Positivity mandala hoop

https://attic24.co.uk/posts/positivity-mandala-hoop/

ROUND 1 : Use colour A

Chain 4, slip stitch into 1st chain to form a ring.

Chain 2 (counts as 1 dc); work 9 dc into the ring.

Slip stitch into the 2nd chain of the beginning chain-2 to close the round. Fasten off. [10 stitches]

ROUND 2 : Use colour B

Begin in any stitch.

Chain 3 (counts as 1 tr); work 1 tr into the same stitch (as shown above); 

Work 2 tr into each of the next 9 stitches.

Slip stitch into the 3rd chain of the beginning chain-3 to close the round. Fasten off. [20 stitches]

ROUND 3 : Use colour C

Begin in any stitch.

Chain 3 (counts as 1 tr); work 1 tr into the same stitch; chain 2 (as shown above);

*Skip 1 stitch; work 2 tr's into the next stitch; chain 2*

Repeat between ** 8 more times;

Slip stitch into the 3rd chain of the beginning chain-3 to close the round. Fasten off. [10 tr groups and 10 ch-2 spaces]

ROUND 4 : Use colour D

Begin in any chain-2 space.

Chain 3 (counts as 1 tr); work 1 tr into the same space; chain 2; 2 tr into same space;

*work a double V-stitch in next chain-2 space* (as shown above);

Repeat between ** 8 more times;

Slip stitch into the 3rd chain of the beginning chain-3 to close the round. 

DO NOT FASTEN OFF!!!!

Before you begin round 5, you will need to make 3 slip stitches to make sure you will be starting off in the right place.

1. Slip stitch into the top of the treble immediately to the left of where you closed round 4.

2. Slip stitch into the next treble.

3. Slip stitch into the chain-2 space immediately to the left (as shown by my needle in the above photo).

You are now ready to start round 5.....

ROUND 5 : continue with colour D

Chain 3 (counts as 1 tr); work 6 tr into the same space; 

See where my needle is pointing in the above picture? This is the space between the double V-stitches.

Work 1 dc in the space between the double V-stitches ( as shown above);

*7 tr into next chain-2 space; 1 dc into space between V-stitches*

Repeat between ** 8 more times;

Slip stitch into 3rd chain of beginning chain-3 to close the round. Fasten off. [10 shells]

ROUND 6 : Use colour E

Begin in 4th (centre) treble of any shell.

Chain 12 (counts as 1 tr and chain-9);

*1 tr in 4th (centre) tr of next shell (shown by my needle in the above photo); chain 9*

Repeat between ** 8 more times

Slip stitch into 3rd chain of beginning chain-12 (shown by my needle in the above photo) to close the round.

Fasten off. [10 tr and 10 chain-9 loops]

ROUND 7 : Use colour F

Begin in the top of any treble stitch. If you aren't sure about this, have a good look at my hook in the above photo - the top of the treble stitch is the chain that sits slightly to the right of the post of the stitch (the sticky up bit if that makes sense!) Pass your hook under both loops, as shown by my hook above.

Chain 4 (counts as 1 tr plus chain 1); 

Skip 1 chain;

*1 tr in next chain; skip 1 chain; chain 1*

Repeat between ** 3 more times;

You should have made 4 tr's along the chain-9 loop, with skipped stitches and chain-1's in between (as shown above).

Now see my needle? That's the top of the next treble stitch...... 

so work 1 tr into the top of this next treble stitch.

Skip 1 chain; chain 1; 

*1 tr in next chain; skip 1 chain; chain 1*

Repeat between ** 3 more times;

1 tr into the top of the next treble stitch; skip 1 chain; chain 1;

*1 tr in next chain; skip 1 chain; chain 1*

Repeat between ** 3 more times;

Repeat the text shown in red until you arrive back to where you started.......

Slip stitch into 3rd chain of beginning chain-3 to close the round. Fasten off. [50 tr and 50 ch-1 spaces]

Now have a quick count to make sure you do have 50 stitches - this must be accurate or else the next round won't work out! Ask me how I know this????!!!!!

ROUND 8 : Use colour G

Begin in any chain-1 space.

Chain 3 (counts as 1 tr); 1 tr in same space; chain 2; 2 tr in same space;

1 dc in next space;

double V-stitch in next space; 1 dc in next space;

*double V-stitch in next space; 1 dc in next space;*

Repeat between ** until you get back to where you started.

Slip stitch into beginning chain-3 to close the round. Fasten off. [25 double V-stitches and 25 dc]

ROUND 8 : Use colour H

Begin in any chain-2 space.

