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Sophie's Universe CAL 2015

Sophie’s Universe CAL 2015

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 CAL 2015 Lookatwhatimade

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 CAL 2015 Lookatwhatimade

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.

Sophie's Universe Book Dedri Uys Scheepjes  

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 CAL 2015 Lookatwhatimade

Sophie’s Universe: Large Stonewashed XL Version

Translations

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.

Sophie's Universe CAL 2015 Lookatwhatimade

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*:
  • 5 mm hook (US H/8 UK 6)
  • 5.5 mm hook  (US I/9  UK 5)
  • 3.5 mm hook (US E/4  UK 9)
  • 4 mm hook  (US G/6  UK 8)
  • 2.5 mm hook (UK 12) or 2.75 mm hook (US C/2)
  • 3 mm hook  (UK 11) OR 3.25  (US  D/3  UK 10)
Yardage: 3900 meters (4265 yards) 3400 meters (3720 yards) 2500 meters (2730 yards)
I am using: Scheepjeswol Stonewashed XL Scheepjeswol Softfun Scheepjeswol Cotton 8
  Sophie's Universe CAL 2015 Lookatwhatimade Sophie's Universe CAL 2015 Lookatwhatimade Sophie's Universe CAL 2015 Lookatwhatimade
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.

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 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.

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 but cheaper.  You will also need some of these Clover Fork Blocking Pins (although regular non-rust pins will work as well).

Examples of Sophie

If you would like to see some inspirational versions/colourways, you can find them here:

Sophie-related Patterns

More Colourways

You can find me on Facebook, Bloglovin, Pinterest, Twitter, or Instagram.

Happy Hooking!

Dedri

This blog post contains affiliate links. I only link to products I personally use or would use.  All opinions are my own.

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Comments

  1. I was at my Local Library today printing out the written pattern for Sophies Universe, just as I always do every couple of weeks or so. The women working behind the desk were intrigued by what the pattern was for and asked what a CAL was. I figured it was easiest to tell them your web address and to click on the Sophies Universe links to find a picture of the pattern so far.
    They Loved it, and would like to know if they printed off pictures from your web page to show the design would it be possible for them to run a CAL group inside the Community buildings here for people to get together and work on the blanket as a group. Obviously they would be sending people to the page links here to get the files etc, so it would still link back to your patterns and copyright would be observed.
    I know the SU CAL is hosted by the facebook group, and that it is also on Ravelry so I wasn’t sure if an in-person group could be arranged or not, hence asking permission here…

    Reply

    • Penny, that would be great. The more people making her, the better, and if they form a group the people in the group will be able to help and support each other. Thank you for asking :)

    • Thats great news Dedri. Thanks so much, just wanted to do the right thing and check first before the Library went ahead with it. Will let them know tomorrow that its a go ahead if they want to set it up. At the moment according to the Universe Map there are 4 SU in progress in the greater Hobart area, maybe we may can get that number up a little higher. I know there are dedicated knitting groups run through the community centres attached to local libraries around our district so perharps Sophie could get some renewed interest.

  2. Hi; I have a question regarding the templates for working out yarn usage for each size Sophie… Based on the medium blanket using dk wool and a 4mm hook how do i come up with the number of meters I have used per round?????
    I get 295 metres of yarn in each 100 gram ball – but how do i work out the number to enter into the template chart….
    While the answer may be staring me in the face for the love of Sophie I just cant see it….
    I only ask as I plan to use this template when I decide on which colours to use and which round to use them on when I plan my next Sophie….
    I appreciate your answer in advance
    And thanks for such a beautiful pattern, so much hard work/time/effort and millions of photos to make it easy for us… and also thank you Jenny for helping to run this side of things for Dedri while she has been so busy for everyone else….
    Virtual hugs/ kisses and love from Australia for the work behind the scenes and to everyone involved in this beautiful CAL

    Reply

    • Penny, if you have 295 meters per 100 g’s, you have 3 meters per gram (roughly). If you weight your yarn at the start of the round and again at the end of the round you will know hoe many grams you have used. Multiply that by 3 to get the meters. If you have used 10 grams, for example, you have used 30 meters. Always err on the side of caution, in other words, round up, not down. I hope that helps.

      Dedri

    • Hi Dedri,
      thanks for letting me know how to work it out. it seems so obvious now that you explain it… i just had a moment of mental blankness. I am working out the weight per round now to get some accurate numbers for when i choose the colours for my own SU.

  3. Love this beautiful pattern . Plan on starting this as soon as I finish my cal from the crochet crowd . Thank you for sharing this with us.

    Reply

  4. Much LOVE to all…Dedri you are amazing!! THANK YOU! Not sure if is just me, but I am unable to pull up the yardage tables..I have a 15% off coupon that will be expiring soon and I want to order the stonewashed yarn correctly.

    Reply

  5. Do you know if Deramore’s has plans to offer the Cotton 8 for the small blanket again? Has been out of stock for a while. What have you heard? Thanks.

