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2022 VVCAL: Week 8 Instructions

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Hello, and a huge welcome to Week 8 of the 2022 Vibrant Vintage Crochet-A-Long (VVCAL)! I can’t believe we are almost halfway! Remember on Week 11, the full pattern PDF will be released – on May, Friday the 13th!

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

  • 3 blog posts: The Weekly Post with instructions for each blanket version (this post), plus 2 Cosmos Themed hexie designs
  • Patterns include written instructions in US and UK Terms, chart, step-by-step photos, and YouTube video (US Terms).

Social Media Hashtags: #VVCAL and #CypressTextiles

Find your version below and get started!

Catona 10g Colour Pack version

Make 6 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is image-2.png

1 Pack SW/RW 10g Colour Pack version

Make 4 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge.

2 Packs SW/RW 10g Colour Pack version

Make 7 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge.

Metropolis 10g Colour Pack version

Photo coming soon!

Make 9 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge.

Colour Crafter stash version

Photo coming soon!

Colors are not given for this version because it is made with stash yarn in any desired palette.

Make 4 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge. Note: Since this version does not use 10g balls, it doesn’t matter as much that your hexagons meet the spec below. As long as they are all the same size as your Plain Hexie A, you will be golden.

Chunky Monkey stash version

Photo coming soon!

Colors are not given for this version because it is made with stash yarn in any desired palette.

Make 2 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge. Note: Since this version does not use 10g balls, it doesn’t matter as much that your hexagons meet the spec below. As long as they are all the same size as your Plain Hexie A, you will be golden.

Thank you so much for stopping in for this week of the 2022 VVCAL!

Happy Crafting,

Rachele C. – The Art of Crochet Blankets

You may also enjoy these completed CALs

2022 VVCAL: Kepler Motif

Published by

Hello, and a huge welcome to Week 7 of the 2022 Vibrant Vintage Crochet-A-Long (VVCAL)! I’m so glad you’re here!

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 Pulsar Motif pattern, in US, and UK Terms, Chart, Video, and Step by step photos.

Social Media Hashtags: #VVCAL and #CypressTextiles

Kepler Motif

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

The Cosmos: Kepler

The Kepler Mission was an exploration of our night sky, named after Johannes Kepler, German astronomer. Here are some fun Kepler facts!

  • Johannes Kepler is a key figure in the 17th-century Scientific Revolution, best known for his laws of planetary motion, and his books on Astronomy. His works provided one of the foundations for Newton’s theory of universal gravitation. Kepler lived in an era when there was no clear distinction between astronomy and astrology, but there was a strong division between astronomy and physics. Kepler also incorporated religious arguments and reasoning into his work, motivated by the religious conviction and belief that God had created the world according to an intelligible plan that is accessible through the natural light of reason. [More]
  • NASA’s Kepler spacecraft was launched to search for Earth-like planets orbiting other stars. After nine years in deep space collecting data that revealed our night sky to be filled with billions of hidden planets – more planets even than stars – NASA’s Kepler space telescope was retired in 2018. Kepler leaves a legacy of more than 2,600 planet discoveries from outside our solar system, many of which could be promising places for life. Besides launching us into the golden age of exoplanets, Kepler has reinvigorated the study of stars. Kepler observed more than a half million stars over the course of its nine years in operation. [More]
  • Some exoplanets discovered by Kepler were named after the spacecraft. Some of the most interesting discoveries are as follows: Kepler-10b: The First Unquestionably Rocky Alien Planet, discovered in 2011. The scorching-hot world, which is about 1.4 times the size of Earth, lies about 560 light-years away. Kepler-16b: The First ‘Tatooine Planet.’ The gas giant Kepler-16b is the first exoplanet ever found with two suns in its sky. Like Tatooine — the home world of Luke Skywalker in the “Star Wars” films — Kepler-16b orbits a pair of stars rather than a singleton like our own sun. The planet was spotted in September 2011; Kepler has since found others like it. Kepler-37b: The Smallest Alien Planet. The tiny alien planet Kepler-37b, which was announced in February 2013, is slightly larger than Earth’s moon and orbits its host star every 13 days. It likely has a surface temperature in excess of 700 degrees Fahrenheit. [More]
  • Planetary systems discovered by Kepler are called Kepler systems. 11 new planetary systems were discovered, hosting 26 confirmed planets. The planets orbit close to their host stars and range in size from 1.5 times the radius of Earth to larger than Jupiter. Fifteen are between Earth and Neptune in size. Further observations will be required to determine which are rocky like Earth and which have thick gaseous atmospheres like Neptune. The planets orbit their host star once every six to 143 days. All are closer to their host star than Venus is to our sun. [More]
Kepler Spacecraft

Kepler Motif Pattern

Reference

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

Note: Video is spoken in US Terms. Watch on mute to avoid confusion for UK Terms,

Subscribe on YouTube for more videos like this one!

Stitch Guide (US Terms)

Note: Scroll down for UK Terms.

  • beg beginning
  • beg dc (1sc, ch1) – counts as 1 dc
  • chN chain N number of times
  • dc double crochet
  • lp loop
  • MR make ring: slip knot, ch3, ss in third ch from hook
  • picot ch3, 1sc in top side bars of previous dc
  • 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 1 MR, beg dc, 11dc, ss in beg dc. [12 dc]

Rnd 2 [1sc in next st, ch3, sk1] 6 times, ss in first sc. [6 sc. 6 sp]

Rnd 3 Beg dc in first ch-sp, [2dc in same ch-sp, picot, 2dc in same ch-sp, ch1, 1dc in next ch-sp] 6 times omitting final dc, ss in beg dc. [6 picot, 30 dc, 6 sp]

Rnd 4 Release lp from hook, insert hook back to front through next st, grab lp, pull lp to back of work, ch1, [1sc in back lps of sc used to close picot on previous rnd, ch3, (1sc, ch3, 1sc) in next ch-1 sp, ch3] 6 times, ss in first sc. [18 sc, 18 sp]

Rnd 5 3sc in each sp around, ss in first sc. [54 sc]

Rnd 6 [1sc in next st, ch3, sk2, (1sc, ch3, 1sc) in next st, ch3, sk2, 1sc in next st, ch3, sk2] 6 times, ss in first sc. [24 sc, 24 sp]

Rnd 7 Ss in 1 ch, 1sc in same ch-sp, [ch3, 1sc in next ch-sp] 23 times, ch3, ss in first sc. [24 sc, 24 sp]

Rnd 8 Ss in 1 ch, 1sc in same ch-sp, * ch2, (1sc, ch2, 1sc) in next sc, [ch2, 1sc in next ch-sp] 4 times, rep from * 5 times omitting final sc, ss in first sc. [36 sc, 36 sp]

Rnd 9 [2sc in next ch-sp, 3sc in next ch-sp, 2sc in next ch-sp] 12 times, ss in first sc, cut yarn and weave ends. [84 sc]

Stitch Guide (UK Terms)

  • beg beginning
  • beg tr (1dc, ch1) – counts as 1 tr
  • chN chain N number of times
  • dc double crochet
  • lp loop
  • MR make ring: slip knot, ch3, ss in third ch from hook
  • picot ch3, 1dc in top side bars of previous tr
  • 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, 11tr, ss in beg tr. [12 tr]

Rnd 2 [1dc in next st, ch3, sk1] 6 times, ss in first dc. [6 dc. 6 sp]

Rnd 3 Beg tr in first ch-sp, [2tr in same ch-sp, picot, 2tr in same ch-sp, ch1, 1tr in next ch-sp] 6 times omitting final tr, ss in beg tr. [6 picot, 30 tr, 6 sp]

Rnd 4 Release lp from hook, insert hook back to front through next st, grab lp, pull lp to back of work, ch1, [1dc in back lps of dc used to close picot on previous rnd, ch3, (1dc, ch3, 1dc) in next ch-1 sp, ch3] 6 times, ss in first dc. [18 dc, 18 sp]

Rnd 5 3dc in each sp around, ss in first dc. [54 dc]

Rnd 6 [1dc in next st, ch3, sk2, (1dc, ch3, 1dc) in next st, ch3, sk2, 1dc in next st, ch3, sk2] 6 times, ss in first dc. [24 dc, 24 sp]

Rnd 7 Ss in 1 ch, 1dc in same ch-sp, [ch3, 1dc in next ch-sp] 23 times, ch3, ss in first dc. [24 dc, 24 sp]

Rnd 8 Ss in 1 ch, 1dc in same ch-sp, * ch2, (1dc, ch2, 1dc) in next dc, [ch2, 1dc in next ch-sp] 4 times, rep from * 5 times omitting final dc, ss in first dc. [36 dc, 36 sp]

Rnd 9 [2dc in next ch-sp, 3dc in next ch-sp, 2dc in next ch-sp] 12 times, ss in first dc, cut yarn and weave ends. [84 dc]

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

Links to Published Hexagon Patterns

Pin the Kepler Motif!

Thank you so much for stopping in for this week of the 2022 VVCAL!

Happy Crafting,

Rachele C. – The Art of Crochet Blankets

You may also enjoy these completed CALs

2022 VVCAL: Exoplanet Motif

Published by

Hello, and a huge welcome to Week 7 of the 2022 Vibrant Vintage Crochet-A-Long (VVCAL)! I’m so glad you’re here!

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 Pulsar Motif pattern, in US, and UK Terms, Chart, Video, and Step by step photos.

Social Media Hashtags: #VVCAL and #CypressTextiles

Exoplanet Motif

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

The Cosmos: Exoplanet

An exoplanet or extrasolar planet is a planet outside our Solar System. Here are some fun exoplanet facts!

