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2022 VVCAL Main Page

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Quick Links to Each Week of the VVCAL: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13/14/15/16/17/18/19/20

PDF Version

Announcement! The 2022 VVCAL full PDF is now available to purchase from Etsy and Ravelry.

  • 42-Page PDF of the entire 2022 VVCAL
  • 36 full mix-and-match hexagons plus 2 half hexagons
  • 2 joining options plus border
  • All motifs have charted and written instructions
  • 2.5 pages of tips and tricks
  • Full layouts, motif progress tracker checklist, and yarn information for Scheepjes Catona Colour Pack, SW/RW Colour Pack (1 or 2 packs), and Metropolis Pack
  • Guidance and blank layout for Colour Crafter and Chunky Monkey stash yarn

Introduction

Hello, gorgeous crafter! Today I am shouting out the announcement for my 2022 VVCAL! You may have heard of my 2016 VVCAL, my 2018 VVCAL, and my 2020 VVCAL. Well, those three VVCAL blankets are made with squares, and 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 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 create the layout or start joining them.

Theme

Yes we will have a theme! Let’s look at the themes of VVCALs past:

  • 2016: Names of important people in my life (This was before I knew the VVCAL would become what it is today!)
  • 2018: Beautiful Trees
  • 2020: Gorgeous Cities Around the World

And the 2022 theme will be… The Cosmos – Get ready to nerd out with me!

Social Media Hashtags: #VVCAL and #CypressTextiles

This page will be updated with new information every Friday from now until the 2022 VVCAL is over on July 15th.

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Texture 101: How to Incorporate New Stitches into Your Crochet Items – Including 9 Free Stitch Patterns!

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Hello, there! Welcome to my first 101 Class: Texture 101, where I’ll discuss how to incorporate textured stitches into your crochet items, as well as offer you 9 free crochet stitches that can be used in any project to get you started. I wrote 3 free crochet patterns to accompany this class: the Sugar Frost Blanket, the Winter Bird Shawl, and the Berry Textured Cushion Pair.

All patterns mentioned in this post which are published free on my site have both US and UK versions available.

PDF Ad-Free Version

As always, you can find the PDF ad-free version for the 3 crochet patterns mentioned above at the following sites.

  • Sugar Frost Blanket: Etsy / Ravelry / CypressTextiles Pattern Shop
  • Winter Bird Shawl: Etsy / Ravelry / CypressTextiles Pattern Shop
  • Berry Textured Cushion Pair: Etsy / Ravelry / CypressTextiles Pattern Shop

Let’s get started with the class! Enjoy Texture 101!

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Free Crochet Pattern: Berry Textured Cushion Pair (UK Terms)

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Hello, lovely! Today I have another free pattern for you! These two patterns, my Winter Bird Shawl, and this pattern, my Berry Textured Cushion Pair, are leading up to a sweet little mini online class called Texture 101: How to Incorporate New Stitches into Your Crochet Items. The 101 class even includes 9 textured stitches that you can use for any project, and those are the nine textures that you will find in the pattern today!

This pattern was first published in Inside Crochet Magazine.

Social Media: #BerryTexturedCushions and #CypressTextiles

PDF Format

Find this pattern in a convenient printable PDF format at Etsy /Ravelry / The CypressTextiles Pattern Shop

Both US and UK Terms PDFs are included in the purchase.

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Free Crochet Pattern: Berry Textured Cushion Pair (US Terms)

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Hello, lovely! Today I have another free pattern for you! These two patterns, my Winter Bird Shawl, and this pattern, my Berry Textured Cushion Pair, are leading up to a sweet little mini online class called Texture 101: How to Incorporate New Stitches into Your Crochet Items. The 101 class even includes 9 textured stitches that you can use for any project, and those are the nine textures that you will find in the pattern today!

This pattern was first published in Inside Crochet Magazine.

Social Media: #BerryTexturedCushions and #CypressTextiles

PDF Format

Find this pattern in a convenient printable PDF format at Etsy /Ravelry / The CypressTextiles Pattern Shop

Both US and UK Terms PDFs are included in the purchase.

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Free Crochet Pattern: Winter Bird Shawl (UK Terms)

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Hello! Today I have a free pattern for you – The Winter Bird Shawl – a textured stitch crochet shawl that works up quick in front of the television, but never gets boring. This pattern was first published in Inside Crochet.

Social Media: #WinterBirdShawl and #CypressTextiles

PDF Format

Find this pattern in a convenient printable PDF format at Etsy /Ravelry / The CypressTextiles Pattern Shop – Both US and UK Terms PDFs are included.

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Free Crochet Pattern: Winter Bird Shawl (US Terms)

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Hello! Today I have a free pattern for you – The Winter Bird Shawl – a textured stitch crochet shawl that works up quick in front of the television, but never gets boring. This pattern was first published in Inside Crochet.