    Reply

  6. I just ordered my yarn for this project. I am so excited to get started!! Thank you for creating this tutorial!!!

    Reply

  7. Hi Dedri
    I’ve recently started your gorgeous Sophie and it has totally inspired me to take up my creative crochet hook after a very long dry spell. I’m just loving this although I’m way behind. I’m working on part 5 now but am concerned that once you finish I won’t be able to access the instructions anymore. Can you tell me how long this will be available for please? I’m a teacher and just know that reports and exams are looming so it’ll be slow but steady progress.
    Thanks.
    Christine

    Reply

    • Christine, the Sophie patterns will not be going anywhere and will be readily available on the blog for the foreseeable future :)

  10. Hi! I love this blanket! I want to make the large one but in the colors you have for the small. What is the calculations on those yarns please? I want to buy them all together.
    thanks

    Reply

    • The small blanket is in thin yarn and will not work up to the size of the large blanket unless you do something like double or treble strands of the Cotton 8 yarn :)

    • I would also like to make the larger Sophie but in similar colors to the small one…how would I go about determining how much of each of the brighter colors but in worsted weight yarn?
      I’m very anxious to get started on a Sophie of my own! I used to crochet A LOT when my oldest child was little but my crocheting went to the wayside as the family grew. Sophie has inspired me to pick up my hook again after 35 YEARS!! Thank you so much for this gorgeous pattern!

    • Hi Karen. I am so pleased that you are inspired to pick your hook up again.

      If you want to make the large version using the colourful colours, you will need 1.6 times the yardage of the small in worsted weight. So if I suggest 340 meters of cotton 8 (which is 2 skeins) for a specific colour, you will need to get 340*1.6 meters of worsted weight for that colour = 544 meters. There will be a little bit of calculation involved for you, but if you use the table for the small (available HERE), you can look at the the top of each column to find out how much of each colour I suggest. If you then multiply those values by 1.6 you will get the total amount of meters needed in worsted weight.

      I hope that helps,

      Dedri

  11. Hi! I love this project. I’ve ordered some cotton to make one to. Usually I write about what I make on grannymania.canalblog.com (french blog for fans of granny squares) , would it be okay if I wrote about your cal there? I would add a link to your Web site and invite people to join the cal. People would probably show their progress on grannymania.canalblog.com

    Reply

    • Solene, that would be wonderful, thank you. French translations for the CAL are also available.

      Dedri

  12. I love this project. I love how nearly every row is different. I love how much I am learning. I am in awe of your design skills and I love numbers so this is just lovely to follow.
    I am amazed how you openly share this lovely design for us all. the fact that so many people all around the world have come on board is testimony to the wonderful project you have created. I am way behind just finishing Part 4 but cant wait to get back to Sophie as soon as I can. I am from Australia ,so you design is loved all over the world.
    Donna

    Reply

  13. Sooo BEAUTIFUL!!! I haven’t started yet, at the tail end of another CAL. Once I finish that I will be starting this one. So excited!!! We just finished remodeling and I need a new blanket for the couches, this will look wonderful in the new room!! Can’t wait to get started! Going to plan my colors now!!!

    Reply

    • Maria, you are more disciplined than me! I had a CAL in the go and am starting another one tomorrow, but Sophie has taken over as I love her that much! Lol

    • I am using Caron’s Super Soft with a G hook. The texture seems about right. I do tend to crochet loosely so I think my G hook is perfect.
      Loving the Sophie’s Universe. It is the most involved project I have done in quite a while. I love it!!
      Looking forward to getting caught up.

    • Karen, if you crochet loosely, a 4 will be perfect. If you find your tension becoming tighter as the rounds go on, you might consider going up to a 4.5 to compensate for the tighter tension.

  15. Found this CAL late so am catching up. Currently on part 7! Loving doing this and it has taken over everything else! I have to stop myself on a night as I am always wanting to see what the next row looks like. Thanks so much. X

    Reply

  16. Hey you, I just stumbled upon your CAL on Ravelry and I have to say – your work is soooooo pretty! I have been working on the Moogly CAL since the beginning of this year and since the next pattern will only come out next week, I was looking for something to do during my spare time.
    I will start your CAL immediately and hope to catch up soon. This is just too pretty to ignore. I am really stunned and I am happy I found your page.

    Have a nice weekend everyone! :)

    Reply

    • We are delighted to have another Sophie lover joining the CAL. She is on her way to world domination and we hope you enjoy your journey too! :)

  17. This has been a really fun and beautiful project! I started late and have been working on catching up but this works up fast…well maybe not so much fast as the design and stitches keep me interested with the variety of stitches and wanting more so I work late into the evenings. This has been a wonderful break from other projects. Also the tutorials have been wonderful. I would love to do another CAL next year.

    Reply

  18. Aloha from Hawaii! I just wanted to let you know that I completed Sophie’s Garden a few months ago, and it is, hands-down, my favorite piece that I have ever crocheted. I have been trying to find a use for it, a way to display my proud work, and I have just discovered this CAL! I am beyond ecstatic! I created Sophie’s Garden with an heirloom-piece in mind, and to create a blanket around it is the perfect way to make an heirloom. I have another blanket to finish up, and then I will be joining the CAL. Your work is absolutely stunning, thank you for sharing your design and crochet talents with the world!

    Reply

  19. Dear Dedri, I have been watching the 2015 Crochet A-Long and just love it. I want to use the colors for the small one done in cotton, but I want it bigger, like the one done in darker, mottled colors. Is that possible, and how would I do it? And would I need to increase the amount of yarn?
    Also, would Caron Simply Soft work?

    Reply

    • Hi I am using Caron Simply soft using very similar colours to the cotton 8 and its working lovely.

  20. Hi there i am also interested in the Cal could you please tell me where do i get the patterns to start from the beginning as i am new to this

    Reply

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