  • The first possible evidence of an exoplanet was noted in 1917 but was not recognized as such. The first confirmation of detection occurred in 1992. A different planet, initially detected in 1988, was confirmed in 2003. By March 2022, 5000 officially confirmed exoplanets had been found according to NASA. [More]
  • In 2017, NASA announced that its Spitzer Space Telescope observed the first known system of seven Earth-size planets around a single ultra-cool dwarf star called TRAPPIST-1. Three of these planets are located in what’s called the habitable zone, the area around the parent star where a rocky planet is most likely to have liquid water – key to life as we know it. The discovery sets a new record for greatest number of known planets in a star’s habitable zone. Our solar system has only two planets in this zone: Earth and Mars. This exoplanet system has three. [More]
  • How do astronomers find exoplanets? Exoplanets usually orbit a star, but that star is usually so bright that the exoplanets cannot be seen directly; therefore, indirect methods must be used to detect them. Most planets are found via the transit method. Exoplanet transits occur when a distant exoplanet passes between its star and Earth, and that slight dip in a star’s light can reveal an otherwise hidden planet. Some planets are found via the wobble method. In all gravitationally bound systems involving stars, the objects orbit around a common center of mass. When an exoplanet’s mass is significant in comparison to its star’s mass, there’s the potential for us to notice a wobble, detectable via a shift in the star’s light frequencies. Very few exoplanets have been discovered through direct imaging, which is just a fancy way of saying taking its picture. The exoplanet must be close enough to Earth, and far enough from its star that it is not hidden in the bright starlight. [More]
  • There are some very weird exoplanets out there. HD 189773b – where it rains glass sideways: Only 64 lightyears away, this deep-blue exoplanet floats serenely in space, but if you had the misfortune to visit this massive gas giant, you’d soon regret it. As well as being spun furiously by winds blowing at 8,700 km/h, you’d be cut to shreds by glass rain. The planet’s blue color is the reflection of silicate in its atmosphere that, when heated by the planet’s deathly 1300°C temperature, forms grains of glass. WASP-12b – puffed up planet in a death spiral: Just three million or so years from its eventual fiery demise, WASP-12b is spiraling inwards toward doom at the hands of its yellow dwarf host star. The planet is now so close to its star that it’s begun wobbling and distorting under the star’s gravity, while intense stellar radiation has caused it to swell up so much that it’s falling apart. TOI 849 b – a world stripped bare: Discovered in 2020, this exoplanet orbits so tightly to its star that a year passes in 18 hours. What makes TOI 849 b particularly weird though is its strangely hybrid nature. While it’s around the size of gas giant Neptune, it’s dense and rocky not gaseous – in fact, it’s the largest rocky world yet discovered, 40 times as massive as Earth. [More]
  • In November 2013 it was estimated that 22±8% of Sun-like stars in the Milky Way galaxy may have an Earth-sized planet in the habitable zone. Assuming 200 billion stars in the Milky Way, that would be 11 billion potentially habitable Earths, rising to 40 billion if red dwarfs are included. Is there life out there? Potentially! [More]
Comparison of Earth and possibly habitable exoplanet, Kepler-1649c.

Exoplanet Motif Pattern

Reference

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

Note: Video is spoken in US Terms. Watch on mute to avoid confusion for UK Terms.

Subscribe on YouTube for more videos like this one!

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 2 treble cluster: * yoh 2 times, insert hook in st, yoh pull through, (yoh, pull through 2 lps on hook) 2 times, rep from * 1 time, yoh and pull through all 3 lps
  • beg beginning
  • beg 2dccl (beg dc, 1dc) in st/sp indicated – when joining rnd, ss into full dc st
  • beg 2trcl (beg tr, 1tr) in st/sp indicated – when joining rnd, ss into full tr st
  • beg dc (1sc, ch1) – counts as 1 dc
  • beg 3trpc beginning 3 treble popcorn: (beg tr, 2tr) in st/sp, remove lp from hook, insert hook front to back through beg tr, grab lp, pull lp to front of work to close beg 3trpc
  • beg tr (1sc, ch2) – counts as 1 tr
  • chN chain N number of times
  • dc double crochet
  • hdc half double crochet
  • lp loop
  • MR make ring: slip knot, ch3, ss in third ch from hook
  • 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
  • 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, 6sc, ss in first sc. [6 sc]

Rnd 2 Beg 3trpc in next st, [ch2, 3trpc in same st, ch2, 3trpc in next st] 6 times omitting final 3trpc, ss in beg 3trpc. [12 3trpc, 12 sp]

Rnd 3 Beg dc in first ch-sp, [3dc in same ch-sp, 1dc in next ch-sp] 12 times omitting final dc, ss in beg dc. [48 dc]

Rnd 4 [1sc in next st, ch4, 1sc in next st, ch2, sk2] 11 times, 1sc in next st, ch4, 1sc in next st, 1hdc in first sc – counts as final ch-2 sp. [24 sc, 24 sp]

Rnd 5 1sc around the hdc, treating it like a ch-sp, [ch2, 1sc in next ch-sp] 23 times, ch2, ss in first sc. [24 sc, 24 sp]

Rnd 6 Beg 2dccl in same st as ss, [ch2, 1sc in next sc, ch2, (2trcl, ch2, 2trcl) in next sc, ch2, 1sc in next sc, ch2, 2dccl in next sc] 6 times omitting final 2dccl, ss in beg 2dccl. [12 2trcl, 6 2dccl, 12 sc, 30 sp]

Rnd 7 [2sc in next ch-sp, 1sc in sc, 2sc in next ch-sp, 3sc in next ch-sp, 2sc in next ch-sp, 1sc in sc, 2sc in next ch-sp, 1sc in 2dccl] 6 times, ss in first sc, cut yarn and weave ends. [84 sc]

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 2 double treble cluster: * yoh 2 times, insert hook in st, yoh pull through, (yoh, pull through 2 lps on hook) 2 times, rep from * 1 time, yoh and pull through all 3 lps
  • beg beginning
  • beg 2trcl (beg tr, 1tr) in st/sp indicated – when joining rnd, ss into full trst
  • beg 2trcl (beg dtr, 1dtr) in st/sp indicated – when joining rnd, ss into full dtr st
  • beg tr (1dc, ch1) – counts as 1 tr
  • beg 3dtrpc beginning 3 double treble popcorn: (beg dtr, 2dtr) in st/sp, remove lp from hook, insert hook front to back through beg dtr, grab lp, pull lp to front of work to close beg 3dtrpc
  • beg dtr (1dc, ch2) – counts as 1 dtr
  • chN chain N number of times
  • dc double crochet
  • dtr double treble crochet
  • htr half treble crochet
  • lp loop
  • MR make ring: slip knot, ch3, ss in third ch from hook
  • 3dtrpc 3 double treble popcorn: 3dtr in st/sp indicated, remove lp from hook, insert hook front to back through first dtr, grab lp, pull to front of work to close 3dtrpc
  • 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, 6dc, ss in first dc. [6 dc]

Rnd 2 Beg 3dtrpc in next st, [ch2, 3dtrpc in same st, ch2, 3dtrpc in next st] 6 times omitting final 3dtrpc, ss in beg 3dtrpc. [12 3dtrpc, 12 sp]

Rnd 3 Beg tr in first ch-sp, [3tr in same ch-sp, 1tr in next ch-sp] 12 times omitting final tr, ss in beg tr. [48 tr]

Rnd 4 [1dc in next st, ch4, 1dc in next st, ch2, sk2] 11 times, 1dc in next st, ch4, 1dc in next st, 1htr in first dc – counts as final ch-2 sp. [24 dc, 24 sp]

Rnd 5 1dc around the htr, treating it like a ch-sp, [ch2, 1dc in next ch-sp] 23 times, ch2, ss in first dc. [24 dc, 24 sp]

Rnd 6 Beg 2trcl in same st as ss, [ch2, 1dc in next dc, ch2, (2dtrcl, ch2, 2dtrcl) in next dc, ch2, 1dc in next dc, ch2, 2trcl in next dc] 6 times omitting final 2trcl, ss in beg 2trcl. [12 2dtrcl, 6 2trcl, 12 dc, 30 sp]

Rnd 7 [2dc in next ch-sp, 1dc in dc, 2dc in next ch-sp, 3dc in next ch-sp, 2dc in next ch-sp, 1dc in dc, 2dc in next ch-sp, 1dc in 2trcl] 6 times, ss in first dc, cut yarn and weave ends. [84 dc]

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

Links to Published Hexagon Patterns

Pin the Exoplanet Motif!

Thank you so much for stopping in for this week of the 2022 VVCAL!

Happy Crafting,

Rachele C. – The Art of Crochet Blankets

You may also enjoy these completed CALs

2022 VVCAL: Week 7 Instructions

Published by

Hello, and a huge welcome to Week 7 of the 2022 Vibrant Vintage Crochet-A-Long (VVCAL)! I’m so glad you’re here!

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

  • 3 blog posts: The Weekly Post with instructions for each blanket version (this post), plus 2 Cosmos Themed hexie designs
  • Patterns include written instructions in US and UK Terms, chart, step-by-step photos, and YouTube video (US Terms).

Social Media Hashtags: #VVCAL and #CypressTextiles

Find your version below and get started!

Catona 10g Colour Pack version

Make 6 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is image-2.png

1 Pack SW/RW 10g Colour Pack version

Make 4 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge.

2 Packs SW/RW 10g Colour Pack version

Make 7 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge.

Metropolis 10g Colour Pack version

Photo coming soon!

Make 9 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge.

Colour Crafter stash version

Photo coming soon!

Colors are not given for this version because it is made with stash yarn in any desired palette.

Make 4 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge. Note: Since this version does not use 10g balls, it doesn’t matter as much that your hexagons meet the spec below. As long as they are all the same size as your Plain Hexie A, you will be golden.

Chunky Monkey stash version

Photo coming soon!

Colors are not given for this version because it is made with stash yarn in any desired palette.

Make 2 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge. Note: Since this version does not use 10g balls, it doesn’t matter as much that your hexagons meet the spec below. As long as they are all the same size as your Plain Hexie A, you will be golden.

Thank you so much for stopping in for this week of the 2022 VVCAL!

Happy Crafting,

Rachele C. – The Art of Crochet Blankets

You may also enjoy these completed CALs

2022 VVCAL: Pluto Motif

Published by

Hello, and a huge welcome to Week 6 of the 2022 Vibrant Vintage Crochet-A-Long (VVCAL)! I’m so glad you’re here!

Attention!

If you have not yet seen the Week 6 Instruction post, please head there first and see the instructions for the version that you are working. Below, you will find the Pulsar Motif pattern, in US, and UK Terms, Chart, Video, and Step by step photos.

Social Media Hashtags: #VVCAL and #CypressTextiles

Pluto Motif

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

The Cosmos: Pluto

Pluto is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. Here are some fun Pluto facts!