Social Media: #WinterBirdShawl and #CypressTextiles

PDF Format

Find this pattern in a convenient printable PDF format at Etsy /Ravelry / The CypressTextiles Pattern Shop – Both US and UK Terms PDFs are included.

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Shine Bright Blanket: A Quilt-Inspired WIP

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Hey, gorgeous creative! Today I want to reveal more of the work in progress that I am tinkering with in two colors of Scheepjes Metropolis. She finally has a name: “Shine Bright Blanket” – because of the diamonds of course! So far I have really enjoyed all of the positive feedback I have received about this design in progress. I even did some polling for this project to gather opinions on the motifs, but I’ll share more about that later!

In this post, I’ll go over all of the behind the scenes progress that has gone into making this piece, from the initial idea and development, to the color layout and composition. Of course I have a lot of progress photos to show you as well.

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New Yarn for a New Design! See a Sneak Peek..

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Hello, amazing crafter! Isn’t there just something about receiving a yarn order in the mail and taking that fresh yarn out of the package? I know my yarn stash mysteriously multiplies in the night, but that doesn’t stop me from getting new yarn… I’ll crochet through it all someday, right?!

The yarn I most recently received is some Scheepjes Metropolis in two colors for my latest crochet blanket design. In this post, I’ll show you the yarny goodness, of course, and I’ll also let you in on a little of my thought process as I start my new project.

Keep reading to see a tiny peek of this latest blanket design, take a look at my newly-arrived Scheepjes Metropolis yarn.

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Free Crochet Pattern: Pixel Plaid Blanket

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Hello, lovely! Today I have a free pattern for you! I showed my Facebook Group “CypressTextiles Tree Huggers” this blanket last week, and they absolutely loved it. If you want to join the fun in my FB Group, click here! My brand new design is called Pixel Plaid because it is a blocky checkered pattern that will show off your favorite five colors in a creative and eye-catching layout. Mixing striped and solid “squares” (they’re actually join as-you-go strips) creates the plaid look.

The Pixel Plaid Blanket – a no-sew linen stitch crochet blanket that works up quick in front of the television, but never gets boring.

Social Media: #PixelPlaidBlanket and #CypressTextiles

PDF Format

Find this pattern in a convenient printable PDF format at Etsy /Ravelry

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Cluster Stitch

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Cluster Stitch

There are many ways to make a cluster stitch, as you can use (US Terms) Double Crochet, or Treble Crochet and even taller for your cluster. Check out some tips and tricks in the video below!

Video Instruction

Left-handed Video Instruction is coming!

Find Cluster Stitch in a Crochet Pattern

Abbreviation

Here are some examples of abbreviations for a cluster stitch:

2dc-cl = 2 double crochet cluster

3tr-cl = 4 treble crochet cluster

Chart symbol (US Terms)

Next stitch: Bobble Stitch

Previous Stitch: Ways to Decrease Stitches

Back to the CypressTextiles Art Studio

Free Crochet Pattern: Seaglass Blanket (UK Terms)

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Hello, lovely crafter! I hope you had a great week, and are in for a relaxing weekend or at least squeezing in time to get some hooky in. I have a special post for you today! A super fun blanket inspired by mixed textiles, long walks on the beach, and nautical nonsense. My Seaglass Blanket! Now coming to you in a free format.

Seaglass Blanket

My Seaglass Crochet Blanket Pattern is the perfect mix of neatly constructed large granny squares and my typical pattern twist – a chevron corner.

I am so pleased to give this pattern to you in an updated free version. Below, you will find it in UK Terms. Click here for the US Terms free version!

PDF Version

Find this pattern in a condensed ad-free PDF for a small fee in my Etsy Shop and on Ravelry. Pattern PDFs for US and UK Terms are both included in the purchase.

All of the photography and the sample blanket were done by the amazingly talented Kaelyn Guerin of iiirdwind and Haus Guerin.

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Free Crochet Pattern: Seaglass Blanket (US Terms)

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Hello, lovely crafter! I hope you had a great week, and are in for a relaxing weekend or at least squeezing in time to get some hooky in. I have a special post for you today! A super fun blanket inspired by mixed textiles, long walks on the beach, and nautical nonsense. My Seaglass Blanket! Now coming to you in a free format.

Seaglass Blanket

My Seaglass Crochet Blanket Pattern is the perfect mix of neatly constructed large granny squares and my typical pattern twist – a chevron corner.

I am so pleased to give this pattern to you in an updated free version. Below, you will find it in US Terms. Click here for the UK Terms free version!

PDF Version

Find this pattern in a condensed ad-free PDF for a small fee in my Etsy Shop and on Ravelry. Pattern PDFs for US and UK Terms are both included in the purchase.

All of the photography and the sample blanket were done by the amazingly talented Kaelyn Guerin of iiirdwind and Haus Guerin.

Read More