Hi and welcome to Part 9 of Sophie’s Universe.  This week I want you to take photos of Sophie with your pet/pets.  Most of you already do include your pets in the photos, I know.  But for those of you who haven’t shared your furry friends yet, get clicking!

I am absolutely amazed at all the beautiful colour-combinations I am seeing.  I would like to encourage you all to keep a list of your colours (per round) on Ravelry so that other people can “copy” them if they feel inspired by your work.  

I hope you enjoy this week’s installment.  May you have a wonderfully blessed week!

Sophie’s Universe Part 9

©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 9 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
• 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.

Colours for Part 9
	Cotton 8	Softfun	Stonewashed XL
Round 69	Light Purple	Light Blue	Moonstone
Round 70	Turquoise	Dark Turquoise	Canada Jade
Round 71	Light Green	Olive	Lemon Quartz
Round 72	Light Turquoise	Light Blue	Moonstone
Round 73	Violet	Pink	Blue Apatite
Round 74	Moors	Cyclamen	Amazonite

Abbreviations

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

• Bpsc – Back post single crochet
• Ch – Chain
• Dc – Double crochet
• Fpdtr – Front post double treble crochet
• Fpttr – Front post triple treble (yarn over 4 times – don’t worry, you only need to do this stitch 8 times)
• Hdc – Half-double crochet
• Sc – Single crochet
• Sl st – Slip stitch
• St/st’s – Stitch/stitches
• * – 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.
• Long Sc (Long Single Crochet):  Insert your hook into the indicated stitch/space (Photos 1 and 2) and pull up a loop to the height of your work (Photo 3).  Yarn over and pull through both loops on your hook (Photo 4).  This stitch is also sometimes referred to as a Spike Stitch – see this tutorial.
• Popcorn Stitch:  Make 5 dc’s in the same stitch.  Remove your hook from the last stitch.  Insert your hook into the first dc of the 5 dc’s.  Grab the last stitch with your hook and pull it through the first stitch.  Ch 1.  See this tutorial.
• Tr2tog Bobble: Yarn over twice (Photo 1) and insert your hook into the indicated stitch/space.  Yarn over and pull up a loop.  (Yarn over and pull through 2 loops) twice – 2 loops on your hook (Photo 2).  Yarn over twice and insert your hook into the same stitch/space.  Yarn over and pull up a loop.  (Yarn over and pull through 2 loops) twice – 3 loops on your hook (Photo 3).  Yarn over and pull through all 3 loops on your hook (Photo 4).

Instructions

Rounds 1 – 68

You can find the links for Rounds 1 – 68 HERE.

Note About Counting and Sides

Remember that you will be counting from ch-1 corner space to ch-1 corner space.  Exceptions will be highlighted.  If you are going to have trouble identifying the ch-1 spaces, please use stitch markers or scrap yarn to mark them.

Also, remember that your short sides will now be longer than your long sides.  It will help to remember that the short sides are the ones with the single central flower.

Round 69

On the long sides, the sc’s will fall in the first, third, and fifth dc’s made into the ch-5 spaces. 

If you want to “catch” the Ruffle Flowers from Round 66, “catch” them with the sc made into the third dc of each 5-dc group.  To do this, insert your hook into the picot of the central picot dc, and into the relevant dc behind it, and make an sc through both layers.  I have chosen NOT to “catch” the flowers.

• If you are using the same colour, sl st into the next stitch, which will be the second dc of the 3-dc group at the end of the long side. (Ch 1, sc, ch 1, sc) in the same stitch.  This is your first corner made.
• If you are using a new colour, join your yarn by making a standing single crochet in the second dc of the 3-dc group at the end of any long side. (Ch 1, sc) in the same stitch.  This is your first corner made (Photo 1).

*Short Side:  Sc in the next 33 st’s (Photo 2).  (Ch 1, sc – see Photos 3 and 4) in each of the 5 ch-1 spaces from Round 67 or 68 behind the flower.  Ch 1 (Photo 5).  Photo 6 shows what your work should look like from the back. Sc in the next 33 st’s, being careful not to accidentally skip the first stitch after the ch-2 space from Round 68 (Photo 7).  The last sc should fall in the first dc of the 3-dc group at the end of the short side (Photo 8).

Long Side:  (Sc, ch 1, sc) in the next stitch (Photo 9).  Fpdtr around the fptr from Round 67 (Photo 10).  Skip the next st of Round 68 (indicated with an arrow in Photo 11).  (Sc in the next st.  Ch 1 and skip the next st) 23 times (Photos 12 and 13).  Sc in the next st, which should be the last dc of the last 5-dc group (Photo 14).  Make a fpdtr around the fptr from Round 67 and skip the next st of Round 68 (Photo 15).  (Sc, ch 1, sc) in the next stitch, which should be the second dc of the 3-dc group at the start of the short side (Photo 16).*

Repeat from * to * 3 more times, omitting the last (sc, ch 1, sc) corner on the last repeat.  Join to the top of the first sc with a sl st.