  • It was the first object discovered in the Kuiper belt and remains the largest known body in that area. After Pluto was discovered in 1930, it was declared the ninth planet from the Sun. However, beginning in the 1990s, its status as a planet was questioned following the discovery of several objects of similar size in the Kuiper belt and the scattered disc, including the dwarf planet Eris, leading the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2006 to define the term planet formally—excluding Pluto and reclassifying it as a dwarf planet. [More]
  • Since Pluto is so far from Earth, little was known about the dwarf planet’s size or surface conditions until 2015, when NASA’s New Horizons space probe showed that Pluto has a diameter of 1,473 miles, less than one-fifth the diameter of Earth. Observations of Pluto’s surface by the New Horizons spacecraft revealed mountains that reach as high as 11,000 feet, comparable to the Rocky Mountains on Earth. While methane and nitrogen ice cover much of the surface of Pluto, these materials are not strong enough to support such enormous peaks, so scientists suspect that the mountains are formed on a bedrock of water ice. [More]
  • Photographic evidence of the former ninth planet was first sighted by 24-year-old research assistant Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Ariz. Tombaugh’s ashes are aboard the New Horizons spacecraft that passed by Pluto on Tuesday. Astronomer Percival Lowell predicted Pluto’s existence 15 years prior to Tombaugh’s discovery–even charting its approximate location based on the irregularity of Neptune’s orbit.
  • When 11yo Venetia Burney’s grandfather told her the news of the newly discovered planet, she proposed the name Pluto, after the Roman god of the Underworld. It seemed fitting, for after all, Pluto the planet, like the God, sat at the far reaches of the solar system. Her grandfather was taken by the name and suggested it to a friend–conveniently an astronomy professor at Oxford University. Astronomers were particularly keen on Pluto because the first two letters of the word are Percival Lowell’s initials.
  • Pluto was indeed demoted to dwarf planet status in 2006–but not for the commonly believed reason. The news of Pluto’s larger than expected size on Monday was particularly exciting to Pluto partisans because many believe the outsider was stripped of its planetary status because it was too small. However, Pluto was actually downgraded to dwarf planet because it’s simply not unique. Pluto is merely the brightest member of the Kuiper Belt, a mass of objects that orbit the sun beyond Neptune. [More]

Pluto Motif Pattern

Reference

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

Note: Video is spoken in US Terms. Watch on mute to avoid confusion for UK Terms.

Subscribe on YouTube for more videos like this one!

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 2 treble cluster: * yoh 2 times, insert hook in st, yoh pull through, (yoh, pull through 2 lps on hook) 2 times, rep from * 1 time, yoh and pull through all 3 lps
  • beg beginning
  • beg 2dccl (beg dc, 1dc) in st/sp indicated – when joining rnd, ss into full dc st
  • beg 2trcl (beg tr, 1tr) in st/sp indicated – when joining rnd, ss into full tr st
  • beg dc (1sc, ch1) – counts as 1 dc
  • beg pc beginning popcorn: (beg dc, 3dc) in st/sp, remove lp from hook, insert hook front to back through beg dc, grab lp, pull lp to front of work to close beg pc
  • beg tr (1sc, ch2) – counts as 1 tr
  • chN chain N number of times
  • dc double crochet
  • lp loop
  • MR make ring: slip knot, ch3, ss in third ch from hook
  • pc popcorn: 4dc in st/sp indicated, remove lp from hook, insert hook front to back through first dc, grab lp, pull to front of work to close pc
  • 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 2dccl, [ch2, 2dccl] 5 times, ch2, ss in beg 2dccl. [6 2dccl, 6 sp]

Rnd 2 Beg 2trcl in first ch-sp, [(ch2, 2trcl) twice in same sp, ch1, 2trcl in next ch-sp] 6 times omitting final 2trcl, ss in beg 2trcl. [18 2trcl, 18 sp]

Rnd 3 Beg pc in first ch-sp, [ch3, pc in next ch-sp, ch3, 1sc in ch-1 sp, ch3, pc in next ch-sp] 6 times omitting final pc, ss in beg pc. [12 pc, 6 sc, 18 sp]

Rnd 4 Beg 2dccl in first ch-sp, [ch3, 2dccl in same sp, ch2, 2dccl in next ch-sp] 18 times omitting final 2dccl, ss in beg 2dccl. [36 2dccl, 36 sp]

Rnd 5 * 5sc in corner ch-3 sp, [1sc in ch-2 sp, 3sc in ch-3 sp] 2 times, 1sc in ch-2 sp, rep from * 5 times, ss in first sc, cut yarn and weave ends. [84 sc]

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 2 double treble cluster: * yoh 2 times, insert hook in st, yoh pull through, (yoh, pull through 2 lps on hook) 2 times, rep from * 1 time, yoh and pull through all 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 indicated – when joining rnd, ss into full dtr st
  • beg tr (1dc, ch1) – counts as 1 tr
  • beg pc beginning popcorn: (beg tr, 3tr) in st/sp, remove lp from hook, insert hook front to back through beg tr, grab lp, pull lp to front of work to close beg pc
  • beg dtr (1dc, ch2) – counts as 1 dtr
  • chN chain N number of times
  • dc double crochet
  • dtr double treble crochet
  • lp loop
  • MR make ring: slip knot, ch3, ss in third ch from hook
  • pc popcorn: 4tr 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 pc
  • 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 2trcl, [ch2, 2trcl] 5 times, ch2, ss in beg 2trcl. [6 2trcl, 6 sp]

Rnd 2 Beg 2dtrcl in first ch-sp, [(ch2, 2dtrcl) twice in same sp, ch1, 2dtrcl in next ch-sp] 6 times omitting final 2dtrcl, ss in beg 2dtrcl. [18 2dtrcl, 18 sp]

Rnd 3 Beg pc in first ch-sp, [ch3, pc in next ch-sp, ch3, 1dc in ch-1 sp, ch3, pc in next ch-sp] 6 times omitting final pc, ss in beg pc. [12 pc, 6 dc, 18 sp]

Rnd 4 Beg 2trcl in first ch-sp, [ch3, 2trcl in same sp, ch2, 2trcl in next ch-sp] 18 times omitting final 2trcl, ss in beg 2trcl. [36 2trcl, 36 sp]

Rnd 5 * 5dc in corner ch-3 sp, [1dc in ch-2 sp, 3dc in ch-3 sp] 2 times, 1dc in ch-2 sp, rep from * 5 times, ss in first dc, cut yarn and weave ends. [84 dc]

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

Links to Published Hexagon Patterns

Pin the Pluto Motif!

Thank you so much for stopping in for this week of the 2022 VVCAL!

Happy Crafting,

Rachele C. – The Art of Crochet Blankets

You may also enjoy these completed CALs

2022 VVCAL: Uranus Motif

Published by

Hello, and a huge welcome to Week 6 of the 2022 Vibrant Vintage Crochet-A-Long (VVCAL)! I’m so glad you’re here!

Attention!

If you have not yet seen the Week 6 Instruction post, please head there first and see the instructions for the version that you are working. Below, you will find the Pulsar Motif pattern, in US, and UK Terms, Chart, Video, and Step by step photos.

Social Media Hashtags: #VVCAL and #CypressTextiles

Uranus Motif

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

The Cosmos: Uranus

Uranus (YER-inus) is the seventh planet from the Sun, and is named after the Greek god of the sky, Ouranus, who, according to Greek mythology, was the great-grandfather of Ares, grandfather of Zeus and father of Cronus. Here are some fun Uranus facts!

Uranus update 4/19/22: A mission to the seventh planet could change the way we see the solar system, scientists say. Uranus is a mostly unexplored world; NASA’s only visit to the seventh planet was Voyager 2‘s brief fly-by on Jan. 24, 1986. The new recommendation comes from a process called the decadal survey, which is led by the National Academy of Sciences and offers NASA guidance for prioritizing science goals. The committee called Uranus “one of the most intriguing bodies in the solar system” and targeted launch opportunities in the early 2030s for a 12- to 13-year cruise (via “gravity slingshot”) to begin observations. The decadal survey is influential: The last one from 2011 called for the type of research that is now happening on Mars.

  • Most of the planets are visible to the unaided eye, and were known in ancient times. Uranus was the first planet discovered after the invention of the telescope. It was first recorded in 1690 by John Flamsteed, who thought it was a star in the constellation Tauri. But it wasn’t until Sir William Herschel made his observations in 1781 that astronomers finally realized it was a planet. Herschel originally wanted to call Uranus “George’s Star” after King George III of England. However, this was not a popular name outside of England. Eventually, the astronomical community officially settled on the name Uranus – the Latinized version of the Greek god of the sky, Ouranos – and the name stuck.
  • Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun, and much closer than Neptune; however, this does not prevent Uranus from being colder than Neptune. This is due to the fact that, unlike the other large planets in the Solar System, Uranus actually gives off less heat than it absorbs from the Sun. While the other large planets have tremendously hot cores, which radiate infrared radiation, Uranus’s core has cooled down to the point that it no longer radiates much energy. [More]
  • Uranus has an atmosphere composed of hydrogen and helium like Jupiter and Saturn, but it also has methane. Uranus is blue due to its high level of methane. Like saturn, Jupiter and Neptune, Uranus also has rings. Uranus has 13 rings made of dust, ice and bits of rock. Its inner rings are darker but the outer rings are brightly colored, which makes it easier to see. [More]
  • All of the planets in the Solar System rotate on their axis, with a tilt that’s similar to the Sun. For example, the axis of the Earth’s rotation is tilted 23.5-degrees away from the Sun’s plane. Mars is similar, with a tilt of about 24 degrees, which results in seasonal changes on both planets. But the axial tilt of Uranus is a staggering 99 degrees! In other words, the planet is rotating on its side. All the planets look a bit like spinning top as they go around the Sun, but Uranus looks more like a ball rolling in a circular pattern.
  • A sidereal day on Uranus (that is, the time it takes for the planet to complete a single oration on its axis) is only about 17 hours long. But the tilt of Uranus is so pronounced that one pole or the other is usually pointed towards the Sun. This means that a day at the north pole of Uranus lasts half of a Uranian year – 84 Earth years. So, if you could stand on the north pole of Uranus, you would see the Sun rise in the sky and circle around for 42 years. By the end of this long, drawn-out “summer”, the Sun would finally dip down below the horizon. This would be followed by 42 years of darkness, otherwise known as a single “winter” season on Uranus. [More]
Artist rendition of Uranus

Uranus Motif Pattern

Reference

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

Note: Video is spoken in US Terms. Watch on mute to avoid confusion for UK Terms.

Subscribe on YouTube for more videos like this one!

