Counting Down to the Petalique MAL: A Special Surprise for You! (Free Pattern Alert! 🚨)
- Natalia Kononova
- 15 hours ago
- 5 min read
Hi everyone!
We are officially one week away from the launch of the Petalique Make-A-Long (MAL). Starting July 1st, I am partnering with the wonderful team at Scheepjes for a 4-week crochet celebration. Together, we’ll be diving into the Petalique family, where you can choose to make a blanket, a bag, three different styles of pillows, or a stunning wall hanging.
If this is the first Petalique MAL blog post you are reading, here is the previous post (Announcement) with all information about the MAL.
I already admitted to my community that I went completely overboard with this collection... but guess what? I didn’t stop there.
If you're wondering what I've been secretly doing for the last two weeks, I was busy creating another brand-new addition to the Petalique family.
Meet the Petalique Coasters! 🌸
Why a Coaster? (And Why My Mosaic Crochet is a Little Different)
The idea for this pattern actually came from listening to you. I noticed a few makers hesitating to sign up for the MAL because they felt a little anxious about the technique.
If you’ve looked at my pattern descriptions before, you know that I like to push the boundaries of traditional overlay mosaic crochet. To get a beautifully detailed, realistic look, I use stitches that aren't common in standard mosaic design:
Slanted Double Crochet
Increases & Decreases
Front Post Stitches
While it looks intricate, it is completely doable! But to give you a boost of confidence, I wanted to design a project that was fun, fast, colorful, and a fantastic yarn stash-buster. These coasters are the perfect playground to practice these unique stitches before committing to a larger project.
(And to those of you who have already started crocheting ahead of July 1st... yes, I see you! 👀 This is a fun intermission for you, too!)
Petalique Coasters Video
Grab the Pattern for FREE (One Week Only!)
To celebrate the countdown, the Petalique Coasters pattern is 100% free from today until the official start of the MAL on July 1st, 2026. The pattern includes full video, written instructions in U.S. terms, and a clear chart.
Here is how you can download your copy right now:
Option 1 (Direct Download): Click the link right here below to download the PDF instantly.
👉 DOWNLOAD PETALIQUE COASTERS PDF in English:
👉 DOWNLOAD PETALIQUE-ONDERZETTERS-PDF in het Nederlands:
Option 2 (Ravelry or Etsy): If you prefer to keep your patterns safely stored in your Ravelry Library or Etsy orders:
👉 Coasters pattern on RAVELRY (use code PETPREP for free download)
👉 Coasters pattern on Etsy (use code PETPREP for 75% off $0.62 - Etsy doesn't allow free downloads)
Please Note: After July 1st, this pattern will return to its regular price, so make sure to grab your free copy this week! For more details and pictures visit pattern page:
🧶 A Quick Yarn Prep Tip: Regular Whirl vs. Cotton Whirl (And Being Careful What You Wish For!)
I divided Whirl into color sections to display the whole color range for the central square of my Petalique Blanket.
Since I’ve spotted a few of you prepping your yarn cakes early, I want to share a very important tip about dividing your yarn into specific color sections and a funny little lesson in irony.
If you are using a regular Scheepjes Whirl, you already know about the famous "fuzz-buzzes." These are those little fluffy sections where the yarn fibers change color. For years, makers have complained about them. But guess what? Those fuzz-buzzes were actually your best friend if you wanted to chop up your cake, because they made it incredibly easy to see exactly where one color ended and the next began! (See photo below)
Scheepjes listened to the community and completely eliminated the fluff! Instead, the color transitions are seamlessly joined with a microscopic, tiny knot.
The catch? It is now incredibly hard to find where the color changes happen if you are trying to divide the cake! (Take a look at the photo above - you practically need a magnifying glass to spot it!)
The Moral of the Story: We must be very wary about our wishes because they might just come true! 😂
My Advice: I highly advise against trying to divide your Cotton Whirl cakes. It will cause you a massive headache trying to hunt down those invisible transitions.
How to Store Your Divided Whirl Colors
If you do choose to divide your yarn cake, keeping all those small balls organized and tangle-free can be a bit of a puzzle! Here are a few brilliant community ideas to safely keep your colors in perfect order:
The Numbered Bag Method: You can place each individual yarn ball into a sandwich-sized zipper bag and slide a small piece of paper inside with the section number, just like Janine Langley did.
The Organizer Box: Another fantastic solution from our tester, Melissa Lane, is to use a craft storage box with adjustable dividers. It keeps every single color perfectly separated, upright, and easy to grab.
Grab organizer boxes on Amazon (commission earned)
🌱 Over to you: If you have a great plastic-free or upcycled storage idea for these tiny yarn balls, please share it with us in the Scheepjes group comments! We’d love to hear your eco-friendly solutions.
Loving Your Yarn Combinations! 🧶
It is always such a joy to get a sneak peek at your creative process. Thank you to everyone who has already shared their yarn choices and color palettes with us!
Get Ready for July 1st: The Rest of the Family
Once you master the coaster, you’ll be ready to tackle any of the main projects for the Make-A-Long! Here is a quick look at the rest of the Petalique pattern family you can choose from:
The Petalique Bag: A gorgeous, structured slouchy bag.
The Petalique Pillows (3 Styles): Ranging from small to large, including a version with a full mosaic back side.
The Wall Hanging: Essentially a beautifully framed front side of the larger pillow.
4. The Petalique Blanket: The grand finale!
How to Join the Make-A-Long
The official event takes place from July 1 to July 29, 2026, inside the official Scheepjes Facebook Groups (both the Dutch and International groups). It is a wonderful, supportive community where you can share your progress photos, ask questions, and chat with hundreds of other makers from around the world.
Grab a pattern or 3-pattern bundle with 20% discount (no code needed):
Late to the party?
What if you are reading this after July 2026? Don't worry at all! Our community groups are always open. You can purchase the patterns, join the groups at any time, and you will receive the exact same level of love and support from me and fellow makers whenever you start.
Thank you for your support!
Thank you all so much for your incredible support of this collection. I can't wait to see your colorful coasters popping up on my feed this week!
Happy crocheting, Natalia