Unseen Mandala: Pattern {Part 1}

I was supposed to share this Unseen Mandala pattern with you yesterday, but my day was hijacked by an ‘Unseen Thing’. An Unforeseen Unseen Thing!

(You might need to read my Yarn Post about this project for that to make sense…)

While I was sitting in the hospital waiting area, watching all the people (I’m a people watcher!), I found myself getting worked up as the mood in the room became more and more frustrated. But then I took my Whirl version of this mandala out of my bag and it reminded me that all those people were dealing with things I couldn’t see. It prompted me to look for the fear beneath the bombastic, and the helplessness beneath the anger.

Isn’t that a perfect underlining of what was in my head and heart as I designed and worked on this mandala?

Want to see more of our Unseen Mandala journey?

Unseen Mandala Pattern

Tested by Minno Baarman and Anna Moore.

: Unseen Mandala Anna Moore – 3mm hook, 55g Whirl, 50cm/19″ blocked

: Unseen Mandala Minno Baarman – 2.25mm hook, 8/4 cotton, 44.5cm/17.5″ blocked

Information

Resources

Hashtag: If you share photos, please use #unseenmandala so that we can find your projects and have a gleeful look.
You can buy Scheepjes Cutie Pies from the following retailers:
- Black Sheep Wools (International)
- Wool Warehouse (International)
- Deramores (International)
- Caro’s Atelier (Netherlands)
- Knotty House (Canada)
- More Retailers
Add This Pattern to Your Ravelry Queue

Photo Tutorials

Due to the length of this tutorial, I have broken it up into two parts. You can find Part 2 HERE:

Unseen Mandala Photo Tutorial Part 2

If you prefer a formatted ad-free US PDF version of this pattern (Written-only and Photo Tutorial), you can buy it HERE in my Ravelry Store and HERE in my Etsy Shop. Please note that these PDFs are for the original version pictured here ONLY. The extended version published December 2023 has its own PDF, which you can find HERE on Ravelry and HERE on Etsy.

Difficulty

Intermediate.

Materials

3mm hook
Scheepjes Stonewashed Cutie Pies (78% cotton/22% acrylic), 10g/26m/28yds
- Yarn A – Beryl (833)
- Yarn B – Lemon Quartz (812)
- Yarn C – Peridot (827)
- Yarn D – Morganite (834)
- Yarn E – Coral (816)
- Yarn F – Rhodochrosite (835)
- Yarn G – Lilac Quartz (818)
- Yarn H – Deep Amethyst (811)
- Yarn I – Amazonite (813)
- Yarn J – Turquoise (824)*
Scheepjes Stonewashed (78% cotton/22% acrylic), 50g/130m/142yds
- Yarn K – Moon Stone (801)
50cm/19” florist hoop

* Please keep in mind that this mandala uses most of each cutie pie (each colour is used twice, except for Yarn A, which is used 3 times) and there will be very little spare yarn left for some of the colours. For Yarn J, I used the entire ball. If you are not working to gauge, you will either need extra Yarn J, or you can substitute any colour except Yarn A and Yarn C for Yarn J in Round 5.

Gauge

At the end of Round 3, your flower should measure 6cm/2.4” (unblocked)
At the end of Round 8, your flower should measure 13cm/5.1” (unblocked)

Size

50cm/19” in diameter (blocked/stretched on wire hoop)

Abbreviations

US Terminology

Beg – Beginning
Ch – Chain
Dc – Double crochet
Dtr – Double treble crochet
Hdc – Half-double crochet
Rep – Repeat
Sc – Single crochet
Sl st – Slip stitch
SM – Stitch Marker
Sp/sps – Space/spaces
St/sts – Stitch/stitches
Tr – Treble crochet

Punctuation

*An asterisk indicates pattern repeats. You will need to repeat all the instructions between asterisks the number of times specified. This is a hard-core repeat and will consist of multiple instructions.
Parentheses () indicate repeats. You will need to repeat the instructions between parentheses the number of times specified. This is a lower level repeat.
Square Brackets [] are used to indicate a group of stitches to be worked in the same stitch/space.