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, 1dc) in st/sp indicated – when joining rnd, ss into full dc st
  • beg dc (1sc, ch1) – counts as 1 dc
  • 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
  • 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
  • lp loop
  • 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
  • yoh yarn over hook

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

Rnd 1 MR, beg 2dccl, [ch2, 2dccl] 5 times, ch2, ss in beg 2dccl. [6 2dccl, 6 sp]

Rnd 2 Beg dc in first ch-sp, [4dc in same sp, ch1, 1dc in next sp] 6 times omitting final dc, ss in beg dc. [30 dc, 6 sp]

Rnd 3 Beg dc5tog across first 5 dc, [ch3, (1sc, ch5, 1sc) in ch-1 sp, ch3, dc5tog over next 5 dc] 6 times omitting final dc5tog, ss in beg dc5tog. [6 dc5tog, 12 sc, 18 sp]

Rnd 4 1sc in same st as ss, [ch3, 3sc in next ch-5 sp, ch3, 1sc in next dc5tog] 6 times omitting final sc, ss in first sc. [24 sc, 12 sp]

Rnd 5 Beg dc in first ch-sp, [2dc in same sp, 1dc in next sc, (1dc, ch1, 1dc) in next sc, 1dc, 3dc in next ch-sp, ch1, 1dc in next ch-sp] 6 times omitting final dc, ss in beg dc. [60 dc, 12 sp]

Rnd 6 1sc in every st and sp around, ss in first sc. [72 sc]

Rnd 7 [3sc, 3sc in corner sp, 8sc] 6 times, ss in first sc, cut yarn and weave ends. [84 sc]

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 tr, 1tr) in st/sp indicated – when joining rnd, ss into full tr st
  • beg tr (1dc, ch1) – counts as 1 tr
  • 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
  • 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
  • lp loop
  • 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 2trcl, [ch2, 2trcl] 5 times, ch2, ss in beg 2trcl. [6 2trcl, 6 sp]

Rnd 2 Beg tr in first ch-sp, [4tr in same sp, ch1, 1tr in next sp] 6 times omitting final tr, ss in beg tr. [30 tr, 6 sp]

Rnd 3 Beg tr5tog across first 5 tr, [ch3, (1dc, ch5, 1dc) in ch-1 sp, ch3, tr5tog over next 5 tr] 6 times omitting final tr5tog, ss in beg tr5tog. [6 tr5tog, 12 dc, 18 sp]

Rnd 4 1dc in same st as ss, [ch3, 3dc in next ch-5 sp, ch3, 1dc in next tr5tog] 6 times omitting final dc, ss in first dc. [24 dc, 12 sp]

Rnd 5 Beg tr in first ch-sp, [2tr in same sp, 1tr in next dc, (1tr, ch1, 1tr) in next dc, 1tr, 3tr in next ch-sp, ch1, 1tr in next ch-sp] 6 times omitting final tr, ss in beg tr. [60 tr, 12 sp]

Rnd 6 1dc in every st and sp around, ss in first dc. [72 dc]

Rnd 7 [3dc, 3dc in corner sp, 8dc] 6 times, ss in first dc, cut yarn and weave ends. [84 dc]

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

Links to Published Hexagon Patterns

Pin the Uranus Motif!

Thank you so much for stopping in for this week of the 2022 VVCAL!

Happy Crafting,

Rachele C. – The Art of Crochet Blankets

You may also enjoy these completed CALs

2022 VVCAL: Week 6 Instructions

Published by

Hello, and a huge welcome to Week 6 of the 2022 Vibrant Vintage Crochet-A-Long (VVCAL)! I’m so glad you’re here!

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

  • 3 blog posts: The Weekly Post with instructions for each blanket version (this post), plus 2 Cosmos Themed hexie designs
  • Patterns include written instructions in US and UK Terms, chart, step-by-step photos, and YouTube video (US Terms).

Social Media Hashtags: #VVCAL and #CypressTextiles

Find your version below and get started!

Catona 10g Colour Pack version

Make 6 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge.

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1 Pack SW/RW 10g Colour Pack version

Make 4 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge.

2 Packs SW/RW 10g Colour Pack version

Make 7 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge.

Metropolis 10g Colour Pack version

Photo coming soon!

Make 9 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge.

Colour Crafter stash version

Photo coming soon!

Colors are not given for this version because it is made with stash yarn in any desired palette.

Make 4 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge. Note: Since this version does not use 10g balls, it doesn’t matter as much that your hexagons meet the spec below. As long as they are all the same size as your Plain Hexie A, you will be golden.

Chunky Monkey stash version

Photo coming soon!

Colors are not given for this version because it is made with stash yarn in any desired palette.

Make 2 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge. Note: Since this version does not use 10g balls, it doesn’t matter as much that your hexagons meet the spec below. As long as they are all the same size as your Plain Hexie A, you will be golden.

Thank you so much for stopping in for this week of the 2022 VVCAL!

Happy Crafting,

Rachele C. – The Art of Crochet Blankets

You may also enjoy these completed CALs

2022 VVCAL: Quasar Motif

Published by

Hello, and a huge welcome to Week 5 of the 2022 Vibrant Vintage Crochet-A-Long (VVCAL)! I’m so glad you’re here!

Attention!

If you have not yet seen the Week 5 Instruction post, please head there first and see the instructions for the version that you are working. Below, you will find the Pulsar Motif pattern, in US, and UK Terms, Chart, Video, and Step by step photos.

Social Media Hashtags: #VVCAL and #CypressTextiles

Quasar Motif

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

The Cosmos: Quasar

A Quasar (or Quasi-Stellar object) is the extremely luminous center of a galaxy in its infancy. Here are some fun Quasar facts!

  • Theoretically, the intense radiation released by a quasar powers a supermassive black hole at its center. The inward spiral of matter in a supermassive black hole at the center of a quasar is the result of particles colliding and bouncing against each other and losing momentum. That material came from the enormous clouds of gas which filled the universe in the era shortly after the Big Bang. Thus, positioned as they were in the early universe, quasars had a vast supply of matter to feed on.
  • Quasars are very far away. They’re so far from us that we only observe the active nucleus, or core, of the galaxy in which they reside. We see nothing of the galaxy apart from its bright center. It’s like seeing a distant car headlight at night: you have no idea of which type of car you are looking at, as everything apart from the headlight is in darkness. [More]
  • Quasars are the brightest and most distant recorded objects in the visible Universe. The light emitted comes from the accretion disk around supermassive black holes. Most Quasars are at least 100 times more luminous than our Milky Way galaxy. Because of their great brightness, they tend to outshine the ancient galaxies in which they reside. [More]
  • These emerging galaxies emit energies of millions, billions, or even trillions of electron volts. This energy exceeds the total of the light of all the stars within a galaxy. The brightest objects in the universe, they shine anywhere from 10 to 100,000 times brighter than the Milky Way. [More]
  • Quasars were identified relatively recent and our journey of understanding them has just begun. The first quasars were identified in the 1950s as sources of radio-wave emission of unknown origin. When they were identified in photographic images at visible wavelengths, they appeared as faint star-like points of light. As the technology evolved, the Hubble Space Telescope captured many high-resolution images of quasars. This helped to demonstrate that quasars occur in the centers of galaxies or the merging of galaxies. [More]
Artist rendition of a Quasar

Quasar Motif Pattern

Reference

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

Note: Video is spoken in US Terms. Watch on mute to avoid confusion for UK Terms.

Subscribe on YouTube for more videos like this one!

Stitch Guide (US Terms)

Note: Scroll down for UK Terms.

  • 3trcl 3 treble cluster: * 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 3trcl (beg tr, * yoh 2 times, insert hook in st, yoh pull through, (yoh, pull through 2 lps on hook) 2 times, rep from * once, yoh and pull through all 3 lps
  • beg dc (1sc, ch1) – counts as 1 dc
  • beg pc beginning popcorn: (beg dc, 3dc) in st/sp, remove lp from hook, insert hook front to back through beg dc, grab lp, pull lp to front of work to close beg pc
  • chN chain N number of times
  • dc double crochet
  • lp loop
  • MR make ring: slip knot, ch3, ss in third ch from hook
  • pc popcorn: 4dc in st/sp indicated, remove lp from hook, insert hook front to back through first dc, grab lp, pull to front of work to close pc
  • Picot ch3, sc in top side of previous st to close picot
  • puff st yoh, (insert hook in indicated st/sp, yoh, pull up loop) 3 times, yoh pull yarn through all loops
  • 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, 11dc, ss in beg dc. [12 dc]

Rnd 2 Elongate lp to height of puff st, [puff st, ch2] 12 times, ss in first puff st. [12 puff st, 12 sp]

Rnd 3 Beg 2dccl in first ch-sp, [ch2, 2dccl in same ch-sp, ch2, 1sc in next ch-sp, ch2, 2dccl in next ch-sp] 6 times omitting final 2dccl, ss in beg 2dccl. [12 2dccl, 6 sc, 18 sp]

Rnd 4 [1sc in next ch-sp, 5dc in next ch-sp, picot, 5dc in next ch-sp] 6 times, ss in first sc. [6 picot, 60 dc, 6 sc]

Rnd 5 1sc in same st as ss, [ch3, sk 2 dc, 1sc around back bars of next dc, ch3, sk 4 dc, 1sc around back bars of next dc, ch3, 1sc in next sc] 6 times omitting final sc, ss in first sc. [18 sc, 18 sp]

Rnd 6 Ss in 1 ch, [1sc in ch-sp, ch3] 18 times, ss in first sc. [18 sc, 18 sp]

Rnd 7 Rep Rnd 6. [18 sc, 18 sp]

Rnd 8 Ss in 1 ch, make special sc as follows: tilt motif toward you, insert hook through the back lp of the 3rd chain from the picot and insert hook under the ch-3 sp, make 1sc to attach the picot to the ch-sp, * [ch3, 1sc in next ch-sp] 2 times, ch3, make special sc in next ch-sp, rep from * 5 times omitting final special sc, ss in first special sc. [6 special sc, 12 sc, 18 sp]

Rnd 9 Ss in 1 ch, 1sc in ch-sp, * ch3, (1sc, ch3, 1sc) in next ch-sp, [ch3, 1sc in next ch-sp] 2 times, rep from * 5 times omitting final sc, ss in first sc. [24 sc, 24 sp]

Rnd 10 [3sc in next 3 ch-sps, 1sc in next sc, 3sc in next ch-sp, 1sc in next sc] 6 times, cut yarn and weave ends. [84 sc]

Stitch Guide (UK Terms)

