Hello and Welcome to the Sophie’s Universe CAL 2015.
If you are new to this journey: Welcome! 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!
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 over 7000 projects on Ravelry. Seven 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.
Sophie’s Universe: Medium Softfun Version
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.
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
- Sophie-related Patterns
- More Colourways
Resources
- Photo Tutorials: You can find the links to all the weekly photo tutorials under Timeline below.
- 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. If you struggle with any aspect of the pattern, I strongly suggest having a look at the video for the relevant part as they are extremely detailed and helpful.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
Sophie’s Universe: Large Stonewashed XL Version
Translations
- Dutch CAL Information by Dianne Baan
- German CAL Information by Maja Heidingsfelder
- Spanish CAL Information by Lynda Hernandez
- Finnish CAL Information by Mervi, Pippa, Sari S, and Sari Å
- 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 Emma Vingqvist, Agnetha Magnusson, Åza Karlsson, and Ulrika Larsson
- 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) | ||
| * There are 2 hook sizes listed for each size. Please see Important Tips before you start. | |||
Official Colour Packs for Sophie’s Universe CAL 2015
Colour Packs for Sophie’s Universe are available from my Wool Warehouse Shop. Please note that these packs contain enough yarn to complete Sophie’s Universe (without the optional squares and border) 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.
- Cotton 8 (Small)
- Softfun (Medium)
- Rainbow Colour Crafter Pack (Medium) – You can read more about the Rainbow Colour Crafter Sophie HERE.
- Stonewashed XL (Large)
Sophie’s Universe: Medium Rainbow Colour Crafter Version
Sophie’s Universe Timeline
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.
| 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)
If you want to use your own colours, you can use the spreadsheet below 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.
Colours Per Round Template (Printable)
Brandi Kasper-Theisen designed this one-sheet template to help you keep a tangible record of which colour you used per round.
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
Colouring Templates
You can download blank colouring-in templates from the 5-year Anniversary Make-along Page HERE.
Example of the Ubuntu Sophie Colourway featured in the Make-along
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.
- Sophie’s Universe in a Single Colour
- Sophie’s Universe in Scheepjes Whirl
- Micro-Sophie
Sophie-related Patterns
- Sophie’s Alternate Universe – an extension of Sophie’s Universe by Sonja Holland
- Sophie’s Dream – POPULAR
- Sophie Stool
- Sophie Cocoon Cardigan
More Colourways
- 5 Year Anniversary Make-along with 3 new colourways (2020)
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- Ubuntu Colourway
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- Metropolis Colourway
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- Bamboo Soft Colourway
This blog post contains affiliate links. I only link to products I personally use or would use. All opinions are my own.
Sylvia Lau-McDonald says
I can’t wait to get started on mine, it looks marvelous! Still waiting for my yarn to be delivered from Deramores, hope it gets here soon :)
Patrice says
Excited to start this is my 1st. Cal. Should be fun.
P.
Jolene says
I am so excited about being here at the start of CAL 2015. It’s going to be hard to wait a week between parts. I am sure I will find something to keep me busy. I just ordered a book to get a football/sport pattern for one of my grandsons afghan. I have 10 grandchildren (4 boys and 6 girls) ages 14-2. I’ve completed 2 afghans so far. The last one was squares from CAL 2014. So much fun. PS: I think I am going to keep CAL 2015 for myself ;)
Dedri Uys says
So pleased to have you on board, Jolene. I am def keeping mine for myself…all 3 of them! It is great that you have such a large bunch of grandchildren. We are both part of large families and I am sad that my boys will miss out on that (all the grannies and grandpa’s are on the other side of the ocean).
Cathy Frye says
Thank you both for your hard word in the prep side. I am so excited to start my first CAL and you have made is as easy as possible for all of us. I am excited and looking forward to the fun we will have. Thank you so much!
Dedri Uys says
You are most welcome, Cathy. I am very excited myself :)
pam says
I am ecstatic about this weekly progression. Thank you ladies. You are so full of sunshine and are sharing it.