Stitch Counts: 

• Total: 404 st’s and 124 ch-1 spaces – including the 8 ch-1 corner spaces  {396 sc’s and 8 fpdtr’s}
• Per Short Side:  73 sc’s and 6 ch-1 spaces
• Per Long Side: 26 sc’s, 2 fpdtr’s, and 23 ch-1 spaces

Round 70

Remember to look at the step-by-step photos for the Long Sc under Special Stitches at the start of this tutorial.

• If you are using the same colour, sl st into the next ch-1 space. (Ch 1, sc, ch 1, sc) in the same space.  This is your first corner made.
• If you are using a new colour, join your yarn by making a standing single crochet in the ch-1 space at the start of any short side.  (Ch 1, sc) in the same space.  This is your first corner made (Photo 1).

*Short Side:  Sc in the next 11 st’s.  Don’t accidentally skip that first (hidden) stitch (Photo 2).

(Make a Long Sc into the sc from Round 64, right above the “V” formed by the “zigzag” hills.  This stitch will already contain the central of the 3 hdc’s from Round 67 made between “zigzag” hills – see Photo 3.   Skip the next st of Round 69, which will be hidden by the Long Sc, and sc in the next 3 st’s) 5 times (Photo 4).  Sc in the next 3 st’s.

(Make 2 sc’s in the next ch-1 space behind the flower) 6 times (Photo 5).  Sc in the next 6 st’s.  Don’t accidentally skip that first (hidden) stitch (Photo 6).

(Make a Long Sc into the sc from Round 64, right above the “V” formed by the “zigzag” hills, as before – see Photo 7.  Skip the next st of Round 69 and sc in the next 3 st’s – see Photo 8) 5 times (Photo 9).  Sc in the next 8 st’s (Photo 10).

Long Side:  (Sc, ch 1, sc) in the next ch-1 space (Photo 11).  Ch 2 (Photo 12) and skip the first 3 stitches, one of which will be hidden.  (Sc in the next ch-1 space.  Ch 1 and skip the next sc – see Photo 13) 22 times.  Sc in the last ch-1 space (Photo 14).  Ch 2 (Photo 15) and skip the last 3 st’s.  (Sc, ch 1, sc) in the next ch-1 space (Photo 16).*

Repeat from * to * 3 more times, omitting the last (sc, ch 1, sc) corner on the last repeat.  Join to the top of the first sc with a sl st.

Stitch Counts: 

• Total: 428 st’s, 8 ch-2 spaces, and 96 ch-1 spaces – including the 8 ch-1 corner spaces {388 sc’s and 40 Long Sc’s}
• Per Short Side: 82 st’s  {72 sc’s and 10 Long Sc’s }
• Per Long Side: 25 sc’s, 22 ch-1 spaces, and 2 ch-2 spaces

Round 71  {Stems}

The start and end of the long sides are not symmetric.  There is a ch-1 space between the first 4-dc group and the first dc, but there is NO ch-1 space between the last dc and the last 4-dc group (see the photo of the completed Long Side below).

• If you are using the same colour, sl st into the next ch-1 space. (Ch 1, sc) in the same space.
• If you are using a new colour, join your yarn by making a standing single crochet in the ch-1 space at the start of any short side (Photo 1).

*Short Side:  Sc in the next 12 st’s (Photo 2).  Don’t accidentally skip the first (hidden) stitch.  (Ch 1 and skip the next st, which should be the Long Sc.  Sc in the next 3 st’s – see Photo 3) 4 times (Photo 4).  Ch 1 and skip the last Long Sc.

Sc in the next 5 st’s (Photo 5).  Make a bpsc around the fourth dc of the first petal of the large central flower (Photos 6 and 7).  Skip the next st of Round 70 (Photo 8) and sc in the next 12 st’s (Photo 9).  These 12 sc’s should fall in the 12 sc’s made into the 6 ch-1 spaces from Round 69. Make a bpsc around the fifth dc of the last petal of the large central flower (Photo 10).  Skip the next st of Round 70 and sc in the next 5 st’s (Photo 11).

(Ch 1 and skip the next st, which should be the Long Sc.  Sc in the next 3 st’s) 4 times (Photo 12).  Ch 1 and skip the last Long Sc.  Sc in the next 12 st’s (Photo 13).

Long Side:  Sc in the next ch-1 corner space (Photo 14).  Mark this stitch to help you count later on.  Working over the ch-2 space from Round 70, skip the first (hidden) stitches of Rounds 70 and 69.  Skip the fpdtr from Round 69.  Make 4 dc’s in the next stitch of Round 69, which should be the first sc (indicated with an arrow in Photo 14 and illustrated in Photo 15).  Ch 1 and skip the next sc from Round 70.

