I Love Rocks!

I have been collecting rocks for as long as I can remember. As a young girl I was fascinated with all of the many shapes and colors of rocks.  Every trip to a rocky shore or beach had me searching for more ‘treasures’.  Now I love to find   rocks made perfectly round and smooth by years of waves crashing or river water rushing.  They become great canvases for some unique crochet art.

Over the years I have come up with a variety of designs for this rock art and today I am going to share  one I created about 5 years ago – the White Mountain Mandala Rock – because, remember, we are featuring all kinds of mandala projects here this summer!

The White Mountains of NH-

My family and I were recently vacationing in the White Mountains of NH – they are beautiful! We  love to go for rides along the Kancamagus Highway where breathtaking views of the mountains are around every hairpin turn.  The rock pictured above was hidden along the Pemigewasset River near a stop off the side of the “Kanc” (as locals call the famous highway) – click here to see photos of the other rocks we hid recently and to find out if anyone has found them!

 

You’ll see that this FREE pattern works up very quickly  (I often make my rock art in the spot that I am going to hide it – I love crocheting outdoors with a scenic view in front of me) and uses mostly basic stitches.  There are two versions to this pattern – you complete the same exact stitches but use different size hooks and yarn to get 2 different sizes.  Sometimes I even crochet part of my rock art at home – up to about the last one or two rounds – and then I have fun looking for the perfect rock to go with my crocheted piece while I’m enjoying the outdoors.  Once I find the rock, it only takes a few minutes to complete the project since there are only 1 or 2 rounds left.

So, whether you have your rock or it is waiting to yet be found – let’s get started on our next mandala project!

Skill Level:

Confident Beginner

Measurements:

3″  or 6″ diameter

Supplies:

• Crochet Thread – Size 10 or Omega’s Sinfonia
• 2mm hook or 3.75mm hook
• Smooth round but flat rock – (3”  or 6” diameter)

Special Stitches/Abbreviations:

ch = chain

sl st (slip stitch) = insert hook, YO, pull through stitch and through loop on hook

dc = double crochet

dtr (double treble crochet) = YO three times, insert hook into st, YO, draw up a loop, (YO, pull through 2 lps on hook) 4 times

dtr CL (double treble crochet cluster) = [YO three times, insert hook into st, YO, draw up a loop, (YO, pull through 2 lps on hook) 3 times leaving 2 loops on hook] two times; YO, pull through all 4 loops on hook

Instructions

Ch 10 – sl st in 1^st ch to form a ring

Round 1:  Ch 3, 29 dc in ring; join with sl st to top of starting ch-3.

Round 2:  (Ch 5, sk 2 dc, sl st in next st) around ending with ch 2, dc in base of beg. ch-5. (10 ch-5 spaces)

Round 3:  Ch 1, sc in same ch-5 sp; (ch 4, sc in next ch-5 sp) around; join with sl st to 1^st sc.

Round 4:  Ch 3, 5 dc in each ch-4 sp and 1 dc  in each sc around; join with sl st to top of beg. ch-3. (60 dcs)

Round 5: Repeat Round 2 (20 ch-5 sps)

Round 6:  Ch 6, (dc in next ch-5 sp, ch 3) around ending with a sl st in 3^rd ch of starting ch-6.

Round 7:  Ch 4, dtr in base of ch-4 just made; (ch 5, 2 dtr CL in next dc) around ending with sl st in top of 1^st ch-4.

Round 8:  Sl st in next 3 chs; ch 1, sc around ch (in same ch-5 sp); (ch 5, sc in next ch-5 sp) around ending with ch-3, dc in 1^st sc. Wrap around rock.

Round 9:  Ch 1, sc in same sp; (ch 1, sc in next ch-5 sp) around ending with sl st into 1^st sc. Fasten off.

** Note: If you are having a difficult time fitting mandala around the rock at this point, you can add chs in between the scs in Round 9;  See the st marked in red above  – change the number of chains to work for your rock**

With permanent marker add a message, your name and/or the date and your White Mountain Rock is complete – ready to use as a paperweight at home, ready to give as a gift, ready to hide on your next walk in the woods!

Jennifer

Copyright 2018 – Jennifer E Ryan, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher but please do link to this page to share this pattern with others.

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