A few months ago, I started seeing these beautiful crocheted circles around the internet. I learned that they are called "Mandalas", and I also learned that I wanted to make some!
After doing a quick Google search on Mandalas, I learned that "Mandala" is a Sanskrit word meaning "circle". Apparantly mandalas have spiritual and ritual significance in both Buddhism and Hinduism. Being that I am neither Buddhist nor Hindu, I was unaware of their origin.
That being said, I found the crocheted mandalas to be beautiful, and I wanted to try my hand at making some.
The first mandala I made was inspired by this one:
You can find a tutorial on how to make it here
And here is my version:
I kind of wish I would've used more colors, but I'm still happy with how it turned out. I think I'll make another one sometime and use more of a variety of colors.
Another mandala I made is actually a potholder pattern, but I'm putting it in the mandala category. I found the pattern on Ravelry. Here was the inspiration:
I love all the bright colors used in these!
And here is my version:
And from the rear...
The two sides are two seperate pieces, and then crocheted together. It is nice and thick and can be used as a potholder or a trivit. You can get the free pattern here.
The next mandala I made came from a pattern I found at DROPS Design. If you haven't discovered this site yet, go now! They have hundreds of free knitting and crocheting patterns, and they are spectacular! When I first saw this pattern, I thought it would look good in different colors. The example they have on their site is pretty basic:
I still have to crochet the two pieces together, but here's my version:
I may eventually turn this into a pillow. It's pretty big.
My final mandala is the queen of all mandalas.
She is gorgeous.
She is breathtaking.
She is the supermodel of mandalas.
I first saw the pattern on Etsy. I was taken back immediately, but it looked so difficult, I didn't think I had the skills to make it. I put it into my favorites list, and there it sat until one day a couple months ago, I saw a call for a Crochet Along at A Creative Being. She was going to have a group work on it together, and help each other out. Yay! I decided to join in.
Ok, I have to admit, I almost gave up before I even got very far. I must have torn out as many rows as I put in. I have to say, it was hard! But since I had the support of a group of ladies who were going through the same struggles as I was, I decided to keep trying. Once I got going, things did get easier, and I'm proud to say that I finished it! And it's gorgeous!
So, here she is...
And here is her close up...
Pretty wowza, huh?
But I can't forget the back...
AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!
What happened?!
She looked so good from the front!
My eyes are burning and my head hurts...
I hate weaving in ends...
So, there you have it. Mandalas. One of my newest obsessions. If you are a crocheter, I highly recommend giving these a try. Most of them are pretty quick and easy, and the color possibilities are endless!
~Lori~
