StoneGnome: winter

The innovative crochet pattern is great as a winter project. Tricky Triangles is a mandala presenting a new way to crochet in the round.

Tricky Triangles Mandala Crochet Pattern

The mandala will be soft and drapey and excellent for making a pillow or you can make it a decorative table topper. There are a lot of other possibilities for hexagons if you google it.

The Mandala

I'm not sure if the level of it is beyond basics or advanced. It might more be a matter of preferences and whether you can find a hook that works for you.

It's colorwork and it requires you to make somewhat uniform stitches. The main stitches are slip stitches and waistcoat stitches. If you are not sure whether these stitches suit you or not, try the FREE introduction pattern Tessa's Triangles first.

Read more: Slip Stitch Tutorials.
Read more: Waistcoat stitches and Stitch Patterns in Rounds

Tricky Triangles comes with a 30% introductory discount. The discount is only available on Payhip or Ravelry and runs out in 2 weeks (Nov. 18th Copenhagen time). Use the coupon code TRICK to get the discount.

The mandala pattern is available in English (US terms) and Danish.

Get the pattern at Ravelry, at LoveCrafts, or right here via my new Payhip Store.

Tricky Triangles

Yarn, Hook sizes, and Final Sizes

In theory, you can use any three yarn balls and a relatively large hook. Preferably a hook with a relatively small head. For the best result, the yarn should be uniform and soft, with a smooth look.

The yarn I have used is very soft and likable, so I can certainly recommend it.

Peppermint and Licorice
Hook size 5mm (H-8). It gets around 30cm (11.8") wide.

Crochet Mandala. Peppermint and Licorice

Scheepjes Organicon/Bamboo Soft.
Organicon - 220 Broken Almond
Bamboo Soft – 263 Smokey Diamond (dark)
Bamboo Soft – 264 Antique Silver (grey)

(Big) Red.
Hook size 8mm (L-11). The red is approximately 37cm (14.5") wide.

Scheepjes Merino Soft.
645 Van Eyck (orange)
621 Picasso (red)
623 Rothko (dark red)

Yarn Packages

Littlebugz.dk made yarn packages for both versions. It might be of most relevance if you live in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway - or close. She is good at adding discounts on yarn packages for my patterns.

Have a look at the yarn packages at Littlebugz.

FYI. A lot of the yarn I use is sponsored by Littlebugz.dk. Littlebugz then makes yarn packages for my patterns. And in case you wonder. Littlebugz doesn't sponsor my opinion or anything other than the yarn 😊

Thank You

Thank you to all that have helped me out. Janelle did a great job before it was even a pattern. She helped me with terms and the structure of the written pattern. Then Anita Reinehr came in early to do a superb tech edit. Unusual yes, but with a new thing, it felt important to do a tech edit before having the pattern tested.

Finally, a lot of people did testing. Some just partly, some only on the early Tessa's Triangles. Thank you to all of you too; Pamela Tan, Robyn Kaltea, Ruth Lister, Jess Wells, and more.

No comments

Suddenly there were Bernie Sanders' mittens all over. What a joy and GREAT inspiration :) Like many other yarn geeks, I've tried to see if I could figure out the color pattern of the mittens.

I'm not sure, though I will make the actual mittens. However, I do have quite a detailed idea of HOW I would do it and maybe this could be of interest to you?

I would crochet in the round in waistcoat stitches (ws), so the mittens got the knitted feeling and would be as warm and cozy as they look at the photos of Bernie Sanders.

The Color Pattern

I had great fun making the color pattern. I used a drawing app on my iPad, that can do grids and layers, but I can also recommend StitchFiddle if you want to make your own stitch pattern and be sure your gauge works well.

Related blog post: From Image to Crochet Chart

Here is my green version of the color pattern. Choose whatever color you like.

Sketching Bernie Sanders Mittens

This is ONLY A SKETCH, but if you are interested in trying, you are welcome to use it. I will also gladly help you if you stumble upon something here, that you need help with.

Hook. Use a 5mm hook

Yarn. Stretchy wool yarn blend with yardage around 200m/50gr. Fingering (or possible Sport).

- - -

Foundation. Chain 30-42 to start with. A number divisible by 3. (Might need a swatch to test the gauge). Turn the chain row into a circle with a slip stitch. Work in a spiral.

Cuff ribbing. Crochet *2 ws, 1 ch* for several rows.

From cuff to hand. Waistcoat stitches only. Increase evenly in the first round (maybe two rounds). You will need a number of stitches divisible by 4 - plus 3 extra stitches (like 32+3=35).

Because. The color pattern is made of repeats of 4 stitches and the root of the thumb could require 3 stitches.

Make a couple of extra rounds. 2-4 rounds I think.

The Thumb

Below is how I would try to make the thumb. I would begin the colorwork right after starting the thumb part. So read both parts now.

Place two stitch markers with 3 stitches between them. The stitch markers mark the beginning and end of the hand. In between them is the thumb.

The middle stitch will be worked normally all the time. Increase when working into the other two stitches next to the stitch markers.

Increase at every second round or what works for you. Move the stitch markers up accordingly. Always increase in a stitch right next to the stitch marker and on the thumb-side of that stitch marker.

Once the base of the thumb is done, simply skip the thumb stitches and continue with the hand part (= skipping all the thumb stitches between the stitch markers).

Do the thumb-increase for something like 5cm (2inches).

Color Work
After initiating the thumb, I would start working on the color pattern as well. The stitch markers marking the thumb are placed in the first and last stitch of the hand. These are also the last and first stitches of the colorwork. So just pretend the thumb isn't there when you look at the color diagram.

Use a solid color for the thumb - or carry through the color from the color pattern.

Color Change Tips
Prepare a color change by changing yarn when you do the last YO-pull-through of a stitch. (Right before the visual color change).

Carry the un-used yarn color on the wrong side of the work or hide it by crocheting over it.

Finalizing the Hand

Carry on with the colorwork until you have about an inch left of the desired length of the mitten. Decrease on both sides at every round now.

Hopefully, you are now working with the dark color and don't have to figure out the colorwork at the same time.

Finalizing the Thumb

Crochet the rest of the thumb in any color. Work straight up till it is long enough and then decrease all the way around.

Would You like to Try?

Would you like to try? I'll be here to help you if you run into trouble. And who knows. Hubby asked for fingerless gloves long ago. One day, I might make him a pair using the color pattern above.