Lauren says
I have never done a CAL before. I already have so many projects to fit in this year around work, but I don’t think I can resist this.
I think I’ll go yarn shopping tomorrow after work.
What’s another pile of yarn?
Marlene says
Just finished part 1 and 2. Love it, love it. Thank you.
Maria de Jesus Teixeira says
Muito lindo o trabalho , parabéns, bons trabalhos.
Dedri Uys says
Thank you :)
Shar says
Is there a link somewhere that we can print the pattern WITHOUT the tutorial/pictures? I will not print 20+ pages for each clue or segment of clue. Some of your members are able to follow directions without tutorials. Help us!!
Dedri Uys says
Shar, there is a print-friendly button at the bottom of the post. There is also a link to a tutorial for using a print-friendly button at the start of each post. The tutorial for the print-friendly button will show you how to remove images from your final print-out by clicking on them. In this way you can tailor the print-outs to suit your needs.
I understand that most members are able to follow directions without tutorials, but my target audience has always been beginners and intermediate crocheters, and to that end almost all of my patterns are written tutorial-style. I just love the sense of achievement people get from being able to accomplish a pattern they thought too advanced for them.
Dedri
Joanne says
Hi thats me a complete beginner.
Pati Plymale says
Me too, a second time beginner. I was taught how to crochet in 3rd grade. After I left that grade, I was stuck on just a basic stitch. There was no YouTube or anyone in my family to continue to teach me. So 40 yrs later, I begin again. Thank you.
Dedri Uys says
I hope you have a lot of fun learning again :)
Suzi Lock says
Hi Dedri,
Thankyou so much for this new cal, i am really looking forward to trying out your work again. You are one very talented lady who is very busy, i am not quite sure how you do it all. Sophies Universe is looking fabulous already, i cant wait to see how it turns out. :)
Dedri Uys says
Thank you, Suzi! I was just wondering how you were. I hope you do join in. There’s quite a surprise in store :)
Michele says
Is it really supposed to be 23 Moonstone on the Stonewashed option? Just checking. The colors are gorgeous and this looks really fun!!
Dedri Uys says
It is, Michele. The Stonewashed XL is 75 meters per skein, so I am going to use quite a lot of them. Just make sure that you aren’t accidentally looking at the standard Stonewashed that is 170 meters per skein. One is worsted weight (#4) – the Stonewashed XL. One is 4-ply/fingering (#2) – just Stonewashed.
Kris W says
I’m so excited about this- thank you for putting this together and sharing it! :)
Heather Knotek Smith says
That you for all your hard work. All of you!! It looks beautiful – the project and the tutorials.
Love to you and yours.
Heather Knotek Smith says
Thank you I meant. Obviously.
Jenny Lowman says
Dedri has indeed done a wonderful job with her tutorials. Hope you enjoy the CAL :)
Oma Brachial says
… Dedri….Instruction good..thanks….saludos desde México !!
Dedri Uys says
Thank you, Oma :)
Lin says
Thank you so so much Dedri for all your hard work in creating this wonderful CAL along with Kimberly. I can’t wait to start lol even though I’m still not sure on my colours – it really will be an adventure ;) I do hope everyone taking part can relax and just have fun enjoying the processxxx
Ronnie says
Thank you so much, you’ve done a tremendous amount of work for all of us! Very much appreciated!!
Jean says
Thank you, Dedri, Kimberly and anyone else involved in putting this together, for all your hard work! So excited today is finally here! Getting started today. Jean
Caryl Hodgson says
Once again , I can see you have put an enormous amount of time and effort into this project – It is beautiful – Well done
Dedri Uys says
Thank you, Caryl :)
Alicia says
Thanks for all of your hard work getting this put together!
Dedri Uys says
It was just a pleasure. A stressful pleasure, but a pleasure none the less :)
Minette says
Well done, Dedri. Well done, Kimberly and all who slaved over this for months. May the results and the joy it will bring outweight all the repetitive and annoying questions from our side.
Dedri Uys says
Thank you, Mamma. Bring on the results and the joy! :)