Over the next four weeks (or five, or six), I will be sharing a new project with you.  A new OLD project.  One of those I never got around to tweaking and writing down, but have always wanted to share.  This one is even older than Charlotte’s Universe, but much (MUCH) smaller…unless I decide to keep growing it… which I probably will.

Here are some clues:

• It is a mandala
• There may or may not be a hexagon twist for those who want to use it in a blanket
• There probably (definitely) will be a squared-up version – NEW, although I know that squaring it with Sophie looks LUSH!  And adding a bit of Charlotte on top looks even better!!!

For this project, I will be using a Scheepjes Softfun Mini Pack in the Rainbow Colourway.

It contains 12 x 20g balls in the following colours:

• 2480 – Pink
• 2495 – Hot Pink
• 2511 – Dark Turquoise
• 2515 – Deep Violet
• 2516 – Apple
• 2519 – Violet
• 2603 – Cool Blue
• 2605 – Emerald
• 2634 – Bumblebee
• 2636 – Soft Coral
• 2651 – Pumpkin
• 2410 – Candy Apple

Each 20g ball holds 56m of yarn, which goes quite a long way.  Softfun is a 60% Cotton, 40% Acrylic mix, and it works up really lovely!

The Mini Packs are available in four more colourways (Click on Images to Enlarge):

Softfun Mini Packs (and individual 50g balls) are available from Wool Warehouse and Black Sheep Wools.  You can find alternative Scheepjes Stockists HERE.

{Side Note}

While I was trying to take photos of these packs, Buddy tipped the ‘Rich’ box over, stole one of the mini balls and ran away with it (not the first time he’s stolen yarn today, and not the most disastrous).

This is the ‘before’ (spot the dog on the right).

This is the ‘after’ – as if butter couldn’t melt!

Just look at that face!  My face did NOT look like that when he managed to steal and tangle (not an hour later) a ball of Moonstone Stonewashed yarn I am using for a project.

{End Side Note}

Although I love all five of these colour packs, I always gravitate towards rainbow colours.  Even when I try to use other colours, I end up finding my way back to Rainbow.

Case in Point:  When I designed Charlotte’s Universe, I used three soft, vintage colours – and I LOVE the finished blanket.  LOVE IT!

But when I started doing the photo tutorials for it, I found myself sliding more and more towards rainbow colours.

Initially, my plan had been to use Rainbow Aquarel shades for the photo tutorials.

Although I loved the visual of it, and am still working on a Charlotte in these colours, it was hard to see stitch definition for step-by-step photos (because of the beautiful stonewashed nature of the yarn).

So I changed my plans and decided to use a different yarn type for each photo tutorial – both so that I could have a bit of fun and so that you could see how the different yarns worked up.  I used Stonewashed XL for the Part 1 photos, Sunkissed for Parts 2 and 3, Aquarel and Cahlista for Parts 4 and 5, and Stonewashed and Whirligig for Part 6.

And then Part 7 happened and I cracked open a Rainbow Mini Pack.  I loved the vibrancy of it so much that I just kept using it for each remaining part :)

Look how beautifully those colours play together.  So bright and vibrant and feel-good!

So when I decided to share THIS project, I went for this colour pack immediately.  I’ve already made a squared-up version of this mandala in Stonewashed (muted purples, cream, and green).  I know it works beautifully in those colours and that I could have saved myself a lot of time if I used the photos I already have in that colourway, but the Rainbow calls to me.  It always does.  It’s about time I started listening to it!

So, off I go on my little rainbow adventure.  I will share some work in progress photos next week :)

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