Special Stitches

Beg Tr Bobble – Ch 3. Yarn over twice and insert your hook into the same st/sp. Yarn over and pull up a loop. (Yarn over and pull through 2 loops) twice. Yarn over twice and insert your hook into the same st/sp. Yarn over and pull up a loop. (Yarn over and pull through 2 loops) twice. Yarn over and pull through all 3 loops.
BP (Back Post) – Identify the post of the stitch you want to work around. Insert your hook from the back to the front and then from the front to the back around the post of the stitch so that the post lies behind your hook. Complete your stitch as normal.
Dc2tog – Yarn over, insert your hook into the indicated st and pull up a loop. Yarn over and pull through 2 loops. Yarn over, insert your hook into the next st and pull up a loop. Yarn over and pull through 2 loops. Yarn over and pull through all 3 loops on your hook.
Dc Bobble – Yarn over and insert your hook into the indicated st/sp. Yarn over and pull up a loop. Yarn over and pull through 2 loops. (Yarn over and insert your hook into the same st/sp. Yarn over and pull up a loop. Yarn over and pull through 2 loops) twice. Yarn over and pull through all 4 loops on your hook.
FP (Front Post) – Identify the post of the stitch you want to work around. Insert your hook from the front to the back and then from the back to the front around the post of the stitch so that the post lies on top of your hook. Complete your stitch as normal.
Puff Stitch – Yarn over and insert your hook into the indicated st/sp. Yarn over and pull up a long loop. (Yarn over and insert your hook into the same st/sp. Yarn over and pull up a long loop) 3 times. Yarn over and pull through all 9 loops on your hook. Ch 1 to close the Puff Stitch.
Tr Bobble – Yarn over twice and insert your hook into the indicated st/sp. Yarn over and pull up a loop. (Yarn over and pull through 2 loops) twice. Yarn over twice and insert your hook into the same st/sp. Yarn over and pull up a loop. (Yarn over and pull through 2 loops) twice. Yarn over twice and insert your hook into the same st/sp. Yarn over and pull up a loop. (Yarn over and pull through 2 loops) twice. Yarn over and pull through all 4 loops.
Popcorn – Make 5 dc in the indicated st/sp. Pull up a loop and remove your hook. Insert your hook into the first dc of the 5-dc group. Grab the last st with your hook and pull it through the first st.
Special FPtr – See Start of Round 28.

Notes

Pattern – I am sure that many people will want to make this pattern in a single colour/colour-change yarn or choose their own colour changes. To make it as easy as possible to follow, therefore, I have written the instructions as if you were using a single colour.
Changing Colours – to change colours at the start of a round, do so on the last sl st before the starting chain. Alternatively, you can end each round (when changing colours ONLY) with the Invisible Join and start the next round with a Standing Stitch. Please see the colour chart below for the colour placement I used.
Skipping Stitches – Due to the lacy nature of the mandala, you will be skipping stitches quite a lot. Originally, I had written out every single skipped stitch, but the instructions were long and hard to follow. I have resorted, therefore, to only mentioning the skipped stitches/spaces when not doing so would lead to ambiguity. For example: if there are two ch-3 sps next to each other and the first one needs to be skipped, I will mention it. In all other instances, assume that you are skipping a st/sp unless expressly instructed to work into it. If you have any doubts, please refer to the charts provided.
Blocking/Stretching – This mandala will wobble a bit when it is done. Due to the lacy nature of the pattern, it will need to be attached to a hoop to stretch it and ‘open up’ the lace detail. For best results, you will need a hoop that is roughly 2.5cm/1” bigger than the finished mandala.

Colours Per Round

Chart

Instructions

Make a magic ring. Alternatively, ch4 and join to the first ch with a sl st to form a ring.

Round 1

Into the ring, ch 1 (doesn’t count as a st throughout), [sc, ch 3] 6 times. Join to the first sc with a sl st.

Stitch Count: 6 sc and 6 ch-3 sps

Round 2

Sl st into the next ch-3 sp. Ch 2 (counts as hdc throughout), [hdc, ch 2, 2 hdc] in the same ch-3 sp. ([2 hdc, ch 2, 2 hdc] in the next ch-3 sp) 5 times. Join to the top of the beg ch-2 with a sl st.

Stitch Count: 24 hdc and 6 ch-2 sps

Round 3

Skip the next hdc. *[2 hdc, dc, ch 2, dc, 2 hdc] in the next ch-2 sp, skip the next 2 hdc and make a sc between the second and third hdc,** skip the next 2 hdc.* Repeat from * to * 4 more times and from * to ** once. Join to the first hdc with a sl st.

