Hello and Welcome to the Sophie’s Universe CAL 2015.
You have no idea how excited (and how nervous) I am about this CAL. I hope that you will enjoy making this blanket with us. May you learn lots of new stitches and make many, many good friends along the way!
Those of you who followed the Block a Week CAL 2014 will know that the CAL (crochet-along) was hosted by the Official CCC Social Group on Facebook. The mastermind behind that CAL was my good friend Kimberly Slifer, and I will be teaming up with her again for Sophie’s Universe.
Sophie’s Universe: Small Cotton 8 Version
Sophie’s Universe CAL 2015
The CAL started on the 18th of January 2015 and ran for 20 weeks.
This pattern has proven to be extremely popular, with almost 7000 projects on Ravelry to date. Five years later, the majority of my online engagement with fellow crocheters still centers around Sophie.
Followed by thousands of people, ranging from complete beginners to experienced crocheters, Sophie’s Universe is a crash course in crochet and a wonderful adventure!
Above all, my goal with this pattern has always been to show people that every stitch is ‘just a stitch’, and to help them learn the skills that will allow them to approach any complex pattern with confidence.
Two warnings, though:
- Pets LOVE Sophie, so prepare to be ambushed!
- Partners and spouses are not immune to her either, often helping to choose colours or checking up on progress (and very occasionally starting one too – like my husband).
Even though the crochet-along has finished, the instructions will remain available on this website (for free) indefinitely. Sophie’s Universe is now also available as a 216-page step-by-step crochet book.
If you are new to this journey: Welcome! May you enjoy every moment (even the frogging). And may you make many good friends along the way.
At the bottom of this post, you will find a list of all the weekly tutorials and their related links.
Index
- Resources
- Translations
- Difficulty
- Gauge
- Size and Materials (Includes Available Colour Packs)
- Sophie’s Universe Timeline (With links to all the relevant tutorials)
- Helpful Templates
- Important Tips
- Blocking
- Examples of Sophie
Resources
- Book: Sophie’s Universe is now also available as a 216-page step-by-step book. Read more about the Sophie’s Universe Book and where to find it.
- Tutorials: You can find the links to all the weekly photo tutorials under Timeline below.
- Printing/PDF: There is a Print-friendly button in the bottom right-hand corner after every post. Please use this print-friendly button to print/save the tutorials. Take a look at THIS TUTORIAL if you don’t know how to use the print-friendly button.
- *Video Tutorials*: Esther Dijkstra from It’s All in a Nutshell has made step-by-step video tutorials for each part of Sophie’s Universe. You can also find a link to the relevant video at the start of each weekly part.
- Facebook: You can share your journey on the Official CCC Social Group if you would like to be a part of the friendly, supportive community while you work through the tutorials.
- Ravelry: Add the CAL to your Ravelry Queue
- Instagram: If you are on Instagram, you can find me as Barbertondaisy. Please add your photos using #sophiesuniversecal2015 so that we can all Oooh! and Aaah!
- Pinterest: You can also find the links to all the tutorials on Pinterest.
Translations
- Dutch CAL Information by Dianne Baan
- German CAL Information by Maja Heidingsfelder
- Spanish CAL Information by Lynda Hernandez
- Finnish CAL (starting 24th of February 2017)
- French CAL Information by Sandra Larvin (with Video Tutorials by Géraldine Cymer for the first few parts)
- Danish Translations by Tina Poulsen
- Russian CAL Information by Natalie V. Alimpieva
- Swedish CAL Information by Aneli Moberg from Paradisfrun Virkar
- Arabic Video Tutorials by Banan Felimban
Difficulty
Intermediate. Although this is an Advanced pattern, it has been written specifically for adventurous beginners.
Gauge
The best way to check your gauge is to work up Part 1 of Sophie’s Universe.
| Large | Medium | Small | |
| At the end of Part 1: | 18 cm (7″) | 14 cm (5.5″) | 10 cm (4″) |
| The measurements you get at the end of Part 1 (in other words, at the end of Round 8) will be roughly a tenth of the predicted final size of your blanket. | |||
Size and Materials
The pattern was designed for worsted weight yarn and a 5.5 mm crochet hook (US I/9 UK 5), which will give you a finished size of 1.8 meters squared. That’s just shy of 6 feet, for those of you who live on the other side of the pond. You are not, however, limited to worsted weight yarn.
I will be using Scheepjes for the CAL and I will be making 3 blankets, each in a different yarn weight (and therefore a different size). You can find more details about that below.
