about three inches (8 cm) in length, and brownish in color. They have no teeth, no chin barbel and no stomach. Unable to eat, the male lives only long enough to mate.

Female blackdragons use their lure to attract prey, grabbing it with their sharp teeth.

The Pacific blackdragon is a deep-sea fish. It is famous for its “ultra-black” skin, which absorbs 99.95% of light to make the fish totally invisible. Females grow up to 2 feet long with large fangs. Males are tiny, toothless, and live only to mate.

Pacific blackdragon babies (larvae) look completely different from adults. When they hatch, they are tiny, clear, “spaghetti-like” noodles with yellow eyes attached to stalks. As they grow into adults, their skin darkens and the eye stalks retract.

Blackdragon Motif Pattern

Reference

Scroll for chart and video instruction.

Stitch Guide (US Terms)

Note: Scroll down for UK Terms.

  • beg beginning
  • beg dc5tog beg dc, (yoh insert hook into next st/sp, yoh, pull up lp, yoh, draw yarn through 2 lps) 4 times, yoh, draw yarn through 5 lps on hook – join in full decrease to finish round
  • beg dc (1sc, ch1) – counts as 1 dc
  • beg tr (1sc, ch2) – counts as 1 tr
  • chN chain N number of times
  • dc double crochet
  • dc5tog (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
  • hdc half 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, 17dc, ss in beg dc. [18 dc]

–

Rnd 2 [1sc, 1tr] 9 times, ss in first sc. Note: tr sts make tiny bobbles at RS of work. [9 tr, 9 sc]

–

Rnd 3 [1sc in next sc st, ch3] 9 times, ss in first sc. [9 sc, 9 sp]

–

Rnd 4 Beg dc in ch-sp, [4dc in same sp, ch1, 1dc in next sp] 9 times omitting final dc on ninth rep, ss in beg dc. [45 dc, 9 sp]

–

Rnd 5 Beg dc5tog over first 5 sts, [ch3, 1dc in ch-1 sp, ch3, dc5tog] 9 times omitting final dc5tog on ninth rep, ss in beg dc5tog. [9 dc5tog, 9 dc, 18 sp]

–

Rnd 6 Beg dc in dc5tog, [ch1, 1dc in same st, 3hdc in next 3 ch-sps, 1dc in next st] 6 times omitting final dc on sixth rep, ss in beg dc. [12 dc, 54 hdc, 6 sp]

–

Rnd 7 [3sc in ch-1 sp, 11sc] 6 times, ss in first sc, cut yarn. [84 sc]

–

–

Stitch Guide (UK Terms)

  • beg beginning
  • beg tr5tog beg tr, (yoh insert hook into next st/sp, yoh, pull up lp, yoh, draw yarn through 2 lps) 4 times, yoh, draw yarn through 5 lps on hook – join in full decrease to finish round
  • beg tr (1dc, ch1) – counts as 1 tr
  • beg dtr (1dc, ch2) – counts as 1 dtr
  • chN chain N number of times
  • dc double crochet
  • tr5tog (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
  • dtr double treble crochet
  • htr half 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, 17tr, ss in beg tr. [18 tr]

–

Rnd 2 [1dc, 1dtr] 9 times, ss in first dc. Note: dtr sts make tiny bobbles at RS of work. [9 dtr, 9 dc]

–

Rnd 3 [1dc in next dc st, ch3] 9 times, ss in first dc. [9 dc, 9 sp]

–

Rnd 4 Beg tr in ch-sp, [4tr in same sp, ch1, 1tr in next sp] 9 times omitting final tr on ninth rep, ss in beg tr. [45 tr, 9 sp]

–

Rnd 5 Beg tr5tog over first 5 sts, [ch3, 1tr in ch-1 sp, ch3, tr5tog] 9 times omitting final tr5tog on ninth rep, ss in beg tr5tog. [9 tr5tog, 9 tr, 18 sp]

–

Rnd 6 Beg tr in tr5tog, [ch1, 1tr in same st, 3htr in next 3 ch-sps, 1tr in next st] 6 times omitting final tr on sixth rep, ss in beg tr. [12 tr, 54 htr, 6 sp]

–

Rnd 7 [3dc in ch-1 sp, 11dc] 6 times, ss in first dc, cut yarn. [84 dc]

–

–

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.

–

Video

Coming shortly!

–

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!

–

–

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

Support My Work

You’re supporting by just being here! You can read my blog (Start Here!), like and comment on socials, and message me for a chat. All of this supports my work free of charge!

  • Affiliate links – Shopping through my links supports me at no additional cost to you as I get a small commission through my affiliates. Jimmy Beans Wool // WoolWarehouse // Amazon.com
  • Buy my pattern book – I wrote a super neat crochet blanket pattern book, published under Penguin Random House. You can buy it here!
  • Browse my self-published patterns – I have over a hundred patterns on Etsy and Ravelry
  • Creative Art Blanket Course – Check it out on Podia

Where to Find Me

Most Popular Free Crochet Patterns