(Dc in the next ch-1 space.  Ch 1 and skip the next sc – see Photo 16) 21 times (Photo 17).  Dc in the last ch-1 space (Photo 18).  Working over the ch-2 space from Round 70, make 4 dc’s in the next sc from Round 69 (indicated with an arrow in Photo 18 and illustrated in Photo 19).  Skip the next 2 st’s from Round 69 and the last sc of Round 70.  Sc in the next ch-1 space from Round 70 (Photo 20).  Mark this stitch to help you count later on.*

Repeat from * to * 3 more times, omitting the last sc on the last repeat.  Join to the top of the first sc with a sl st.  Fasten off and work away your tails of yarn.

Stitch Counts: 

• Total: 416 st’s and 128 ch-1 spaces  {288 sc’s, 8 bpsc’s, and 120 dc’s}
• Per Short Side: 72 st’s and 10 ch-1 spaces  {70 sc’s and 2 bpsc’s}
• Per Long Side: 32 st’s and 22 ch-1 spaces  {2 sc’s, 30 dc’s} – counting from marked sc to marked sc.

Round 72

Join your yarn by making a standing single crochet in the first dc of the 4-dc group at the end of any long side (Photo 1).

Sc in the next 16 st’s (Photo 2).  (Ch 1 and skip the next ch-1 space.  Sc in the next 3 st’s – see Photo 3) 4 times (Photo 4).  Ch 1 and skip the next ch-1 space.  Sc in the next 24 st’s (Photo 5).  (Ch 1 and skip the next ch-1 space.  Sc in the next 3 st’s) 4 times (Photo 6).  Ch 1 and skip the next ch-1 space.  Sc in the next 17 st’s.  The last sc should fall in the fourth dc of the 4-dc group at the start of the long side (Photo 7).

*Long Side:  Make a fpdtr around the fpdtr from Round 69 (Photo 8).  (Sc in the next ch-1 space – see Photo 9.  Ch 1 and skip the next dc) 21 times.  Sc in the last ch-1 space (Photo 10).  Make a fpdtr around the fpdtr from Round 69 (Photo 11) and skip the next dc.

Short Side:  Sc in the first dc of the 4-dc group at the end of the long side (indicated with an arrow in Photo 10 and illustrated in Photo 12).  Sc in the next 16 st’s.  (Ch 1 and skip the next ch-1 space.  Sc in the next 3 st’s) 4 times.  Ch 1 and skip the next ch-1 space.  Sc in the next 24 st’s.  (Ch 1 and skip the next ch-1 space.  Sc in the next 3 st’s) 4 times.  Ch 1 and skip the next ch-1 space.  Sc in the next 17 st’s.  The last sc should fall in the fourth dc of the 4-dc group at the start of the long side.*

Repeat from * to * 3 more times, omitting the last short side on the last repeat.  Join to the top of the first sc with a sl st.

Stitch Counts: 

• Total: 424 st’s and 124 ch-1 spaces  {416 sc’s and 8 fpdtr’s}
• Per Short Side: 82 sc’s and 10 ch-1 spaces
• Per Long Side: 24 st’s and 21 ch-1 spaces  {22 sc’s, 2 fpdtr’s} – counting from fpdtr to fpdtr.

Round 73  {Popcorn Flowers}

At the end of this round, your popcorns (on the short side) will be slightly skew.  Don’t worry about it.  Remember that your Popcorn Stitches are closed with a ch-1, which is part of the popcorn stitch.

• If you are using the same colour, ch 2 (counts as your first hdc) and make a hdc in the same stitch. This is your 2-hdc corner made.
• If you are using a new colour, join your yarn by making a standing half-double crochet in the first sc of any short side.  Hdc in the same stitch.  This is your 2-hdc corner made (Photo 1).

*Short Side:  Sc in the next 16 st’s (Photo 2).  (Make a Popcorn Stitch in the Long Sc from Round 70, working in front of the ch-1 spaces from Rounds 71 and 72 – see Photos 3 and 4.  Sc in the next 3 sc’s – see Photo 5) 4 times (Photo 6).  Make a Popcorn Stitch in the next Long Sc from Round 70, again working in front of the ch-1 spaces from the previous 2 rounds (Photo 7).  Sc in the next 12 st’s (Photo 8).  Make a bpsc around the fifth dc of the central petal of the large central flower (Photos 9 and 10) and skip the next stitch of Round 72.  Sc in the next 11 st’s (Photo 11).

(Make a Popcorn Stitch in the Long Sc from Round 70, working in front of the ch-1 spaces from Rounds 71 and 72.  Sc in the next 3 sc’s) 4 times.  Make a Popcorn Stitch in the next Long Sc from Round 70, again working in front of the ch-1 spaces from the previous 2 rounds (Photo 12).  Sc in the next 16 st’s (Photo 13).

