Author: Rachele Carmona

2024 VVCAL: Plain Hexie A

Hello, and a huge welcome to Week 1 of the 2024 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 1 Instruction post, please head there first and see the instructions for the version that you are working. Below, you will find the Plain Hexie A Motif pattern, in US, and UK Terms, Chart, Video, and Step by step photos. Social Media Hashtags: #VVCAL and #CypressTextiles 2024 VVCAL Quick Links

2024 VVCAL: Week 1 Instructions

Hello, and a huge welcome to Week 1 of the 2024 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. 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 What to Expect Today Social Media Hashtags: #VVCAL and #CypressTextiles – 2024 VVCAL Quick Links

Vibrant Vintage Crochet-Along (VVCAL) FAQ Page

Hello, lovely crafter! With the 2024 VVCAL starting on Friday, March 22nd, I thought it would be nice to make a separate page with the frequently asked questions so that anyone new to the VVCAL can take a look at the concerns I have compiled over the past years. We’ll also take a walk down memory lane to give an intro to the VVCAL! I start with an introduction to the CAL so if you’re new to it, you can get a good sense of what it’s all about. I hope you enjoy this long and photo-driven post! I really brought out all of the good pics to show you the possibilities. 2024 VVCAL Quick Links

Mini Hexies Blanket: A Free Demo for My 7-Step Guide to Multicolor Motif Blankets

Hello, gorgeous crafter! I recently shared everything I know about creating multicolor motif blankets, or scrappy blankets, or however you would like to call it when you organize all of your remnants and make a blanket. Knowing how to make something out of nothing like this is a very good skill to have – and I say skill because it definitely is a learned skill! But once you get the feel for it, you can effortlessly whip up remnant motifs after each project, and once you have enough piled up, you can create a thing of beauty. Head to my “All those ends!” post, so you can read all of my tips and tricks for making a multicolor motif blanket.

2024 VVCAL Main Info Page

Quick Links to Each Week of the VVCAL: Note: Past and current CAL weeks are in BOLD. All subsequent links will go to 404 Error pages until they are published. PDF Version The PDF version will be released on Etsy, Ravelry, and my online shop when we are about half-way through the VVCAL. Introduction Hello, gorgeous crafter! Today I am shouting out the announcement for my 2024 VVCAL! You may have heard of my 2016 VVCAL, my 2018 VVCAL, 2020 VVCAL, which are made with squares. They tie up nicely in a neat bow in my VVCAL Mega Pack which you can find on Etsy or Ravelry. For the 2022 VVCAL, I wanted to do something different, so I decided to change the game with hexagon motifs. This 2024 VVCAL will be hexagons as well, and they will mix and match with the 2022 motifs. This is going to be a very exciting make, as I know many of you are very interested in making a hexagon blanket, but are looking for new ways to …

Free Crochet Pattern: Fiesta Mandala Blanket (UK Terms)

Hello, gorgeous crafter! Today I want to share with you my latest crochet pattern. I was playing with mandalas a couple of months ago and decided to make them into a hexagon-style layout blanket. This piece would be great for a stash buster, or with a planned layout, but it is written for 2 Scheepjes Stone Washed and River Washed Colour Packs and some 50g balls as well. It is quite a large piece, but you will enjoy every stitch, especially the mandalas. Happy crafting! PDF Format The PDF version of this pattern is available on Etsy, Ravelry, and in my online shop, and both US and UK Terms PDFs are included. This pattern is in UK Terms – Click here for US Terms If you are saying “All Those Ends!!” I have a blog post for you!

Free Crochet Pattern: Fiesta Mandala Blanket (US Terms)

Hello, gorgeous crafter! Today I want to share with you my latest crochet pattern. I was playing with mandalas a couple of months ago and decided to make them into a hexagon-style layout blanket. This piece would be great for a stash buster, or with a planned layout, but it is written for 2 Scheepjes Stone Washed and River Washed Colour Packs and some 50g balls as well. It is quite a large piece, but you will enjoy every stitch, especially the mandalas. Happy crafting! PDF Format The PDF version of this pattern is available on Etsy, Ravelry, and in my online shop, and both US and UK Terms PDFs are included. This pattern is in US Terms – Click here for UK Terms If you are saying “All Those Ends!!” I have a blog post for you!

