If you’ve been following this project from the beginning, you know I received some guidance from Daria regarding each zodiac sign and used that text as inspiration. In it, Daria mentioned a peony or tree stump rings as an example of a pattern. She also mentioned rich texture. I remembered that all fruit trees also bloom during the Taurus period. So I wanted to combine all these ideas in this mandala and started by creating a flower with several layers of petals. That’s what you see in these rounds.
Abbreviations: st – stitch, sl-st – slip stitch, ch – chain, sc – single crochet, hdc – half double crochet, dc – double crochet, tr – treble crochet, dtr – double treble crochet, fp – front post, bp – back post, bl – back loop, tbl – third back loop.
ROUND 1 (Color A). Slip knot, ch3, insert hook into 1st chain, yarn over and pull through to form a ring, ch2 (does not count as stitch), dc into ring, *ch1, dc into ring*, repeat ** 8 times, omit last dc. Join to 1st dc with a sl-st. Stitch count: 8 dc, 8 ch1 spaces
ROUND 2 (Color A). ch2 (does not count as stitch), fpdc around same st, *ch3, skip ch1 space, fpdc around next st*, repeat ** 8 times, omit last fpdc. Join to 1st fpdc with a sl-st, fasten off, and secure ends. Stitch count: 8 fpdc, 8 ch3 spaces
ROUND 3 (Color B). Working in front of round 2 join with a standing dc in any ch1 space of round 1, 2dc in same space, *ch1, working in front of round 2 3dc in next ch1 space of round 1*, repeat ** 8 times, omit last 3dc. Join to standing dc with a sl-st. Stitch count: 24 dc, 8 ch1 spaces
ROUND 4 (Color B). ch1 (does not count as stitch), fphdc around same st, *5dc in next st, fphdc around next st, ch1, skip ch1, fphdc around next st*, repeat ** 8 times, omit last fphdc. Join to 1st fphdc with a sl-st, fasten off, and secure ends. Stitch count: 16 fphdc, 40 dc, 8 ch1 spaces
ROUND 5 (Color C). Join with a standing bpsc around any 3rd dc, *working behind round 4 in ch1 space of round 3 (2dc, ch1, 2dc), bpsc around next 3rd dc of round 4*, repeat ** 8 times, omit last bpsc. Join to standing bpsc with a sl-st. Stitch count: 8 bpsc. 32 dc, 8 ch1 spaces
ROUND 6 (Color C). ch1 (does not count as stitch), fpsc around same st, *fphdc around next st, skip next st, 7dc in ch1 space, skip next st, fphdc around next st, fpsc around next st*, repeat ** 8 times, omit last fpsc. Join to 1st fpsc with a sl-st, fasten off, and secure ends. Stitch count: 8 fpsc, 16 fphdc, 56 dc
ROUND 7 (Color D). Join with a standing bpsc around any 4th dc, *bpsc around next 2 sts, working behind round 6 in bpsc of round 5 (dc, ch2, dc), skip (dc, fphdc, fpsc, fphdc, dc of round 6), bpsc around next 3 sts*, repeat ** 8 times, omit last bpsc. Join to standing bpsc with a sl-st. Stitch count: 40 bpsc, 16 dc, 8 ch2 spaces
ROUND 8 (Color D). ch1 (does not count as stitch), sc in same st, *sc in next st, skip next st, fphdc around next st, 7dc in ch2 space, fphdc around next st, skip next st, sc in next 2 sts*, repeat ** 8 times, omit last sc. Join to 1st sc with a sl-st. Stitch count: 24 sc, 16 fphdc, 56 dc
ROUND 9 (Color D). ch1 (does not count as stitch), sc in same st, *skip next st, fphdc around next st, dc in next st, 2dc in next 2 sts, 3dc in next st, 2dc in next 2 sts, dc in next st, fphdc around next st, skip next st, sc in next st*, repeat ** 8 times, omit last sc. Join to 1st sc with a sl-st, fasten off, and secure ends. Stitch count: 8 sc, 16 fphdc, 104 dc