Please note that the table below does not include the yarn needed for the Optional Squares and Border. You will find the yardages for that under Helpful Templates below.
| Large | Medium | Small | |
| Finished Size: | 1.8 m x 1.8 m (6′ x 6′) | 1.4 m x 1.4 m (4’7 x 4’7) | 1 m x 1 m (3’3 x 3’3) |
| Yarn Weight: | Worsted Weight (#4) | Double knit (#3) | 4 Ply (#2) |
| Hook Size*: |
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| Yardage: | 3900 meters (4265 yards) | 3400 meters (3720 yards) | 2500 meters (2730 yards) |
| I am using: | Scheepjeswol Stonewashed XL | Scheepjeswol Softfun | Scheepjeswol Cotton 8 |
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| Colours: | 23 x Moon Stone (841)** | 2 x Canary (2518) | 1 x Canary (714) |
| 3 x Amazonite (853) | 2 x Light Rose (2513) | 1 x Light Pink (718) | |
| 3 x Green Agate (855) | 3 x Rose (2514) | 2 x Fuchsia (720) | |
| 3 x Blue Apatite (845) | 2 x Bordeaux (2492) | 1 x Pink (719) | |
| 6 x Canada Jade (846) | 3 x Cyclamen (2534) | 2 x Moors (726) | |
| 3 x Lemon Quartz (852) | 3 x Olive (2531) | 2 x Light Green (642) | |
| 3 x Deep Amethyst (851) | 1 x Dark Turquoise (2511) | 1 x Turquoise (712) | |
| 3 x Garnet (850) | 6 x Light Blue (2432) | 5 x Light Turquoise (622) | |
| 3 x Corundum Ruby (848) | 2 x Pink (2480) | 1 x Violet (529) | |
| 3 x Coral (856) | 2 x Heath (2493) | 1 x Heath (721) | |
| 2 x Violet (2519) | 1 x Light Purple (651) | ||
| All these yarns are available from Wool Warehouse and Deramores. Both offer worldwide shipping. You can find the direct links for the colour packs below. | |||
* There are 2 hook sizes listed for each size. Please see Important Tips before you start.
** This is not a typo (can you tell that is a frequently asked question?). The large version is predominantly Moonstone, so you will need many, many balls.
Colour Packs for Sophie’s Universe CAL 2015
Please note that these packs contain enough yarn to complete Sophie if your tension matches mine. If you are a ‘loose crocheter’, please see the Helpful Templates below to figure out how much more yarn you will need.
Wool Warehouse
- Cotton 8 (Small)
- Softfun (Medium)
- Stonewashed XL (Large)
- **NEW** Rainbow Colour Crafter Pack (Medium) – You can read more about the Rainbow Colour Crafter Sophie HERE.
Deramores
- Cotton 8 (Small)
- Softfun (Medium)
- Stonewashed XL (Large)
Optional Squares and Border Colour Packs
If you are wanting to add the optional squares and border, you can now find colour packs (and information) for that HERE.
Sophie’s Universe Timeline
IMPORTANT: Please do not copy, reproduce, or distribute this pattern in part or as a whole. This pattern belongs to me and I retain all rights to it. Copyright is protected by Scheepjes. Please see my Terms of Use if you would like to read more.
Thank you,
Dedri
| Update: If you would like to make a much larger version of Sophie, please have a look at Sophie’s Alternate Universe. | ||
| Week 1: | 18 January 2015 | Part 1: Rounds 1 – 8 |
| Part 2: Rounds 9 – 15 | ||
| Week 2: | 25 January 2015 | Part 3: Rounds 16 – 25 |
| Week 3: | 01 February 2015 | Part 4: Rounds 26 to 36 |
| Week 4: | 08 February 2015 | Part 5: Rounds 37 – 45 |
| Week 5: | 15 February 2015 | Part 6: Rounds 46 – 53 |
| Week 6: | 22 February 2015 | Part 7: Rounds 54 – 61 |
| Week 7: | 01 March 2015 | Part 8: Rounds 62 – 68 |
| Week 8: | 08 March 2015 | Part 9: Rounds 69 – 74 |
| Week 9: | 15 March 2015 | Part 10: Rounds 75 – 80 |
| Week 10: | 22 March 2015 | Part 11: Rounds 81 – 84 |
| Week 11: | 29 March 2015 | Part 12: Rounds 85 – 88 |
| Week 12: | 05 April 2015 | Part 13: Rounds 89 – 92 |
| Week 13: | 12 April 2015 | Part 14: Rounds 93 – 97 |
| Week 14: | 19 April 2015 | Part 15: Rounds 98 – 101 |
| Week 15: | 26 April 2015 | Part 16: Rounds 102 – 104 |
| Week 16: | 03 May 2015 | Part 17: Rounds 105 – 109 |
| Week 17: | 10 May 2015 | Part 18: Rounds 110 – 113 |
| Week 18: | 17 May 2015 | Part 19: Optional Squares |
| Week 19: | 24 May 2015 | Part 20: Growing Options |
| Week 20: | 31 May 2015 | Part 21: The End of the Beginning |
Helpful Templates
Colours Per Round (Official)
Here you will find the colours and yardages used per round for each of the 3 sizes (small, medium, and large).