Free Crochet Pattern: Desert Bloom Blanket, Large Version (UK Terms)

Hello, lovely crafter! Many of you have enjoyed my Desert Bloom Blanket crochet pattern over the years, and now I am happy to offer it to you as a free pattern! Written instructions are below for this blanket, suitable for the adventurous beginner. There are some charted guides, written instruction, and a lot of photos to use for this one. I challenge you to have a play with the colors to suit your preferences! PDF Format The PDF version of this pattern is available on Etsy and Ravelry, and both Large and Small blanket versions are included in the purchase. (PDF in US and UK Terms included – 4 PDFs total). This pattern is in UK Terms – Click here for US Terms

Free Crochet Pattern: Desert Bloom Blanket, Large Version (US Terms)

Hello, lovely crafter! Many of you have enjoyed my Desert Bloom Blanket crochet pattern over the years, and now I am happy to offer it to you as a free pattern! Written instructions are below for this blanket, suitable for the adventurous beginner. There are some charted guides, written instruction, and a lot of photos to use for this one. I challenge you to have a play with the colors to suit your preferences! PDF Format The PDF version of this pattern is available on Etsy and Ravelry, and both Large and Small blanket versions are included in the purchase. (PDF in US and UK Terms included – 4 PDFs total). This pattern is in US Terms – Click here for UK Terms

Free Crochet Pattern: Desert Bloom Blanket, Small Version (UK Terms)

Hello, lovely crafter! Many of you have enjoyed my Desert Bloom Blanket crochet pattern over the years, and now I am happy to offer it to you as a free pattern! Written instructions are below for this blanket, suitable for the adventurous beginner. There are some charted guides, written instruction, and a lot of photos to use for this one. I challenge you to have a play with the colors to suit your preferences! PDF Format The PDF version of this pattern is available on Etsy and Ravelry, and both Large and Small blanket versions are included in the purchase. (PDF in US and UK Terms included – 4 PDFs total). This pattern is in UK Terms – Click here for US Terms

Free Crochet Pattern: Desert Bloom Blanket, Small Version (US Terms)

Hello, lovely crafter! Many of you have enjoyed my Desert Bloom Blanket crochet pattern over the years, and now I am happy to offer it to you as a free pattern! Written instructions are below for this blanket, suitable for the adventurous beginner. There are some charted guides, written instruction, and a lot of photos to use for this one. I challenge you to have a play with the colors to suit your preferences! PDF Format The PDF version of this pattern is available on Etsy and Ravelry, and both Large and Small blanket versions are included in the purchase. (PDF in US and UK Terms included – 4 PDFs total). This pattern is in US Terms – Click here for UK Terms

Fiesta Blanket: A Colorful Crochet Work in Progress!

Hello, lovely crafter! Today I have something special to share with you. I have been working since the holiday breaks on this new blanket pattern project. The pattern will consist of large floral mandalas which are then joined together in a hexagon placement, combining two of my favorite themes in crochet: hexagons and mandalas. I have used Scheepjes Stone Washed and River Washed packs (yarny info below) but you can really use any gorgeous yarns you have. This would make a brilliant stash buster as well. I can’t wait to show you more in this WIP post!

Free Crochet Pattern: Celtic Lace Join for Hexagons (US and UK Terms)

Hello, lovely crafter! Today I wanted to share my Celtic Lace Join for Hexagons with you! This was the official joining method for the 2022 VVCAL, and I thought I would also make it available as a separate post for easy bookmarking. I hope you enjoy this one! PDF Version You can find this joining method pattern along with the entire 2022 VVCAL in a convenient PDF on Etsy // Ravelry // CypressTextiles Online Shop. The 2022 VVCAL PDF includes: More Joins for Hexagon Motifs Before we dive in, you may also enjoy these joining methods for Hexagons. I always get requests for more hexagon joins. You can bookmark that link and reference it for other projects! – Celtic Lace Join for Hexagons This is the hexagon version of my Celtic Lace Join pattern that I wrote in 2013. I have made many versions of the Celtic Lace Join since then – like the Junior and Mini versions – and finally after many requests, I have the hexagon version! – Written Instructions Stitch Guide (US …

“All Those Ends!”, “Layouts are Hard!”, and More… A Definitive Guide to Multicolor Motif Blankets, Plus Bonus Free Demo Blanket

Hello, lovely crafter! Today I want to share everything I know about multicolor motif blankets. Every time I post a motif blanket with lots of colors, I get the same exclamations, responses, and questions, and so I decided to compile all of my knowledge into an ultimate guide. There is a wide variety of thought that goes into creating a motif blanket, like the design, color choice, layout, management of ends, joining method, etc., so I have a lot to share today. I’ll do my best to keep everything organized, and in an effort to do so, here is a little rundown of what you’ll find in this post:

WIP: Heirloom Crochet Blanket in a Red-Lovers Holiday Palette!

Hello, gorgeous crafter! Today, I want to share something that has been knocking around my head ever since I designed the Heirloom Collection Blanket. Of course, the original is made with a palette of blues and white to mimic blue and white pottery, and then the border is in leafy greens as a nod to our plant rooms. But what if it were a holiday blanket instead? OR what if you just love reds and you have red decor – then this version will definitely speak to you! For this sample, I used Colour Crafter yarn instead of the Scrumptious yarn that the pattern calls for, simply because the Colour Crafter has more reds to choose from. I think you will love this one! Scroll ahead to see my work in progress.