I have spent the last couple of evenings working on a crochet mandala in memory of crochet designer Marinke Slump who very sadly died last week. There has been a global response to her untimely death and many crocheters have created crochet mandalas in her memory.
If you want to make a manadala in Wink's memory, you can find lots of lovely patterns on her blog 'A Creative Being' by following the link and, if you want to find out what to do with your mandala once it is completed, follow this link to Crochet Concupscence.
As a tribute to Marinke, I have turned one of my Lily Pond Flowers from the Lily Pond CAL into a mandala. I won't be sending mine off to join the other mandalas which are being collected from all over the world as the idea is that you send one of Wink's mandalas along with a note or personal message. I am hoping to find the time to do this another day.
I have attached my mandala to an embroidery hoop and have hung it on the wall in the kitchen so that I have a daily reminder, not only of my feelings upon the loss of Wink, but also as a reminder as to just how many people struggle with the dark clouds of depression every day.
I urge you all to make one of Marinke's beautiful Mandalas and have put some images of her work below:
If you would like to make a mandala like mine I have written a few notes below on how I made it. Please note that this is a rough guide to help you create your own mandala and there is not a written pattern for what I have done.
I secured the yarn into the reverse of one of the yarn loops behind the central dtr (tr US) of one of the 9st groups made on Round 11 by working 1ch. The image below shows where that stitch is. I worked a dc (sc US) into this stitch. I then created a framework using areas of chain between the petals.
If you want to make a manadala in Wink's memory, you can find lots of lovely patterns on her blog 'A Creative Being' by following the link and, if you want to find out what to do with your mandala once it is completed, follow this link to Crochet Concupscence.
As a tribute to Marinke, I have turned one of my Lily Pond Flowers from the Lily Pond CAL into a mandala. I won't be sending mine off to join the other mandalas which are being collected from all over the world as the idea is that you send one of Wink's mandalas along with a note or personal message. I am hoping to find the time to do this another day.
I have attached my mandala to an embroidery hoop and have hung it on the wall in the kitchen so that I have a daily reminder, not only of my feelings upon the loss of Wink, but also as a reminder as to just how many people struggle with the dark clouds of depression every day.
I urge you all to make one of Marinke's beautiful Mandalas and have put some images of her work below:
If you would like to make a mandala like mine I have written a few notes below on how I made it. Please note that this is a rough guide to help you create your own mandala and there is not a written pattern for what I have done.
Using the pattern for Block Five of the Stylecraft Lily Pond CAL project (which you can download for free by following this link) I made a Lily Pond Flower using Stylecraft Classique Cotton. I followed the pattern through to the end of Round 12, then sewed all the yarn ends in.
I secured the yarn into the reverse of one of the yarn loops behind the central dtr (tr US) of one of the 9st groups made on Round 11 by working 1ch. The image below shows where that stitch is. I worked a dc (sc US) into this stitch. I then created a framework using areas of chain between the petals.
I made 5ch and then worked a cluster of 3sts into the stitch at the top of the next petal (made on Rounds 8 & 9) and through the stitch between 2 petals made on Round 12 at the same time:
I made 5ch and then worked a dc (sc US) into the back of the next central st made as part of the next 9 st group on Round 11.
I continued in this way until I had a completed framework. The image below shows the framework from the reverse side (please excuse the quality of the image, the light wasn't great by this time!):
I created the mesh rounds by working 5ch between each ch sp, with a dc (sc US) to secure the chain in each ch sp. To create the last chain space of the next 2 rounds (in order to leave the hook into the correct place) I worked 2ch, then a tr (dc US) into the st at the beginning of the round.
I bought some lovely coloured embroidery hoops at the Knitting & Stitching Show last year and have been looking for an excuse to use them. I though the aqua coloured hoop was perfect for this project and I am really pleased with my mandala.
I am not sure how to finish this post - I am pleased with my mandala, but really sad about the loss of Marinke and the circumstances which led to me wishing to make the mandala in the first place. Depression is such a common illness and the fact that a talented beautiful girl like Wink has been taken from us far too soon as a result of it is sad beyond words.
Below are links to 2 mental health charities who are doing amazing work in the UK. They are Mind and The Depression Alliance.
Janie x