Petalique Make-A-Long - Week 3
- Natalia Kononova
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
Tester: Karin Terpstra (Yarn: Scheepjes Stone Washed, Stone Washed Flow)
Hi everyone! This is our midterm post - we are officially halfway through the MAL! As a reminder, there is absolutely no pressure to report your progress; you can continue at your own comfortable pace. You can count on the same level of support at any point in your project, so please don't feel rushed and just enjoy the process.
We have made so much incredible progress together, and we even have some finished projects already! Your progress pictures and stories of how you've overcome obstacles truly make my day.
As always, I've been keeping my eyes peeled for anything that needs a spotlight here on the blog. Grab a cup of coffee or tea, settle in, and read on to see some amazing progress photos and learn how to conquer a few common challenges!
The MAL takes place in these Facebook groups:
3 Patterns with 20% off until July 29 are available here:
Previous blog posts:
Don't Frog It: Fixing Missed Stitches in Overlay Mosaic Crochet
We’ve all been there. You look back a few rows - or even look over your finished piece - and suddenly spot a missed double crochet (or a whole group of them) staring back at you. Don't panic! It is completely fixable. I made a video showing two easy methods to fix this mistake without unraveling any of your hard work.
Am I the Only One Who Loves Puff Stitch?
I love mixing different stitches into my overlay mosaic patterns, and the puff stitch is definitely a favorite of mine. It’s just perfect when you want to add a quick pop of texture with a single stitch. Honestly, though, I feel like I might be on a team of one here - it seems like not many people share the love! What about you? If you actually enjoy making puffs, let me know in the groups.
Anyway, they did cause some frustration it seems. If puff stitch is not your best friend, you totally have other options: a popcorn stitch, a cluster, or even a bead! If you choose any of these options, make sure to share a picture in the groups. I made a short videos for you demonstrating all those stitches (Video will be available at 8am EST on July 14):
3 New Petalique Blankets to Inspire You
Great news: we have three more beautiful Petalique blankets finished by our wonderful testers! A huge thank you to Lauren Wolf, Melissa Lane, and Lisa Marlow for providing these fantastic examples and endless inspiration.
Lisa Marlow's blanket actually uses the exact same colorway as my prototype - Whirl 769 Blackberry Mint Chip. However, she used a great trick: she worked from two skeins at the same time from beginning to end, completely skipping the hassle of dividing a single skein into sections for the inner square! For her background, she used Whirlette in Mint.
Lauren used a non-Scheepjes DK yarn in earthy colors for her version, and I am absolutely in love with her dusty pink and brown combination!
Melissa Lane’s blanket is absolutely gorgeous, featuring a beautiful combination of Scheepjes Whirl in Caramel Matcha and Whirlette in Ice and Bilberry.
Thank You to Our Second-Round Testers
A big shout-out goes to the testers of our second Petalique test, which we kicked off just a month before the MAL! I wanted to test some edits I had made to the pattern specifically for the Make-A-Long, and this team stepped up to help me fine-tune everything. Thank you so much for your time, your beautiful stitches, and for helping me make the pattern the absolute best it can be for everyone!
First Finished MAL Projects
We have two finished projects to celebrate this week! A huge shout-out to Rineke Rottiné for her pillow and Lida VanVliet for her bag.
Be sure to check out Rineke's custom alteration - the border on the back side of the pillow looks like it was always meant to be there! Lida also shared an incredibly easy lining solution: she used an existing bag and simply stitched her crochet square right onto the front.
Did We Ran Out of Project Ideas?
Certainly not! I noticed that some makers started their projects using stash yarn, only to find that the piece is growing much larger than a standard pillow or bag. Virág Szomora ran into this exact problem and found a brilliant solution: you can basically play origami with your project! By folding your oversized piece, you can easily turn it into a smaller pillow or a clever messenger bag.
How We Stay Motivated
Tanja Gade Lemvig Villadsen: I use a maker every day so I can see how much I achieve each day. The bigger the blanket, the less I achieve, but then I can see that there is actually something going on and that really motivates me.