Chain 3 (counts as 1 tr);; 1 tr in same space; chain 2; 2 tr in same space;

double V-stitch in next space (shown by  my needle in the above photo);

*double V-stitch in next space*

Repeat between ** until you get back to where you started.

Slip stitch into beginning chain-3 to close the round. Fasten off. [25 double V-stitches]

ROUND 9 : Use colour C

Begin in any chain-2 space.

Chain 3 (counts as 1 tr); 4 tr in same space;

1 dc in space between double V-stitches (shown by my needle in the above photo); 

*5 tr in next chain-2 space; 1 dc in space between double V-stitches*

Repeat between ** until you get back to where you started.

Slip stitch into beginning chain-3 to close the round. Fasten off. [25 shells]

I like to give my mandala a little bit of a light steam press and a gentle stretch after round 9, just to relax the crochet and even out any lumps and bumps.

Your mandala should be measuring around 25 or 26 cm across - ideally you need about a 2 cm gap all the way around between your mandala edge and the ring. You can test it out by gently pulling out the mandala and making sure it reaches to both sides of the ring ok - it should be tight! However, don't worry too much if you've only less than 2cm arounf, it'll just mean that it will end up a little looser inside the hoop.

Get your stitch markers ready, we're going to stretch and attach before we start crocheting the final round.......

I usually find that 5 or 6 markers will do the trick. Pass them through the 3rd/centre treble stitch of a shell, THROUGH BACK LOOPS ONLY, then attach the markers to the ring.

You'll probably find that the crochet stitch stretches quite a bit and looks rather big and loopy, but don't worry, it doesn't matter.

Ok......ready to begin? Here we go with the final round..................

ROUND 10 : Use colour B.

WORK IN BACK LOOPS ONLY (BLO) for this round.

Begin in the top of any dc, BLO. The top of the dc stitch will sit slightly to the right of the post of the stitch - I've shown you with my needle in the above photo where the top of the stitch is. Remember Back Loop Only.

Pull through a loop of new colour and Chain 1.

Work 1 slip stitch into each of the next 3 stitches (BLO). This will take you to the 3rd/centre tr of the shell.

Chain 3.

You will now need to move your working crochet and yarn to the back of the ring. So move your hook and crochet so that it sits to the back of the mandala, and push your yarn ball through to the back as well.

Pull your chain-3 against your ring, lifting it up and towards you so that it bends over the edge of the ring from back to front. Your yarn ball and working yarn will naturally come to the front again too.

Put your hook into the same back loop where your chain 3 was made......

.....and work a slip stitch to anchor the chain loop around the edge of the ring.

That's your first attachment made - only 24 more to go!!

Work 1 slip stitch into each of the next 6 stitches (BLO). This will take you to the 3rd/centre tr of the next shell.

Chain 3.

Pass your crochet, hook and yarn through the ring so that it sits at the back of the mandala.....

...then pull your chain-3 up and over the edge of the ring from back to front. Your yarn ball and working yarn will move to the front again.

Work 1 slip stitch into the same back loop where your chain 3 was made to form the attachment.

Work 1 slip stitch into each of the next 6 stitches (BLO). This will take you to the 3rd/centre tr of the next shell.

Chain 3.

Pass your crochet, hook and yarn through the ring so that it sits at the back of the mandala.

Bend your chain-3 over the edge of the ring from back to front so that crochet, hook and yarn moves to the front.

Work 1 slip stitch into the same back loop where your chain 3 was made to form the attachment.

Repeat the text shown in red, removing the stitch markers as you come to them.

There is a point where it all looks very wonky indeed and as if it won't possibly stretch and lay flat. 

Don't panic!

Keep calm and carry on crocheting your slip stitches, gently stretching out the mandala as you work, easing those chain loops up and over the edge of the ring.

Eventually you'll arrive right back where you started. To close this round, we're going to use an invisible fastening off technique. When you've made a slip stitch in the last stitch, snip off your yarn and pull your hook upwards to extend the loop until the tail end pulls right out of the stitch. Take care not to pull the slip stitch tight.

Thread the tail end onto a darning needle. Pass the needle underneath the very first slip stitch you made in this round (shown in the above photo)

Now pass the needle down through the centre of the last slip stitch you made in this round, taking the tail end right through to the back of the work.

Pretty neat eh?!

You need to take care when you darn in your tail ends for each round of the mandala - you need to do some careful weaving of the needle and yarn underneath and through stitches so that you secure the ends but keep them as invisible as possible. Your mandala should look as good on the reverse as it does on the front.....now there's a challenge for ya!