  • 3dtrcl 3 double treble cluster: * 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 3dtrcl (beg dtr, * yoh 2 times, insert hook in st, yoh pull through, (yoh, pull through 2 lps on hook) 2 times, rep from * once, yoh and pull through all 3 lps
  • beg dtr (1dc, ch2) – counts as 1 dtr
  • beg tr (1dc, ch1) – counts as 1 tr
  • beg pc beginning popcorn: (beg tr, 3tr) in st/sp, remove lp from hook, insert hook front to back through beg tr, grab lp, pull lp to front of work to close beg pc
  • chN chain N number of times
  • dc double crochet
  • dtr double treble crochet
  • lp loop
  • MR make ring: slip knot, ch3, ss in third ch from hook
  • pc popcorn: 4tr 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 pc
  • Picot ch3, sc in top side of previous st to close picot
  • puff st yoh, (insert hook in indicated st/sp, yoh, pull up loop) 3 times, yoh pull yarn through all loops
  • 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, 11tr, ss in beg tr. [12 tr]

Rnd 2 Elongate lp to height of puff st, [puff st, ch2] 12 times, ss in first puff st. [12 puff st, 12 sp]

Rnd 3 Beg 2trcl in first ch-sp, [ch2, 2trcl in same ch-sp, ch2, 1dc in next ch-sp, ch2, 2trcl in next ch-sp] 6 times omitting final 2trcl, ss in beg 2trcl. [12 2trcl, 6 dc, 18 sp]

Rnd 4 [1dc in next ch-sp, 5tr in next ch-sp, picot, 5tr in next ch-sp] 6 times, ss in first dc. [6 picot, 60 tr, 6 dc]

Rnd 5 1dc in same st as ss, [ch3, sk 2 tr, 1dc around back bars of next tr, ch3, sk 4 tr, 1dc around back bars of next tr, ch3, 1dc in next dc] 6 times omitting final dc, ss in first dc. [18 dc, 18 sp]

Rnd 6 Ss in 1 ch, [1dc in ch-sp, ch3] 18 times, ss in first dc. [18 dc, 18 sp]

Rnd 7 Rep Rnd 6. [18 dc, 18 sp]

Rnd 8 Ss in 1 ch, make special dc as follows: tilt motif toward you, insert hook through the back lp of the 3rd chain from the picot and insert hook under the ch-3 sp, make 1dc to attach the picot to the ch-sp, * [ch3, 1dc in next ch-sp] 2 times, ch3, make special dc in next ch-sp, rep from * 5 times omitting final special dc, ss in first special dc. [6 special dc, 12 dc, 18 sp]

Rnd 9 Ss in 1 ch, 1dc in ch-sp, * ch3, (1dc, ch3, 1dc) in next ch-sp, [ch3, 1dc in next ch-sp] 2 times, rep from * 5 times omitting final dc, ss in first dc. [24 dc, 24 sp]

Rnd 10 [3dc in next 3 ch-sps, 1dc in next dc, 3dc in next ch-sp, 1dc in next dc] 6 times, cut yarn and weave ends. [84 dc]

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

Links to Published Hexagon Patterns

Pin the Quasar Motif!

Thank you so much for stopping in for this week of the 2022 VVCAL!

Happy Crafting,

Rachele C. – The Art of Crochet Blankets

You may also enjoy these completed CALs

2022 VVCAL: Pulsar Motif

Published by

Hello, and a huge welcome to Week 5 of the 2022 Vibrant Vintage Crochet-A-Long (VVCAL)! I’m so glad you’re here!

Attention!

If you have not yet seen the Week 5 Instruction post, please head there first and see the instructions for the version that you are working. Below, you will find the Pulsar Motif pattern, in US, and UK Terms, Chart, Video, and Step by step photos.

Social Media Hashtags: #VVCAL and #CypressTextiles

Pulsar Motif

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

The Cosmos: Pulsar

A Pulsar, (from pulsating radio source) is a highly magnetized rotating neutron “star” that emits beams of electromagnetic radiation out of its magnetic poles. Wow! Here are some fun Pulsar facts!

  • Pulsars are spherical, compact objects that are about the size of a large city but contain more mass than the sun. Scientists are using pulsars to study extreme states of matter, search for planets beyond Earth’s solar system and measure cosmic distances. Pulsars also could help scientists find gravitational waves, which could point the way to energetic cosmic events like collisions between supermassive black holes. Discovered in 1967, pulsars are fascinating members of the cosmic community. 
  • From Earth, pulsars often look like flickering stars. On and off, on and off, they seem to blink with a regular rhythm. But the light from pulsars does not actually flicker or pulse, and these objects are not actually stars. Pulsars radiate two steady, narrow beams of light in opposite directions. Although the light from the beam is steady, pulsars appear to flicker because they also spin. It’s the same reason a lighthouse appears to blink when seen by a sailor on the ocean. [More]
  • A pulsar is formed when a massive star collapses and exhausts its supply of fuel. It blasts out in a giant explosion known as a supernova, the most powerful and violent event in the universe. Without the opposing force of nuclear fusion to balance it, gravity begins to pull the mass of the star inward until it implodes. As the star collapses, it begins to spin rapidly in what is known as the conservation of angular momentum. The process is similar to that of an ice skater pulling their arms in close to spin faster. [More]
  • When a pulsar first forms, it has the most energy and fastest rotational speed. As it releases electromagnetic power through its beams, it gradually slows down. Within 10 to 100 million years, it slows to the point that its beams shut off and the pulsar becomes quiet. When they are active, they spin with such uncanny regularity that they’re used as timers by astronomers. In fact, it is said that certain types of pulsars rival atomic clocks in their accuracy in keeping time. [More]
  • The study of pulsars has resulted in many uses in physics and astronomy. Major examples include the proof of gravitational radiation as forecasted by general relativity and the first proof of exoplanets. In the 1980s, astronomers measured pulsar radiation to prove that the North American and European continents are drifting away from one another. This movement is evidence of plate tectonics. [More]
Highly magnetized rotating neutron star – artist rendition

Pulsar Motif Pattern

Reference

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

Note: Video is spoken in US Terms. Watch on mute to avoid confusion for UK Terms.

Subscribe on YouTube for more videos like this one!

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 2 treble cluster: * yoh 2 times, insert hook in st, yoh pull through, (yoh, pull through 2 lps on hook) 2 times, rep from * 1 time, yoh and pull through all 3 lps
  • beg beginning
  • beg 2dccl (beg dc, 1dc) in st/sp indicated – when joining rnd, ss into full dc st
  • beg 2trcl (beg tr, 1tr) in st/sp indicated – when joining rnd, ss into full tr st
  • beg dc (1sc, ch1) – counts as 1 dc
  • beg pc beginning popcorn: (beg dc, 3dc) in st/sp, remove lp from hook, insert hook front to back through beg dc, grab lp, pull lp to front of work to close beg pc
  • beg tr (1sc, ch2) – counts as 1 tr
  • chN chain N number of times
  • dc double crochet
  • lp loop
  • MR make ring: slip knot, ch3, ss in third ch from hook
  • pc popcorn: 4dc in st/sp indicated, remove lp from hook, insert hook front to back through first dc, grab lp, pull to front of work to close pc
  • 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 2dccl, [ch2, 2dccl] 5 times, ch2, ss in beg 2dccl. [6 2dccl, 6 sp]

Rnd 2 Beg pc in first ch-sp, [ch3, pc in same ch-sp, ch1, pc in next ch-sp] 6 times omitting final pc, ss in beg pc. [12 pc, 12 sp]

Rnd 3 Beg 2dccl in ch-sp, [(ch2, 2dccl) 3 times in same ch-sp, ch2, 1sc in next ch-1 sp, ch2, 2dccl in next ch-sp] 6 times omitting final 2dccl, ss in beg 2dccl. [24 2dccl, 6 sc, 30 sp]

Rnd 4 [2sc in next ch-sp, 3sc in next ch-sp, 2sc in next ch-sp, ch4, sk 2 ch-sps] 6 times, ss in first sc. [42 sc, 6 sp]

Rnd 5 Ss in next 2 sts, beg 2trcl in next st, [(ch2, 2trcl) 3 times in same st, ch1, (2dccl, ch2, 2dccl) in ch-4 sp, ch1, sk 3 sc, 2trcl in next st] 6 times omitting final 2trcl, ss in beg 2trcl. [24 2trcl, 12 2dccl, 36 sp]

Rnd 6 3sc in next 3 ch-sps, 1sc in ch-1 sp, 3sc in next ch-sp, 1sc in ch-1 sp] 6 times, ss in first sc, cut yarn and weave ends. [84 sc]

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 2 double treble cluster: * yoh 2 times, insert hook in st, yoh pull through, (yoh, pull through 2 lps on hook) 2 times, rep from * 1 time, yoh and pull through all 3 lps
  • beg beginning
  • beg 2trcl (beg tr, 1tr) in st/sp indicated – when joining rnd, ss into full trst
  • beg 2dtrcl (beg dtr, 1dtr) in st/sp indicated – when joining rnd, ss into full dtr st
  • beg tr (1dc, ch1) – counts as 1 tr
  • beg pc beginning popcorn: (beg tr, 3tr) in st/sp, remove lp from hook, insert hook front to back through beg tr, grab lp, pull lp to front of work to close beg pc
  • beg dtr (1dc, ch2) – counts as 1 dtr
  • chN chain N number of times
  • dc double crochet
  • dtr double treble crochet
  • lp loop
  • MR make ring: slip knot, ch3, ss in third ch from hook
  • pc popcorn: 4tr 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 pc
  • 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 2trcl, [ch2, 2trcl] 5 times, ch2, ss in beg 2trcl. [6 2trcl, 6 sp]

Rnd 2 Beg pc in first ch-sp, [ch3, pc in same ch-sp, ch1, pc in next ch-sp] 6 times omitting final pc, ss in beg pc. [12 pc, 12 sp]

Rnd 3 Beg 2trcl in ch-sp, [(ch2, 2trcl) 3 times in same ch-sp, ch2, 1dc in next ch-1 sp, ch2, 2trcl in next ch-sp] 6 times omitting final 2trcl, ss in beg 2trcl. [24 2trcl, 6 dc, 30 sp]

Rnd 4 [2dc in next ch-sp, 3dc in next ch-sp, 2dc in next ch-sp, ch4, sk 2 ch-sps] 6 times, ss in first dc. [42 dc, 6 sp]

Rnd 5 Ss in next 2 sts, beg 2dtrcl in next st, [(ch2, 2dtrcl) 3 times in same st, ch1, (2trcl, ch2, 2trcl) in ch-4 sp, ch1, sk 3 dc, 2dtrcl in next st] 6 times omitting final 2dtrcl, ss in beg 2dtrcl. [24 2dtrcl, 12 2trcl, 36 sp]

Rnd 6 3dc in next 3 ch-sps, 1dc in ch-1 sp, 3dc in next ch-sp, 1dc in ch-1 sp] 6 times, ss in first dc, cut yarn and weave ends. [84 dc]

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

Links to Published Hexagon Patterns

Pin the Pulsar Motif!