That is a fantastic strategy! It definitely gets tougher as the rounds grow longer and take more time. I needed some extra motivation for a few of those middle rounds myself, but the momentum really picked up again once the end was in sight. I originally planned to crochet just two rounds a day, but towards the end, I got so excited that I couldn't help doing more!
Let us know in our groups what your strategy is for making progress. Do you follow a strict daily plan, or are you just doing your best and keeping it stress-free? Honestly, a relaxed approach is exactly what I would do if I didn't always have to finish my projects "yesterday"! 😄
My Apologies to Your TV, Friends, and Family
Many of you have mentioned that this pattern takes a lot of concentration, but you are having so much fun and feeling so proud of your progress! Still, I feel like I should officially apologize to your family, your friends, and your television for stealing all of your attention. 😉
I am so incredibly proud of you, but please remember to look up and do other fun things too! The good news is, it really does get easier. I promise you, by the end of the blanket, I was actually able to watch TV again - well, at least on the straight sections between the corners!
Heather Owen: This is not a pattern for mindless crochet and TV, it’s a fantastic challenge and I absolutely loving it. Having fun and crocheting along!
We Have Some Converted Knitters!
Patrice Rother: This is my first ever crochet project. I’m a decades long knitter and although I was taught basic crochet stitches when I was about 10, I never picked it up. I decided to post to see if anyone please has tips for nicer looking stitches for this too-ambitious beginner before I start my handbag. 🙏
Oh, this is absolutely beautiful, and it warms my heart so much! This is so close to my own journey because I was once a 100% dedicated knitter myself. But in 2008, I completely converted to crochet within a single year!
You are doing an amazing job, Patrice, and your stitches look great. You are definitely ready for the handbag! Keep going - I can't wait to see your finished project.
And We Have Mosaic Crochet First-Timers!
This is so exciting! It really brings back memories of when I tried mosaic crochet for the very first time. Now, I am completely addicted and want to share this "addiction" with as many people as possible!
Welcome to the club - all of our first-time mosaic makers are doing an absolutely amazing job! Thank you so much for joining the MAL: Francine Ulsch, Renée Beumer-Fonteyne, and Peteena Holder! (And my apologies if I missed anyone else!)
To all who feel overwhelmed with first few rounds: those are the hardest! It gets easier!
The Chart Challenge
I admit that my charts have a bit of a learning curve! Because I use many different stitches in my patterns, the common mosaic layout of using an "X" for double crochet just doesn't work for my designs. (Plus, "X" is the standard symbol for single crochet, so I feel like I wouldn't want to use it for double crochet anyway!).
In my very first mosaic patterns, I used standard crochet symbols. However, that made the charts look incredibly busy and overwhelming - I still have a few older patterns with those types of charts. On the advice of one of my testers, I cleaned them up. While that means the symbols are unique to my patterns, there are actually just a handful of them to learn!
Please don't write off the charts completely just yet if they feel overwhelming. Try looking at them from time to time, or use them for just one round while keeping the written instructions right next to you. I'm pretty sure it will suddenly click! Some of my testers actually use the charts exclusively, so I promise you they are very readable once you get used to them. 😊
Our Progress This Week
Thank you so much for sharing your progress - it makes this designer so happy, and it keeps our group members incredibly motivated and inspired!
A big shout-out to everyone who has created a project page on Ravelry! Thank you so much. Whenever people ask me for color combination ideas, Ravelry is the very first place I look. Sharing your projects there tremendously helps everyone who follows in your footsteps!
That is all for this week's update! Seeing your beautiful projects and reading your stories brings me so much joy. Whether you are a mosaic first-timer, a converted knitter, or just trying to watch TV on the straight sections, you are doing an amazing job. Keep sharing your progress photos, tips, and questions in our groups - we are all in this together! I can't wait to see how much your projects grow by next week.
Happy crocheting!
Natalia