- Colours Per Round (Small Version)
- Colours Per Round (Medium Softfun Version)
- Colours Per Round (Medium Colour Crafter Version)
- Colours Per Round (Large Version)
Colours Per Round Template (Blank)
You can use this spreadsheet to keep a tally of your colours and usage per round. If you do, you will notice that there are some values (in orange) already entered on the template. This is just example text and should be replaced with your own values.
Printable Colours Per Round Template
Brandi Kasper-Theisen designed this one-sheet template to help you keep a tangible record of which colour you used per round.
Printable Colours Per Round Template
Optional Squares and Border Template
Here you will find the (additional) colours and yardages used per round for the optional squares and border.
- Optional Squares and Border Cotton 8
- Optional Squares and Border Softfun
- Optional Squares and Border Stonewashed XL
More Helpful Resources
Important Tips
Some people have had problems with the centres of their blankets ‘bulging’. To avoid this, I suggest starting with the smaller of the 2 hooks listed for each size and then changing to the larger of the 2 hooks after you have completed the initial Mandala (Parts 1 – 3).
If you are making the large version with worsted weight yarn and a 5.5 mm hook, for example, start with a 5 mm hook and complete the initial Mandala (Parts 1 – 3) with that hook. Then, at the start of Part 4, change to the recommended hook size (in this example that would be a 5.5 mm hook).
This is especially important if you are a complete beginner as your tension will improve as the blanket grows.
I also suggest blocking Sophie at the end of Part 7 (see Blocking below). If your centre has started bulging again, go up another hook size at the start of Part 8, but please keep in mind that doing this will affect the amount of yarn you end up using.
When making Sophie, you will realize that some rounds bulge and some rounds buckle. This will be corrected in later rounds (apart from the above-mentioned instance at the end of Part 7) and is part of the intricate shaping of the pattern.
It is extremely important that you do not go down a hook size to compensate for this (at all, ever)!
Blocking
From Part 7 of Sophie’s Universe onward, I suggest blocking your work. Annie’s has some good advice for Blocking Afghans and Other Large Pieces.
Quite a few people think that you cannot block acrylic yarn. You can, in fact, block acrylic yarn quite successfully!
If you are going to use foam squares to block on, consider buying these Interlocking Foam Exercise Mats. They are similar to these Knitter’s Pride Lace Blocking Mats
Examples of Sophie
If you would like to see some inspirational versions/colourways, you can find them here:
- Ravelry – you can see some awesome examples (along with colours and yarn used) HERE on Ravelry.
- Instagram – you can find all the images tagged with #sophiesuniversecal2015 HERE on Instagram.
- More Sophie’s Universe Projects
Please remember to subscribe to my Newsletter if you would like to be kept in the loop. You can also like my Facebook page or follow me on Bloglovin, Google+, Pinterest, Twitter, or Instagram.
Happy Hooking!
This blog post contains affiliate links. I only link to products I personally use or would use. All opinions are my own.
Amorie van Straaten says
I’m busy with Sophie. Hope her universe will be half as beautiful as yours! I find it helpful to look at the video and to use the written pattern. It must have taken you all hours to compile. Thanks so much. I’m only at stage 4 and still has a long way to crochet!
Dedri Uys says
I hope you enjoy your journey with us!
Lesley says
Hi Dedri, firstly, let me say his amazing you are, this pattern is so very incredible, I first made this blanket 2 years ago and have since made 3 more (for family) which all turned out perfectly.
I recently started saving to buy a boat, on which I plan to sail to the south pacific, my family have said that I should make more of these blankets to sell to help fund my getaway, so here I am letting you know this is my plan, I will of course include a link to this site as requested and hope that my intentions are OK with you.
Again, you are incredible, how your able to create things like this is mind blowing to me, until I made my first Sophie’s Universe my greatest achievement was finishing a granny square blanket, which I was inordinately proud of, now I know anything is possible, (including me living on my boat on the other side of the world) thank you for that x x x
Dedri Uys says
Lesley, it sounds like you are gearing up for an amazing adventure. Best of luck and thank you for telling me about your journey and letting me be part of it!
Dedri
Natalie says
Hi Dedri,
Firstly, Tha kyou so much for doing this… These are just amazing! I have never made anything like this so it’s going to be a really big project for me and I can’t wait. The other thing I wanted to ask was, do you necessarily have to use Scheepjes yarn ? If, say, you had quite a large yarn stash and went allowed to add anymore at this time would you be able to use the aran/dk yarns that you have? Would that still turn out OK?
