It’s week 3 of the Ray Of Hope crochet along, and we’re finishing up the central mandala. The last few rounds feature shells and starburst stitches. After the first few rounds, you may see your work beginning to cup up, but it will flatten out as we complete the last couple of rounds.

The free pattern is below, but if you’d like the ad free printable version, it is available either as part of my Lifetime Pattern Pass, or you can purchase it on its own for £5 from Ravelry

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If you would like to follow my colour scheme, you can find the list of colours in both Scheepjes Softfun and Stylecraft Special DK in this document here

The pattern is written in US terms, but the UK translation is below in brackets along with the abbreviations we will be using

• Slip stitch = slst
• Chain = ch
• Single crochet (double crochet) = sc
• Half double crochet (half treble crochet) = hdc
• Double crochet (treble crochet) = dc
• Treble crochet (double treble crochet) = tr
• Treble 9 together (double treble 9 together) = tr9tog

The Pattern

Continue with a 4mm hook

Round 20. With Colour B in the 2nd stitch of any 3dc in the same stitch, join with a standing sc. 

*Skip 3 stitches and make 9dc in the same stitch to make a shell. Skip 3 stitches and make a sc* 

repeat between *and* skip the last 3 stitches of the round and slst into the standing sc – 20 shells

Round 21. With Colour C join with a standing sc in the 5th dc of any shell.

*ch 3, make a tr9tog over the next 9 stitches

(Tr9tog: Yarn over twice, hook through indicated stitch and pull up a loop, yarn

over and pull through 2 loops, twice, repeat in next 8 sts, giving 10 loops on hook, yarn over and pull through all 10 loops.)

ch3, sc in the 5th dc of the shell in round 20*

repeat between *and* finish the round by making a slst into the standing sc

Round 22. Ch 1 and in the same stitch make 3 sc. 

*skip the chain 3, in the 1st chain after the tr9tog make 9 tr. Skip the chain 3 and make 3sc in the next stitch (the sc between the tr9tog)*

repeat between *and* finish the round by making a slst in the 1st sc of the round

Round 23. With Colour B join with a standing sc into the 5th dc of the set of 9.

*ch 3, make a tr9tog over the next 9 stitches but when you get to the 3 sc in between the shells, only make a stitch in the 2nd sc, skip the other 2. 

Ch3, 3sc in the 5th dc of the shell*

Repeat between *and* to finish the round make 2sc into the same stitch you started the round in, then slip stitch into the standing sc

Round 24. Chain 1, sc in the same stitch. 

*Make 4 sc in the ch 3 space, sc in the ch1 after the tr9tog, make 4sc in the chain 3 space, make a sc in each of the 3 sc* 

repeat between *and* in the last 2 stitches of the round make a sc, then slst into the 1st sc of the round.

Round 25. With Colour A make a standing sc in the sc in the ch1 after the tr9tog. 

Make sc in the same stitch. *Sc in next 11 stitches, 2sc in next stitch*

Repeat between *and* and finish the round by making a slst into the standing sc

Round 26. Make the alternate turning chain in the same stitch you finished the previous row, in the same stitch make a hdc. . 

*Hdc in next 12 stitches, in the next stitch make 2hdc*

Repeat between *and* after the last set of hdc, slst into the first hdc of the round – 280 stitches

Round 27. With Colour E (your joining colour) join with a standing hdc in any stitch in the 3rd loop. 

In the 3rd loop only make a hdc in every stitch in the round. 

Finish the round by making a slst into the standing hdc – 280 stitches

That’s week 3 and the central mandala finished. You can cut off and weave in your ends. Next week we’ll be starting on the outer pieces.

If you have any questions, or just want to join in the chatter, come on over to our super friendly and helpful Facebook group – The Ray Of Hope CAL group