Stitch Count: 6 sc, 24 hdc, 12 dc and 6 ch-2 sps

Round 4

Sl st in the next 2 sts and into the next ch-2 sp. Ch 1, sc in the same ch-2 sp. *Ch 3, skip the next 3 sts, FPdc around the next sc. Ch 3, skip the next 3 sts,** sc in the next ch-2 sp.* Repeat from * to * 4 more times and from * to ** once. Join to the first sc with a sl st.

Stitch Count: 6 sc, 6 FPdc, and 12 ch-3 sps

Round 5

Ch 1, [sc, ch 2, sc] in the same st. *Ch 3, make a Popcorn in the next FPdc. Ch 3**, [sc, ch 2, sc] in the next sc.* Repeat from * to * 4 more times and from * to ** once. Join to the first sc with a sl st.

Stitch Count: 12 sc, 6 Popcorns, 6 ch-2 sps, and 12 ch-3 sps

Round 6

Sl st into the next ch-2 sp. Make a Beg Tr Bobble. (Ch 3, Tr Bobble in the same ch-2 sp) twice.

*Ch 3, FPsc around the next Popcorn, ch 3.** Make a Tr Bobble in the next ch-2 sp. (Ch 3, Tr Bobble in the same ch-2 sp) twice.*

Repeat from * to * 4 more times and from * to ** once. Join to the first Tr Bobble with a sl st.

Stitch Count: 6 FPsc, 18 Tr Bobbles, and 24 ch-3 sps

Round 7

Sl st into the next ch-3 sp. Ch 1, sc in the same ch-3 sp. Ch 4, sc in the next ch-3 sp.

*Ch 3, [dc, ch 2, dc] in the next FPsc. Ch 3, skip the next ch-3 sp.** Sc in the next ch-3 sp. Ch 4, sc in the next ch-3 sp.*

Repeat from * to * 4 more times and from * to ** once. Join to the first sc with a sl st.

Stitch Count: 12 sc, 12 dc, 6 ch-2 sps, 12 ch-3 sps, and 6 ch-4 sps

Round 8

Sl st into the next ch-4 sp. Ch 1, [sc, ch 2, sc] into the same ch-4 sp.

*Ch 3, skip the next ch 3 sp, make 7 dc in the next ch-2 sp. Ch 3, skip the next ch 3 sp.** [Sc, ch 2, sc] in the next ch-4 sp.*

Repeat from * to * 4 more times and from * to ** once. Join to the first sc with a sl st.

Stitch Count: 12 sc, 42 dc, 6 ch-2 sps, and 12 ch-3 sps

Round 9

Sl st into the next ch-2 sp. Ch 1, [sc, ch 2, sc] into the same ch-2 sp. *Ch 3. [Dc, ch 1] in each of the next 6 dc. Dc in the next dc. Ch 3, skip the next ch-3 sp.** [Sc, ch 2, sc] in the next ch-2 sp.*

Repeat from * to * 4 more times and from * to ** once. Join to the first sc with a sl st.

Stitch Count: 12 sc, 42 dc, 36 ch-1 sps, and 12 ch-3 sps

Round 10

Sl st into the next ch-2 sp. Ch 3 (counts as dc throughout), [dc, ch 2, 2 dc] in the same ch-2 sp. *(Ch 3, sc in the next ch-1 sp) 6 times. Ch 3, skip the next ch-3 sp.** [2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc] in the next ch-2 sp.*

Repeat from * to * 4 more times and from * to ** once. Join to the top of the beg ch-3 with a sl st. Stitch Count: 36 sc, 24 dc, 6 ch-2 sps, and 42 ch-3 sps

Round 11

Sl st in the next dc and into the next ch-2 sp. Ch 3, [dc, ch 2, Dc Bobble, ch 2, 2 dc] in the same ch-2 sp.

*Ch 3, skip the next ch-3 sp, sc in the next ch-3 sp. (Ch 3, sc in the next ch-3 sp) 4 times. Ch 3, skip the next ch-3 sp.** [2 dc, ch 2, Dc Bobble, ch 2, 2 dc] in the next ch-2 sp.*

Repeat from * to * 4 more times and from * to ** once. Join to the top of the beg ch-3 with a sl st. Stitch Count: 30 sc, 24 dc, 6 Dc Bobbles, 12 ch-2 sps, and 36 ch-3 sps