Part 18 is the Last Official Part of Sophie’s Universe.  Next week, we will look at optional squares/rows for growing Sophie into a rectangle.  The week after that, we will look at the optional border.  The week after THAT, we will cover the optional surface crochet and a few other bits and bobs.

I am a sentimental little thing, so I love the fact that I am sharing the last official instalment on Mother’s Day (US/SA).  It seems fitting.  These Sophies are like my babies, which makes me their crochet-mommy.  Feel free to share photos using #mothersdaysophie.

So happy Mother’s Day and Happy Sophie Sunday!

Sophie’s Universe Part 18

©Dedri Uys 2014. All Rights Reserved.

Resources

• Add this CAL to your Ravelry Queue
• Sophie’s Universe CAL 2015 Information
• Use the Print-friendly button at the bottom (right) of this post to print/save this tutorial.  Don’t know how? Find out HERE.
• **Part 18 VIDEO TUTORIAL** by Esther Dijkstra from It’s All in a Nutshell.

Translations

• Dutch Translation by Dianne Baan
• German Translation by Maja Heidingsfelder 
• Spanish Translation by Lynda Hernandez
• French Translation by Sandra Larvin (with Video Tutorials by Géraldine Cymer)
• Danish Translation by Tina Poulsen
• Russian Translation (with Video) by Natalie V. Alimpieva
• Swedish CAL Information by Emma Vingqvist, Agnetha Magnusson, Åza Karlsson, and Ulrika Larsson

Materials

See the Information Post.

My large Sophie has come out smaller than estimated.  My final size was 1.65 meter (5’5″), which is 6″ short of the 1.8 meter (5’11”) of my “prototype”.

Colours for Part 18
Click on the images to enlarge them.
	Cotton 8	Softfun	Stonewashed XL
Round 110	Fuchsia	Bordeaux	Canada Jade
Round 111	Light Turquoise	Rose	Moonstone
Round 112	Moors	Cyclamen	Corundum Ruby
Round 113	Heath	Heath	Garnet

Abbreviations

US Terminology Used (Basic US/UK comparison chart here)

• Bpsc – Back post single crochet
• Bpdc – Back post double crochet
• Ch – Chain
• Hdc – Half-double crochet
• Sc – Single crochet
• Sl st – Slip stitch
• St/st’s – Stitch/stitches
• Tr – Treble crochet
• * – Repeat instructions between asterisks the number of times specified. This is a hardcore repeat and will consist of multiple instructions.
• () – Repeat instructions between parentheses the number of times specified. This is a lower level repeat.

Special Stitches

• Standing Stitches: Standing sc’s, hdc’s, and dc’s are stitches used to start the round without the need for the traditional beginning chain.  Links to tutorials are supplied in each relevant round.

Instructions

Rounds 1 – 109

You can find the links for Rounds 1 – 109 HERE.

Round 110  {Second Part of Diamond Pattern}

In this round, you will complete the Diamond Pattern by making some more “zigzag hills”.  The first and last “hills” on each side are formed differently to the rest.  Pay special attention when making them.  Pay extra special attention to the placement of the first treble and look at the photos or the video if you need help.

Join your yarn by making a sl st in the eighth hdc at the start of any side (Photo 1).

*Make a tr in the stitch that contains the first sc from Round 107.  To do this, insert your hook from top to bottom into the stitch containing that first sc, making sure that you work to the left of the first ch-3 from Round 107 (to the right if you are left-handed).  You will need to twist your work a bit to get into that stitch.  See Photos 2-4.  Ch 3 (Photo 5).  Make a sl st around the back post of the next sc from Round 107 (Photo 6).

(Ch 3 – see Photo 7.  Skip the next 3 st’s from Round 109 and make a sc in the next st, which will be the hdc made into the bpsc from Round 108 – see Photo 8.  Ch 3.  Make a sl st around the back post of the next sc from Round 107) 47 times (Photo 9).

Ch 3 (Photo 10).  Make a tr around the top of the last ch-3 from Round 107 (Photos 11 and 12).  Skip the next 3 st’s from Round 109 and sl st in the next st, which should be the hdc made into the bpsc from Round 108 (Photo 13).  Ch 4 (Photo 14).  Skip the last 5 hdc’s of Round 109.  Sl st into the ch-3 space from Round 107, which you will find behind your work (Photo 15).  Ch 4 (Photo 16).  Skip the first 7 hdc’s of the next side and sl st into the eighth hdc (just like in Photo 1).*

Repeat from * to * 3 more times, making your last sl st into the first sl st of the round to join.  Fasten off and work away your tails of yarn.