Thanks again SOOOOO much!
Natalie
Dedri Uys says
Hi Natalie :)
Thank you for your comment. You, my dear, are welcome to use whichever yarn you have or want to use. Designers usually specify which yarn they used for a pattern, but that never means that that is the ONLY yarn that will work for that pattern. Any dk will work up to the same size as the medium version (provided your gauge is the same as mine). Any Aran/WW will work up to the same size as the large blanket.
Good luck on this wonderful and exciting journey!
Dedri
JESSICA MAIN says
Hi Dedri,
I just want to thank you for your beautiful pattern and tell you how much I’ve enjoyed making a Sophie. I’m almost done my first one, which I did in Rowan Calmer and because I’m a yarn addict, I’m already looking toward buying yarn for another. I’d really like to do it in the Stonewash XL, but I’m wondering about the washing instructions…. Have you ever stuck yours in the dryer? I’m curious what happens, shrinkage, de-fluffing?
Thanks so much for your help!
Jessica
Jenny says
Hi Jessica. Dedri machine washed my original (pale grey) Sophie’s Universe and air dried and blocked it. The yarn went almost fluffy and lost some of the stitch definition, so I would suggest you don’t put it in a dryer. It may have the same effect as felting, and you could end up regretting it.
Why not try a swatch and machine was and dry it to see what happens?
BW Jenny :)
Kim says
I was finally able to buy the book of this pattern. Thank you for that!!
Kim
Dedri Uys says
Oh yay. Enjoy!
Audrey Joan Hurst says
Hi could I ask if you do a written patten/ or down load to purchase please.Thanks in Advance.
Dedri Uys says
Hi Audrey. The pattern is also available as a printed book. You can read more about that HERE.
Meghann S Brogden says
Dedri,
Thank you for creating such a beautiful art piece and sharing it with us all. I just finished my first Sophie this evening, and am so proud of myself. I have shared a pic in the Facebook group.
Thanks for the detailed pattern. The amount of thought and preparation that you have all put into this is unbelievable; the video tutorials, the step-by-step pictures, the encouragement, it is all unbelievable. I am so grateful that there are people like you and your associates who are willing to work so hard to create such an enjoyable experience for strangers.
So, again, thank you.
Jenny says
Hi Meghann. Sophie’s Universe really is such a special pattern, and a joy to make. We are happy that it has given you such joy. Jenny
Skylar says
This is my first big crochet project ever and I adore it!! I am just about to start part 4 of my sophie and I cannot wait, I’m doing her in monochrome to fit the aesthetic for my bedroom. I am a 15 year old agender kid, my grandma(kate) showed me her sophie last week when i visited her on holiday in spain and I absolutely fell in love. I don’t rlly have a question lol, I just wanted to share my experience of sophie so far. I love how easy the pattern is to follow and I wanna thank you for putting photos as well, it makes it so much quicker for me. Many thanks and lots of kind regards, Skylar x
Dedri Uys says
Hi Skylar. Lovely to meet you. How wonderful that you can share this journey with your granny. Cherish every moment and do share photos of your progress :)
Lesley Bristow says
Hi
I have completed the Sophie’s Universe blanket and was wondering where I could get the patterns that you suggest for making it into a rectangular blanket – Lydia’s square and Betty’s border please.
Jenny says
Hi Lesley. They are all here on the blog.
Squares
Growing options
They are parts 19 and 20.
Jenny :)
DavetteB says
I’m late to this pattern, found it via Pinterest and Ravelry. I was wondering if it would work with a cake or mandala type yarn? I was thinking it might give the effect of the color changes without dealing with changing all that yarn.
Jenny says
Jenny here. I have made this with Scheepjes Whirl cakes. Check out the blog for Dedri’s write up :)
Karen says
Hi Dedri,
I came across Sophie’s Universe online and I absolutely fell in love. I want so much to be able to make this beautiful project. Only problem is I don’t know how to crochet. I know how to knit. But now I desperately want to learn how to crochet, do you think I could learn how to crochet by making this project? Or where do you think would be the best place to start. Unfortunately, I have no one in my area to teach me.I would appreciate your advice. Thank you.
Jenny says
Hi Karen. Jenny here. I learnt to crochet with this very pattern. There are videos to help you too, and it will be slow progress, but if you are enthusiastic and learn about the stitches required before you start, anything is possible ;) I would take it step by step as the pattern is broken up in to 4 parts first off, and then extends from there. You can try each stage up to the square Garden and see what you think. Maybe practice with some DK yarn first to see what you think.