Thank you so much for stopping in for this week of the 2022 VVCAL!

Happy Crafting,

Rachele C. – The Art of Crochet Blankets

You may also enjoy these completed CALs

2022 VVCAL: Week 5 Instructions

Published by

Hello, and a huge welcome to Week 5 of the 2022 Vibrant Vintage Crochet-A-Long (VVCAL)! I’m so glad you’re here!

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

  • 3 blog posts: The Weekly Post with instructions for each blanket version (this post), plus 2 Cosmos Themed hexie designs
  • Patterns include written instructions in US and UK Terms, chart, step-by-step photos, and YouTube video (US Terms).

Social Media Hashtags: #VVCAL and #CypressTextiles

Find your version below and get started!

Catona 10g Colour Pack version

Make 6 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge.

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1 Pack SW/RW 10g Colour Pack version

Make 4 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge.

2 Packs SW/RW 10g Colour Pack version

Make 7 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge.

Metropolis 10g Colour Pack version

Photo coming soon!

Make 9 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge.

Colour Crafter stash version

Photo coming soon!

Colors are not given for this version because it is made with stash yarn in any desired palette.

Make 4 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge. Note: Since this version does not use 10g balls, it doesn’t matter as much that your hexagons meet the spec below. As long as they are all the same size as your Plain Hexie A, you will be golden.

Chunky Monkey stash version

Photo coming soon!

Colors are not given for this version because it is made with stash yarn in any desired palette.

Make 2 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge. Note: Since this version does not use 10g balls, it doesn’t matter as much that your hexagons meet the spec below. As long as they are all the same size as your Plain Hexie A, you will be golden.

Thank you so much for stopping in for this week of the 2022 VVCAL!

Happy Crafting,

Rachele C. – The Art of Crochet Blankets

You may also enjoy these completed CALs

Scheepjes YARN Bookazine, Issue 13: Wadden

Published by

Looking for something new to crochet? Scheepjes Yarns has released their latest issue of YARN bookazine *, and it is so lush. Find this issue here at WoolWarehouse (affiliate link). Scroll down to the end of this post for a special walk down memory lane all about the contributions I have made to YARN Bookazine. I sincerely enjoy each and every project. The themes are well thought out and the issues are always stunning and engaging. I flip through them often, as if they were magazines!

WADDEN is this issue’s theme, so the strong, beachy colors – beautiful blues, greens, red – are cool, warm, and inviting. Perfect projects to bring out on a day to the shore..

My contribution to YARN, Issue 13 is a blanket named “Surf and Turf.” I combined a few different scale chevron motifs depicting sea and shore, a playful yellow polka dot motif, and a red and white lighthouse border to create this design.

Inspiration: The Wadden Shoreline

The Wadden Sea is located in the southeastern part of the North Sea. It lies between the coast of northwestern continental Europe and the range of low-lying Frisian Islands, forming a shallow body of water with tidal flats and wetlands.

Isn’t this the loveliest texture? Getting inspiration for the chevron blocks was easy.

Another gorgeous aerial photo, showing the wavy quality of the landscape. The shallow water showcases the sands beautifully.

And the Bornrif lighthouse, on Ameland, which is an island in the Wadden Sea, inspired the addition of red and white in that blue and sandy seascape palette.

Work in Progress

I started and stopped these motifs dozens of times, making sure the math and gauge would work out among all of the different textures, and ensuring all of the blocks were square and the same size.

The polka dot square is such a hoot! I just loved working this one up, and I used a little hand-drawn chart to make sure the spots aligned just perfectly.

This piece came together pretty roughly at first while I worked out where each motif would go, and how I would rotate them to add visual interest.

As you can also see in this photo, I was trying to figure out which shade of yellow would work best with the other colors.

And here is the final product, blocking on my foam interlocking mats. So satisfying!

Another angle, I couldn’t help but take many photos, but these are only a few. The pop of yellow is so cheery!

Related Links

Surf and Turf Blanket

“All the textures and patterns of the Wadden are here: waves, a bold red and white border inspired by lighthouses, and spots representing sea buckthorn berries. Make an easycare blanket equally ready for a country picnic, a beach BBQ, or simply to add a touch of the coast to your home.” – From the Project Ravelry Page

Materials

Scheepjes Colour Crafter (100% Premium Acrylic (Anti Pilling); 100g/300m) Shop Scheepjes Colour Crafter Yarn (affiliate) or find a Scheepjes retailer near you!

  • Yarn A: 1019 Texel x 4 balls
  • Yarn B: 1003 Middelburg x 2 balls
  • Yarn C: 1302 Dokkum x 2 balls
  • Yarn D: 2017 Verviers x 4 balls
  • Yarn E: 2010 Hasselt x 2 balls
  • Yarn F: 1710 Ermelo x 2 balls
  • Yarn G: 1114 Eindhoven x 1 ball
  • Yarn H: 1010 Amsterdam x 1 ball
  • Yarn I: 1001 Weert x 1 ball

4mm crochet hook

Project Details

  • MEASUREMENTS: 155 X 155CM (61 X 61in) after blocking
  • GAUGE/TENSION: Tension is not critical for this project, but different measurements may result in different yarn amounts needed.
  • SKILL LEVEL: Advanced

More Gorgeous Projects in this Issue

There are a couple of projects that I fell in love with in this issue, and I thought I would share them!

The Hollander Cycle Set

By Jellina Verhoeff (Ravelry Project Page)

The Scheepjes Legacy yarn is gorgeous, and it works so well with this lovely basket decoration pattern. For a picnic, or to carry shopped knick-knacks, this pretty cotton bag is adaptable to any size basket, and the pretty lace trim lends a wonderful touch.

The Ebb and Flow Cardigan

By Christina Hadderingh (Ravelry Project Page)

This sweater works up quick in Scheepjes Chunky Monkey* ,

My Past YARN Bookazine Projects

When I joined the Scheepjes Bloggers Team, I started contributing to their biannual publication, the YARN Bookazine. Since the thirteenth issue has just been released, I thought I would take a little walk down memory lane, and reminisce over my quirky YARN blanket design submission collection. This collection starts with Issue 7. If you’d like to see the projects from Issues 3-6, head to this blog post and scroll down to the bottom for my first memory lane walk!

To find these titles, please browse this page of Scheepjes Publications (affiliated) and you can find all of the issues of YARN there.

Here we go – enjoy!

YARN 7, Reef

There are so many beautiful projects in this issue. Look at the incredible cover – is it Summer yet??

Surftime Blanket

“A crazy mix of diverse patterns combining three-dimensional and flat stitches. This design takes the humble granny square to its extreme.” From Ravelry

I worked on this piece while in Amsterdam for the Scheepjes Bloggers’ Meetup. The motifs and border were so much fun to design! I do have overpack-itis, and I packed some Colour Crafter yarn with me so I could at least have a little play with the motif design for my ocean-inspired blanket during my airport layover time, and my hotel room down-time. It was a blast!

Related Links:

YARN 8, Tea Room

This issue features stunning designs – something for everyone, ranging from elegant to playful – mixed in with delightful articles all centered on the tea room theme – including a selection of ten glorious tea rooms, sure to end up on your bucket list.

Oolong Blanket

And a stylized shot of my contribution – can’t get enough of this one! The shapes of Oolong are really why I love crochet design. Bringing together those panels was such a delight for me. I live for the geometry of it all!

Related Links:

YARN 9, Now Age

What an honor to design a blanket for this fresh and stunning issue. Plus, just feast your eyes on all of the top notch designs featured on the cover. So much beauty! Not to mention the incredible models. This was really a fantastic issue. I recommend diving into your own copy! You will certainly find something you’d love to make within its pages.

Floral Eclipse Throw

This blanket works up quick in Cahlista yarn – an aran weight cotton. Aren’t the lacy floral motifs delightful?

Related Links:

Yarn 10, The Colour Issue

The Colour Issue is a celebration of 10 issues of YARN and the perfect salute to color. If you’ve followed my work for any length of time, you know that I am color obsessed, so when Scheepjes told me that they were coming out with a color issue, I jumped for joy! I mean just look at the cover.

Technicolour Dream Blanket

 “A combination of geometric shapes and a pompom trim create a kaleidoscopic feast for the eyes. Throw this celebration of colour over a sofa, bed or chair to instantly uplift the mood in any room!” – From Ravelry

It was so much fun to design this blanket and choose the colors for it. What a real dedication to COLOR this project is! Mixing the colors and creating the layout was a delight, and it is so simple, but comes together to make something beautiful.

Related Links:

YARN 12, Romance

According to the Scheepjes Facebook page, this issue “pays tribute to the Pre-Raphaelite and Arts and Crafts movements of the 19th century and is divided into four enthralling chapters inspired by renowned muses Lizzie Siddal, Fanny Eaton, Annie Miller and Effie Gray.” This edition is a stunner! The patterns in the bookazine are top notch, but I also enjoyed perusing through the issues and reading the creative interviews and articles.

Morris Blanket

This blanket design pays homage to the equal parts intricate and whimsical wallpaper of William Morris. Choosing the bright, unexpected colors and creating the lace and trellis panels was a delight, and I know you will enjoy the construction.

Related Links:

Thank you all for walking down memory lane with me and indulging me on my look back through these designs! I hope you check out the Wadden Issue and give the Surf and Turf Blanket a heart, a comment, queue it up, or just generally show some love. It means a lot to me 🙂

Don’t forget to add your project to Ravelry also – this helps loads! That way more folks can find the issues and they can imagine the projects in new ways. Inspire someone today!

Happy crafting! Love you!

Rachele C.

2022 VVCAL: Eclipse Motif

Published by

Hello, and a huge welcome to Week 4 of the 2022 Vibrant Vintage Crochet-A-Long (VVCAL)! I’m so glad you’re here!

