My new Mix and Match Mandalas book has been welcomed by so many of you and I have received many positive words about my book. Thank you to everyone, your support is very valuable to me. In August I will release the video tutorials from my book as part of a make-along featuring the mandalas from my book.
In my book I use Scheepjes Catona yarn, which is a sport weight cotton yarn very suitable for mandalas and other home deco articles. Catona has always been my go-to yarn for mandalas. However, I am starting to experience pain in my hands from early arthrosis and the sturdy cotton yarn is becoming difficult for me to work with. I find that softer yarns, like acrylics and wool blends are easier on my hands. In all honestly, I don’t know how long I will be able to crochet, but we will cross that bridge when we get there. For the moment I can still make pretty things.
One of the pretty things I have made recently is one of the mandalas from my Mix and Match Mandalas in a new cotton yarn from Scheepjes called Cotton Create. I was worried at first, would it hurt my hands as much as the Catona does? Short answer, no. The Cotton Create is easier on my hands.
What I have noticed about the Cotton Create is that it is a thinner yarn, only fingering weight compared to the sport weight of the Catona, and the Cotton Create is not mercerised making it feel softer and run through my fingers more easily. I don’t need to pull at the yarn as much as I do with the Catona.
The drape from the Cotton Create is wonderful. The fabric is soft and flowy. A mandala made from Catona keeps its shape all of its own, that is why it’s my go-to yarn for mandalas. A mandala made from Cotton Create has more drape and will need some help to keep its shape, but when mounting the mandala in a ring that is no issue at all.
Facts and Figures about Scheepjes Cotton Create
Cotton Create comes in 48 colors and has the same weight and gauge as Scheepjes Cotton 8, a yarn I have used before in shawl and blanket designs. Cotton Create is made from recycled cotton scraps and high-quality new cotton. The yarn is not mercerised, which gives it a natural, matte finish, and possibly also makes it feel softer on my hands.
Each 50g ball contains 170m and is made from 50% post-consumer recycled cotton and 50% premium cotton, making it a good option if you are looking for ways to combine crafting with sustainability. The yarn carries the global recycled standard certificate. The fingering weight yarn is best worked with a 3.0mm hook.
Scheepjes Cotton Create is/will be available from Amazon, Wool Warehouse, Caro’s Atelier (NL) and many other Scheepjes stockists.
Mix and Match Mandalas BOOK
If you missed the release of my new book, let me take a moment to tell you about it. Inside Mix and Match Mandalas, you’ll find 9 beautiful mandala patterns divided into three sizes — small, medium and large — designed to be combined in creative ways.
The Small Mandalas are made by choosing from 3 distinct designs and completed by attaching your mandala to a 15cm ring. These are perfect as standalone pieces or as the foundation for larger creations.
To create a Medium Mandala, you start with a Small Mandala design and continue crocheting using one of three medium extensions. These are finished on a 25cm ring, and with three options for both the small and medium sections, you can make 9 different combinations.
Large Mandalas are built in the same way — begin with a Small Mandala, expand it with a Medium Mandala pattern, and then add a large outer section to complete the design on a 40cm ring. By combining the three pattern levels, you can create a total of 27 large mandalas.
Altogether, the book offers 39 possible mandala combinations, each one an opportunity to explore color, shape, and creativity in your own way.
The book is available in English (US terminology) and Dutch, and is available as a paper edition and an eBook. The paper edition is available from my webshop, and the eBook is available from both my webshop and from Ravelry.
#itsallinanutshell
If you are making something with one of my patterns or one of my videos, I would love to see your work. Use the hashtag #itsallinanutshell on Instagram to help me find it, share your work in my It’s all in a Nutshell Crochet Nuts group on Facebook or tag me in one of your posts.
Love
Esther
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