Stitch Counts: 

• Total: 196 st’s, 384 ch-3 spaces, and 8 ch-4 spaces behind the corners – not including sl st’s  {188 sc’s and 8 tr’s}
• Per Side: 49 st’s and 96 ch-3 spaces– not including sl st’s  {47 sc’s and 2 tr’s}

Round 111  {Diamonds – Base Round 4}

The first and last zigzag “hills” from the previous round  (on each side) do not have a sc at the top of the “hill”.  When making your back post sc’s around these hills, insert your hook behind the treble AND the ch-3 just like you would if they did contain a sc.

Join your yarn by making a standing half-double crochet in any ch-2 corner space from Round 109.  (Hdc, ch 2, 2 hdc) in the same ch-2 space (Photo 1).

*Skip the first (hidden) stitch.  Hdc in the next 6 st’s from Round 109 (Photo 2).  Make a bpsc around the top of the first zigzag “hill” from Round 110 (Photos 3 and 4).

(Hdc in the next 3 st’s from Round 109, between the sc’s that form the “zigzag hills” – see Photo 5.  Make a bpsc around the next sc from Round 110 – see Photo 6) 47 times.  There should now be one zigzag “hill” left.  Hdc in the next 3 st’s from Round 109.  Make a bpsc around the last zigzag “hill” from Round 110 (Photo 7).  Hdc in the last 5 st’s from Round 109 (Photo 8).  (2 hdc, ch 2, 2 hdc) in the next ch-2 corner space (Photo 9).*

Repeat from * to * 3 more times, omitting the last corner on the last repeat.  Join to the top of the standing half-double crochet with a sl st.

Stitch Counts: 

• Total: 832 st’s and 4 ch-2 corner spaces  {196 bpsc’s  and 636 hdc’s}
• Per Side: 208 st’s  {49 bpsc’s and 159 hdc’s}

Round 112

• If you are using the same colour, sl st into the next hdc and into the ch-2 space. (Ch 2, hdc, ch 2, 2 hdc) in the same ch-2 space.
• If you are using a new colour, join your yarn by making a standing half-double crochet in any ch-2 corner around. (Hdc, ch 2, 2 hdc) in the same corner space.

*Hdc in each of the 208 st’s across.  Don’t accidentally skip that first (hidden) stitch.  (2 hdc, ch 2, 2 hdc) in the next ch-2 corner space)*

Repeat from * to * 3 more times, omitting the last corner on the last repeat.  Join to the top of the beginning ch-2 (or the standing half-double crochet) with a sl st.

Stitch Counts: 

• Total: 848 hdc’s and 4 ch-2 corner spaces
• Per Side: 212 hdc’s

Round 113

You’re not going to like me very much!  This round has 864 st’s, 848 of which are back post stitches.  But as this is the Last Official Round of Sophie’s Universe, I am sure that you will forgive me :)

• If you are using the same colour, sl st into the next hdc and into the ch-2 space. (Ch 2, hdc, ch 2, 2 hdc) in the same ch-2 space.
• If you are using a new colour, join your yarn by making a standing half-double crochet in any ch-2 corner around. (Hdc, ch 2, 2 hdc) in the same corner space.

* Make a bpdc  in each of the 212 st’s across.  Don’t accidentally skip that first (hidden) stitch.  (2 hdc, ch 2, 2 hdc) in the next ch-2 corner space)*

Repeat from * to * 3 more times, omitting the last corner on the last repeat.  Join to the top of the beginning ch-2 (or the standing half-double crochet) with a sl st.

Stitch Counts: 

• Total: 864 st’s and 4 ch-2 corner spaces  {16 hdc’s and 848 bpdc’s}
• Per Side:  216 st’s  {4 hdc’s and 212 bpdc’s}

Note About Curling

So…one final blocking for my “babies”.

Annie’s has some good advice for Blocking Afghans and Other Large Pieces.

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.

Due to the weight and size of Sophie the Large, she had become quite stretched in places (I guess that is what 4 months without a bath will do to a blanket), so I washed her before the final blocking.  I am pleased to say that everything bounced back into place and “tightened up”.   It did mean that I had to employ quite a bit of elbow grease to block her, but I am so excited about the outcome!

I asked the boys to come “pose” for me.  Pieter and Jaco obliged…

… but when Xandi finally agreed to be in the photo too (unusual for him not to be first to volunteer), this is what happened.

I tried to get a nicer photo, but they were just being too silly.  Plus I was standing on a ladder with the ceiling fan threatening to decapitate me, so I thought it prudent to abandon the endeavour.

If this part marks the end of your Sophie journey, I would like to thank you for joining us and for all your encouragement, comments, helpfulness to other members, and general all-round awesomeness.  You will never know how epic this journey has been for me, all thanx to you guys!

If you are going to continue on with us for the optional squares (next week), the growing options (week 19), and the miscellaneous (week 20), I hope you will continue to enjoy the journey :)

This part of the pattern was tested by Kimberly Slifer, Claire Martin, Maja Heidingsfelder, Lynda Hernandez, Susan Wilkes-Baker, Venetia Smith, and Dianne Baan.

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