Attention!

If you have not yet seen the Week 4 Instruction post, please head there first and see the instructions for the version that you are working. Below, you will find the Eclipse Motif pattern, in US, and UK Terms, Chart, Video, and Step by step photos.

Social Media Hashtags: #VVCAL and #CypressTextiles

Eclipse Motif

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

The Cosmos: Eclipse

An eclipse occurs when one heavenly body such as a moon or planet moves into the shadow of another heavenly body. Here are some fun Eclipse facts!

  • In ancient Greece, a solar eclipse was seen as a sign that the gods were angry and was thought to be an omen of bad things to come. The word eclipse comes from the Greek word ekleipsis which means “being abandoned”. In ancient China, eclipses were regarded as signs that foretell the future of the Emperor. Over four millennia ago, legend has it that two astrologers, Hsi and Ho, were executed for failing to predict a solar eclipse. In Viking fables the sun god Sol is chased by the wolf Skoll. When the Skoll catches Sol, a solar eclipse happens, and the people were instructed to bang pots and pans together to frighten off the wolf and return the sun.
  • The element helium was discovered on 18 August 1868 by the French astronomer Jules Janssen (1824-1907) when he observed the spectrum of the Sun during a total eclipse in India. Helium is the second most abundant chemical element in the Universe and it was first discovered in the Sun, hence the name “helium” from helios. [More]
  • A lunar eclipse only happens when the Sun, the Earth, and the moon are precisely aligned, with the Earth situated in the middle. In astronomy, such occurrence is called “syzygy,” when three celestial bodies are configured in a straight line. A lunar eclipse only transpires during a full moon. It also takes place only if the moon passes through some portion of the shadow of the Earth. [More]
  • The saros is a period of 223 synodic months (about 18 years or 6,585 days). Astronomers use the saros to forecast eclipses of the moon and sun. One saros period or 18 years after an eclipse, the moon, earth, and the sun comes back around the same relative geometry. They are also about in the same line, and almost the same eclipse will take place.
  • A total solar eclipse happens when the moon totally blocks the solar disk. A full solar eclipse is almost as dark as night and among other eclipses, the total solar eclipse is the only time when it is safe to look straight at the sun. [More]

Eclipse Motif Pattern

Reference

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

Note: Video is spoken in US Terms. Watch on mute to avoid confusion for UK Terms.

Subscribe on YouTube for more videos like this one!

Stitch Guide (US Terms)

Note: Scroll down for UK Terms.

  • 3trcl 3 treble cluster: * 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 3trcl (beg tr, * yoh 2 times, insert hook in st, yoh pull through, (yoh, pull through 2 lps on hook) 2 times, rep from * once, yoh and pull through all 3 lps
  • beg dc (1sc, ch1) – counts as 1 dc
  • beg pc beginning popcorn: (beg dc, 3dc) in st/sp, remove lp from hook, insert hook front to back through beg dc, grab lp, pull lp to front of work to close beg pc
  • chN chain N number of times
  • dc double crochet
  • lp loop
  • MR make ring: slip knot, ch3, ss in third ch from hook
  • pc popcorn: 4dc in st/sp indicated, remove lp from hook, insert hook front to back through first dc, grab lp, pull to front of work to close pc
  • 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] 5 times, ch1, ss in beg dc. [6 dc, 6 sp]

Rnd 2 Beg pc in first ch-sp, [ch3, pc in next ch-sp] 5 times, ch3, ss in beg pc. [6 pc, 6 sp]

Rnd 3 Beg 3trcl in ch-sp, [(ch2, 3trcl) twice in same ch-sp, ch2, 3trcl in next ch-sp] 6 times omitting final 3trcl, ss in beg 3trcl. [18 3trcl, 18 sp]

Rnd 4 4sc in each sp around, ss in first sc. [72 sc]

Rnd 5 [1sc in next st, ch2, sk2] 24 times, ss in first sc. [24 sc, 24 sp]

Rnd 6 Ss in 1 ch, 1sc in ch-sp, [ch2, 1sc in next ch-sp] 23 times, ch2, ss in first sc. [24 sc, 24 sps]

Rnd 7 Ss in 1 ch, 1sc in ch-sp, * ch2, 1sc in next ch-sp, ch2, (1sc, ch2, 1sc) in next sc, [ch2, 1sc in next ch-sp] 3 times, rep from * 5 times omitting final sc, ss in first sc. [36 sc, 36 sp]

Rnd 8 [2sc in next 2 ch-sps, 3sc in next ch-sp] 12 times, ss in first sc, cut yarn and weave ends. [84 sc]

Stitch Guide (UK Terms)

  • 3dtrcl 3 double treble cluster: * 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 3dtrcl (beg dtr, * yoh 2 times, insert hook in st, yoh pull through, (yoh, pull through 2 lps on hook) 2 times, rep from * once, yoh and pull through all 3 lps
  • beg tr (1dc, ch1) – counts as 1 tr
  • beg pc beginning popcorn: (beg tr, 3tr) in st/sp, remove lp from hook, insert hook front to back through beg tr, grab lp, pull lp to front of work to close beg pc
  • chN chain N number of times
  • dc double crochet
  • dtr double treble crochet
  • lp loop
  • MR make ring: slip knot, ch3, ss in third ch from hook
  • pc popcorn: 4tr 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 pc
  • 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] 5 times, ch1, ss in beg tr. [6 tr, 6 sp]

Rnd 2 Beg pc in first ch-sp, [ch3, pc in next ch-sp] 5 times, ch3, ss in beg pc. [6 pc, 6 sp]

Rnd 3 Beg 3dtrcl in ch-sp, [(ch2, 3dtrcl) twice in same ch-sp, ch2, 3dtrcl in next ch-sp] 6 times omitting final 3dtrcl, ss in beg 3dtrcl. [18 3dtrcl, 18 sp]

Rnd 4 4dc in each sp around, ss in first dc. [72 dc]

Rnd 5 [1dc in next st, ch2, sk2] 24 times, ss in first dc. [24 dc, 24 sp]

Rnd 6 Ss in 1 ch, 1dc in ch-sp, [ch2, 1dc in next ch-sp] 23 times, ch2, ss in first dc. [24 dc, 24 sps]

Rnd 7 Ss in 1 ch, 1dc in ch-sp, * ch2, 1dc in next ch-sp, ch2, (1dc, ch2, 1dc) in next dc, [ch2, 1dc in next ch-sp] 3 times, rep from * 5 times omitting final dc, ss in first dc. [36 dc, 36 sp]

Rnd 8 [2dc in next 2 ch-sps, 3dc in next ch-sp] 12 times, ss in first dc, cut yarn and weave ends. [84 dc]

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

Links to Published Hexagon Patterns

Pin the Eclipse Motif!

Thank you so much for stopping in for this week of the 2022 VVCAL!

Happy Crafting,

Rachele C. – The Art of Crochet Blankets

You may also enjoy these completed CALs

2022 VVCAL: Supernova Motif

Published by

Hello, and a huge welcome to Week 4 of the 2022 Vibrant Vintage Crochet-A-Long (VVCAL)! I’m so glad you’re here!

Attention!

If you have not yet seen the Week 4 Instruction post, please head there first and see the instructions for the version that you are working. Below, you will find the Suoernova Motif pattern, in US, and UK Terms, Chart, Video, and Step by step photos.

Social Media Hashtags: #VVCAL and #CypressTextiles

Supernova Motif

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

The Cosmos: Supernova

A supernova occurs when a star reaches the end of its life and explodes. Here are some fun Supernova facts!

  • Scientists do not think our Sun will ever explode because it is not large enough.
  • The energy emitted from a supernova is so powerful it can take months for its brightness to fade. The material expelled from the star’s explosion can travel as fast as 30,000 KM each second. [More]
  • Supernovae happen more often than you might think: one occurs somewhere in the universe every second. However, the Milky Way only has an average of two supernovae per century and trying to spot one as it happens is still very tricky. The last one directly observed in our galaxy was over 400 years ago. [More]
  • Many of the elements we’re made of come from supernovae. Everything from the oxygen you’re breathing to the calcium in your bones, the iron in your blood and the silicon in your computer was brewed up in the heart of a star. [More]
  • When a star goes supernova, it either becomes a neutron star or a black hole. There are also high chances that the star is completely destroyed. Some supernova explosions can outshine an entire galaxy of stars before it begins to fade. [More]

Supernova Motif Pattern

Reference

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

Note: Video is spoken in US Terms. Watch on mute to avoid confusion for UK Terms.

Subscribe on YouTube for more videos like this one!

Stitch Guide (US Terms)

Note: Scroll down for UK Terms.

  • beg beginning
  • beg dc (1sc, ch1) – counts as 1 dc
  • chN chain N number of times
  • dc double crochet
  • lp loop
  • MR make ring: slip knot, ch3, ss in third ch from hook
  • pc popcorn: 4dc in st/sp indicated, remove lp from hook, insert hook front to back through first dc, grab lp, pull to front of work to close pc
  • 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 1 MR, beg dc, [ch1, 2dc] 5 times, ch1, 1dc, ss in beg dc. [12 dc, 6 sp]

Rnd 2 [(1sc, ch5, 1sc) in next ch-sp, ch3] 6 times, ss in first sc. [12 sc, 12 sp]

Rnd 3 Ss in 2 chs, 1sc in ch-sp, [ch3, pc in ch-3 sp, ch3, 1sc in ch-5 sp] 6 times omitting final sc, ss in first sc. [6 pc, 6 sc, 12 sp]

Rnd 4 [4sc in next ch-sp, ch4, 4sc in next ch-sp, 1sc in next sc] 6 times, ss in first sc. [54 sc, 6 sp]

Rnd 5 Ss in next 3 sts and in 1 ch, 1sc in ch-sp, [ch3, sk4, 5dc in next st, ch3, 1sc in next ch-sp] 6 times omitting final sc, ss in first sc. [30 dc, 6 sc, 12 sp]

Rnd 6 Beg dc in same st as ss, [4dc in same st, ch3, sk 1 ch-sp, 5dc, remove lp from hook, insert hook front to back in first of 5 dc, grab lp, pull lp to front of work – special pc made, ch3, 1dc in next sc] 6 times omitting final dc, ss in beg dc. [5 special pc, 30 dc, 12 sp]

Rnd 7 [1sc in next st, 3sc in next st, 2sc, 3sc in next ch-sp, 1sc in special pc, 3sc in next ch-sp, 1sc] 6 times, ss in first sc, cut yarn and weave ends. [84 sc] 