Long Side:  Make 2 hdc’s in the next st, which should be the last sc of the short side (Photo 14).  Skip the fpdtr and the next sc.  Make 3 dc’s in the next ch-1 space (indicated with an arrow in Photo 14 and illustrated in Photo 15).

Ch 1.  (Make a Popcorn Stitch in the next ch-1 space.  Ch 3 and skip the next ch-1 space – see Photos 16 and 17) 9 times.  Make a Popcorn Stitch in the next ch-1 space.  Ch 1 and make 3 dc’s in the last ch-1 space (Photo 18).  Skip the next sc and the fpdtr.  Make 2 hdc’s in the next st (Photo 19). *

Repeat from * to * 3 more times, omitting the last 2-hdc corner on the last repeat.  Join to the top of the beginning ch-2 (or the standing hdc) with a sl st.  Fasten off and work away your tails of yarn.

Stitch Counts: 

• Total: 440 st’s, 8 ch-1 spaces, and 36 ch-3 spaces  {316 sc’s, 4 bpsc’s, 16 hdc’s, 24 dc’s, and 80 Popcorn Stitches}
• Per Short Side: 90 st’s  {79 sc’s, 1 bpsc, and 10 Popcorn Stitches}
• Per Long Side: 20 st’s, 9 ch-3 spaces, and 2 ch-1 spaces  {6 dc’s, 4 hdc’s, 10 popcorns} – includes both hdc’s of each 2-hdc corner.

Round 74

When working into the Popcorn Stitches on the short side, remember to work into the first dc of the 5-dc Popcorn (Photos 1 and 2), not the ch-1 at the top of the Popcorn (Photos 3 and 4).  If you work into the ch-1 instead of into the first dc of the 5-dc Popcorn, your Popcorn Stitches will slant even more to the right (to the left if you are left-handed).  There is method in the madness!  Just trust me :)

And while we are on the subject of those pesky ch-1’s…why even include them when they cause so much headache in this pattern?  Because they make the Popcorns “Pop” more.  If you look at photo 4 (which shows the top of the Popcorn Stitch) you will see that the Popcorn Stitch is being pushed forward by the skipped ch-1 (visible between the last 2 sc’s made.

Join your yarn by making a standing single crochet in the first dc of the 3-dc group at the END of any long side (Photo 1).  Sc in the next 99 st’s – see Hint below.  The last sc should fall in the third dc of the 3-dc group at the beginning of the next long side (Photo 2).

*Long Side:  On the long side you will be working into the skipped ch-1 spaces from Round 72 and IN FRONT OF the ch-3 spaces from Round 73.  Make a fpttr around the fpdtr from Round 72 (Photos 3 and 4).  Ch 2 (Photo 5).

(Working in front of the next ch-3 space from Round 73, make a Tr2tog Bobble – see Special Stitches –  in the skipped ch-1 space from Round 72.  Ch 3) 8 times (Photos 6 and 7).  Working in front of the last ch-3 space from Round 73, make a Tr2tog Bobble in the skipped ch-1 space from Round 72 (Photo 8).  Ch 2 (Photo 9).  Make a fpttr around the fpdtr from Round 72 (Photo 10).

Short Side:  Sc in the first dc of the 3-dc group at the end of the long side (indicated with an arrow in Photo 11 and illustrated in Photo 12).  Sc in the next 99 st’s.  The last sc should fall in the third dc of the 3-dc group at the beginning of the next long side.*

Repeat from * to * 3 more times, omitting the last short side on the last repeat.  Join to the top of the first sc with a sl st.

Hint:

Of the 100 sc’s you are making in the short side (the initial sc plus the 99 additional sc’s), stitches 22, 26, 30, 34, and 38 will fall in the top of a Popcorn Stitch (that is in the first dc of the 5-dc popcorn, NOT the ch-1 that closes the popcorn).  Stitch 51 will fall in the bpsc that caught the central petal of the large central flower.  Stitches 63, 67, 71, 75, and 79 will fall in the top of a Popcorn Stitch.

Stitch Counts: 

• Total: 444 st’s, 32 ch-3 spaces, and 8 ch-2 spaces {400 sc’s, 36 Tr2tog Bobbles, and 8 fpttr’s }
• Per Short Side: 100 sc’s
• Per Long Side: 11 st’s, 8 ch-3 spaces, and 2 ch-2 spaces  {9 Tr2tog Bobbles, 2 fpttr’s}

At the end of this part, the Round 74 long sides won’t be attached to the Round 73 long sides at all (see the above photo).  We will remedy that next week.

Note About Curling

I am afraid that I will have to suggest blocking yet again.  Remember that this isn’t necessary.  Your blanket will straighten itself out in the next few weeks.  But if you want to take pretty picture, block, block, block.

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.

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.