Stitch Guide (UK Terms)

  • beg beginning
  • beg tr (1dc, ch1) – counts as 1 tr
  • chN chain N number of times
  • dc double crochet
  • lp loop
  • MR make ring: slip knot, ch3, ss in third ch from hook
  • pc popcorn: 4tr 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 pc
  • 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, 2tr] 5 times, ch1, 1tr, ss in beg tr. [12 tr, 6 sp]

Rnd 2 [(1dc, ch5, 1dc) in next ch-sp, ch3] 6 times, ss in first dc. [12 dc, 12 sp]

Rnd 3 Ss in 2 chs, 1dc in ch-sp, [ch3, pc in ch-3 sp, ch3, 1dc in ch-5 sp] 6 times omitting final dc, ss in first dc. [6 pc, 6 dc, 12 sp]

Rnd 4 [4dc in next ch-sp, ch4, 4dc in next ch-sp, 1dc in next dc] 6 times, ss in first dc. [54 dc, 6 sp]

Rnd 5 Ss in next 3 sts and in 1 ch, 1dc in ch-sp, [ch3, sk4, 5tr in next st, ch3, 1dc in next ch-sp] 6 times omitting final dc, ss in first dc. [30 tr, 6 dc, 12 sp]

Rnd 6 Beg tr in same st as ss, [4tr in same st, ch3, sk 1 ch-sp, 5tr, remove lp from hook, insert hook front to back in first of 5 tr, grab lp, pull lp to front of work – special pc made, ch3, 1tr in next dc] 6 times omitting final tr, ss in beg tr. [5 special pc, 30 tr, 12 sp]

Rnd 7 [1dc in next st, 3dc in next st, 2dc, 3dc in next ch-sp, 1dc in special pc, 3dc in next ch-sp, 1dc] 6 times, ss in first dc, cut yarn and weave ends. [84 dc] 

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

Links to Published Hexagon Patterns

Pin the Supernova Motif!

Thank you so much for stopping in for this week of the 2022 VVCAL!

Happy Crafting,

Rachele C. – The Art of Crochet Blankets

You may also enjoy these completed CALs

2022 VVCAL: Week 4 Instructions

Published by

Hello, and a huge welcome to Week 4 of the 2022 Vibrant Vintage Crochet-A-Long (VVCAL)! I’m so glad you’re here!

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

  • 3 blog posts: The Weekly Post with instructions for each blanket version (this post), plus 2 Cosmos Themed hexie designs
  • Patterns include written instructions in US and UK Terms, chart, step-by-step photos, and YouTube video (US Terms).

Social Media Hashtags: #VVCAL and #CypressTextiles

Find your version below and get started!

Catona 10g Colour Pack version

Make 6 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge.

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1 Pack SW/RW 10g Colour Pack version

Make 4 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge.

2 Packs SW/RW 10g Colour Pack version

Make 7 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge.

Metropolis 10g Colour Pack version

Photo coming soon!

Make 9 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge.

Colour Crafter stash version

Photo coming soon!

Colors are not given for this version because it is made with stash yarn in any desired palette.

Make 4 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge. Note: Since this version does not use 10g balls, it doesn’t matter as much that your hexagons meet the spec below. As long as they are all the same size as your Plain Hexie A, you will be golden.

Chunky Monkey stash version

Photo coming soon!

Colors are not given for this version because it is made with stash yarn in any desired palette.

Make 2 hexies total:

Gauge note: All hexies should be compared back to the Week 1 Plain Hexie A hexagon that you made throughout the CAL to maintain gauge. Note: Since this version does not use 10g balls, it doesn’t matter as much that your hexagons meet the spec below. As long as they are all the same size as your Plain Hexie A, you will be golden.

Thank you so much for stopping in for this week of the 2022 VVCAL!

Happy Crafting,

Rachele C. – The Art of Crochet Blankets

You may also enjoy these completed CALs

2022 VVCAL: Tabby’s Star Motif

Published by

Hello, and a huge welcome to Week 3 of the 2022 Vibrant Vintage Crochet-A-Long (VVCAL)! I’m so glad you’re here!

Attention!

If you have not yet seen the Week 3 Instruction post, please head there first and see the instructions for the version that you are working. Below, you will find the Betelgeuse Motif pattern, in US, and UK Terms, Chart, Video, and Step by step photos.

Social Media Hashtags: #VVCAL and #CypressTextiles

Tabby’s Star Motif

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

The Cosmos: Tabby’s Star

Tabby’s star is known as the “most mysterious star in the universe” because it appears to dim and brighten at a constant rate. Here are some fun Tabby’s Star facts.

  • Its variability (consistently fluctuating, up to a 22% dimming in brightness) and periods of darkness has interested astronomers from around the world. One explanation is that an “uneven ring of dust” orbits Tabby’s Star, which could cause the visual disruption. But a new study offers another suggestion. Astronomers at Columbia University and the University of California, Berkeley suggest that the pattern of light could be explained if the star had eaten up one of more of its planets. [More]
  • The gravitational energy released as these planetary bodies spiraled into the star would have caused a temporary brightening, from which the star is now recovering – hence the observed dimming. Meanwhile, this cataclysmic event could have created clouds of debris as the planet was torn apart, or had its moons ripped away. This debris would go into orbit, causing the observed dips in starlight as it passed between us and the star.[More]
  • Astronomers believe that Tabby’s Star stole an exomoon from a nearby planet that no longer exists and pulled it into orbit. The star’s strong radiation has lashed the exomoon’s outer layer, which is comprised of ice, gas and rock.
  • Tabby’s star is A Main Sequence Star is a star that is fusing hydrogen into helium, just like our Sun. When a star is referred to as a Dwarf Star, it usually refers to a Main Sequence star. [More]
  • Being called Tabby’s star is a lot easier to say and pronounce than its other more official name, KIC 8462852. It gets its name from the lead author of the initial study of the star, Tabetha S. Boyajian, a American female astronomer. [More]

Tabby’s Star Motif Pattern

Reference

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


Note: Video is spoken in US Terms. Watch on mute to avoid confusion for UK Terms.

Subscribe on YouTube for more videos like this one!

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 dc (1sc, ch1) – counts as 1 dc
  • beg 2dccl (beg dc, dc) in st/sp indicated – when joining rnd, ss into full dc st
  • chN chain N number of times
  • dc double crochet
  • lp loop
  • 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
  • yoh yarn over hook

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

Rnd 1 MR, beg 2dccl, [ch2, 2dccl] 5 times, ch2, ss in beg 2dccl. [6 2dccl, 6 sps]

Rnd 2 Ss in 1 ch, beg dc in ch-sp, [ch1, 2dc in same ch-sp, ch1, 2dc in next ch-sp] 6 times omitting final dc, ss in beg dc. [24 dc, 12 sp]

Rnd 3 [(1sc, ch3, 1sc) in next ch-sp, ch3, 1sc in next ch-sp, ch3] 6 times, ss in first sc. [18 sc, 18 sps]

Rnd 4 Ss in 1 ch, 1sc in ch-sp, [ch3, 1sc in next ch-sp] 17 times, ch3, ss in first sc. [18 sc, 18 sps]

Rnd 5 Rep Rnd 4 [18 sc, 18 sps]

Rnd 6 Ss in 1 ch, 1sc in ch-sp, [ch3, 1sc in next ch-sp, ch3, (1sc, ch3, 1sc) in next ch-sp, ch3, 1sc in next ch-sp] 6 times omitting final sc, ss in first sc. [24 sc, 24 sps]

Rnd 7 3sc in each ch-sp around, ss in first sc. [72 sc]

Rnd 8 [6sc, 3sc in next st, 5sc] 6 times, ss in first sc cut yarn and weave ends. [84 sc]

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 tr (1dc, ch1) – counts as 1 tr
  • beg 2trcl (beg tr, tr) in st/sp indicated – when joining rnd, ss into full tr st
  • chN chain N number of times
  • dc double crochet
  • lp loop
  • 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 2trcl, [ch2, 2trcl] 5 times, ch2, ss in beg 2trcl. [6 2trcl, 6 sps]

Rnd 2 Ss in 1 ch, beg tr in ch-sp, [ch1, 2tr in same ch-sp, ch1, 2tr in next ch-sp] 6 times omitting final tr, ss in beg tr. [24 tr, 12 sp]

Rnd 3 [(1dc, ch3, 1dc) in next ch-sp, ch3, 1dc in next ch-sp, ch3] 6 times, ss in first dc. [18 dc, 18 sps]

Rnd 4 Ss in 1 ch, 1dc in ch-sp, [ch3, 1dc in next ch-sp] 17 times, ch3, ss in first dc. [18 dc, 18 sps]

Rnd 5 Rep Rnd 4 [18 dc, 18 sps]

Rnd 6 Ss in 1 ch, 1dc in ch-sp, [ch3, 1dc in next ch-sp, ch3, (1dc, ch3, 1dc) in next ch-sp, ch3, 1dc in next ch-sp] 6 times omitting final dc, ss in first dc. [24 dc, 24 sps]

Rnd 7 3dc in each ch-sp around, ss in first dc. [72 dc]

Rnd 8 [6dc, 3dc in next st, 5dc] 6 times, ss in first dc cut yarn and weave ends. [84 dc]

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

Links to Published Hexagon Patterns

  • Plain Hexie A
  • Plain Hexie B
  • Half Hexie A
  • Half Hexie B
  • Stella
  • Solis
  • Sirius
  • Betelgeuse
  • Vega
  • Tabby’s Star (You are here!)
  • Supernova
  • Eclipse
  • Pulsar
  • Quasar
  • Uranus
  • Pluto
  • Kepler
  • Exoplanet
  • Gliese
  • Saturn
  • Planet Nine
  • Milky Way Galaxy
  • Andromeda Galaxy
  • Evil Eye Galaxy
  • Antennae Galaxy
  • Porpoise Galaxy
  • Sunflower Galaxy
  • Whirlpool Galaxy
  • Aurora Borealis
  • Nebula
  • Halley’s Comet
  • Meteor
  • Orionis
  • Leonis
  • Galaxia
  • Gravity
  • Night Sky
  • Universe

Pin the Betelgeuse Motif!

Thank you so much for stopping in for this week of the 2022 VVCAL!

Happy Crafting,

Rachele C. – The Art of Crochet Blankets

You may also enjoy these completed CALs