Free African Flower Crochet Mandala Pattern

This post was originally published on January 12, 2016.

First blog post of the new year! And what better way to kick off the new year than with a new mandala pattern? I’ve never been one for New Year’s resolutions (too much expectation, too little follow through), but I do like to use the flip of the calendar page as a time for reflection. Designing and crocheting mandalas is as meditative an activity as any for me, and creates the perfect space for mindful reflection. At least when I’m not cursing the fact that I’m off on a stitch count.

I hooked up a version of this African Flower Mandala months ago without ever having written down the pattern. A freezing cold day and (mostly) completed chores were enough of an impetus to make another one last weekend.

african flower crochet mandala pattern

Yarn & Hooks
For the smaller version of the mandala, I used Drops Safran, a fingering weight cotton, with a 3.25mm hook. The larger version is in Drops Paris, a worsted weight cotton,with a 4.5mm hook (I think; I neglected to write down the hook size when I made that one several months ago). The pattern is written in standard US terms.

Special Stitches
Spike dc (sp dc): Yarn over, insert hook into indicated stitch in row below, and draw up a loop to the height of the current row. Yarn over and draw through 2 loops twice.

2dc cluster: Yarn over, insert hook into stitch and draw up a loop (3 loops on hook). Yarn over and draw through 2 loops. Yarn over, insert hook into the same stitch, and draw up a loop (4 loops on hook). Yarn over and draw through 2 loops. Yarn over and draw through remaining 3 loops.

Picot: Ch3, sl st to 1st ch.

You can find a comprehensive stitch guide here.

Instructions

Round 1: Into magic loop, ch3 (counts as first dc), dc, ch1. *2dc, ch1* Repeat from * to * around. Join with sl st to top of initial ch3. Fasten off. (12 dc, 6 ch1 sp)

Round 2: Join new yarn in any ch1 sp from round 1. Ch3 (or standing dc), dc, ch1, 2dc in the same ch1 sp. *2dc, ch1, 2dc in next ch1 sp* Repeat from * to * around. Join with sl st to top of initial ch3. Do not fasten off. (24 dc, 6 ch1 sp)

Round 3: Sl st over to ch1 sp. Ch 3 (counts as first dc), 6dc in same ch1 sp. Make 7dc in each ch1 sp around. Join with a sl st to the top of the initial ch3. Fasten off. (42 dc)

Round 4: Join new yarn in the 1st dc of any group of 7dc from round 3. Ch1, sc in same stitch (or join with standing sc). Sc in next 6 st. Sp dc between two adjacent groups of 2dc in round 2 not separated by a ch st (see photo below). *Sc in next 7 st, sp dc in next sp of round 2* Repeat from * to * around. Join with sl st to initial sc. Fasten off. (42 sc, 6 sp dc)

Round 5: Join new yarn in any sc located to the left of any sp dc from round 4. Ch3 (counts as initial dc), dc in next 2 st, 2dc in next st, *Dc in next 7 st, 2dc in next st* Repeat from * to * 4 times. Dc in next 4 st and join with sl st to the top of the initial ch3. Fasten off. (54 dc)

Round 6: Join new yarn in the 2nd dc of any dc inc from round 5. Ch 1, 1 sc in same st (or join with standing sc). *Ch3, skip 2 st, sc in next st * Repeat from * to * around, On last repeat, ch3 and join with sl st to the initial sc. Fasten off. (18 sc, 54 ch)

Round 7: Join new yarn in any ch3 sp from round 6. Ch 3 (counts as initial dc), 3dc in same ch3 sp. 4dc in each ch3 sp around. Join with sl st to the top of the initial ch3. Fasten off. (72 dc)

Round 8: Join new yarn in the 1st dc of any group of 4dc from round 7. Ch 2 (counts as initial hdc), hdc in next 3 st. Sp dc in the sc of round 6 directly below. *Hdc in the next 4 st, sp dc in the sc of round 6 directly below* Repeat from * to * around, and join with sl st to the top of the initial ch2. Fasten off. (72 hdc, 18 sp dc)

Round 9: Join new yarn in any sp dc from round 8. Ch5 (counts as dc, ch2), dc in same st (1 v-stitch made). *Skip 2 st, [dc, ch2, dc] in next st* Repeat from * to * around and join with sl st to 3rd of initial ch5. Fasten off. (30 v-stitch)

Round 10: Join new yarn in any ch2 sp from round 9. Ch3, dc, ch2, 2 dc cluster in same ch2 sp. *2dc cluster, ch2, 2dc cluster in next ch2 sp* Repeat from * to * around and join with sl st to top of the 1st dc. Fasten off. (60 2 dc cluster, 30 ch2 sp)

Round 11: Join new yarn in any ch2 sp from round 10. Ch1 and 2 sc in same sp. *Sc in top of next two 2 dc cluster from round 10, 2sc in next ch2 sp* Repeat from * to * around. On the last repeat, skip 2sc in ch2 sp and join with sl st to top of initial sc. Fasten off. (120 sc)

Round 12: Join new yarn in any sc from round 11. Ch3 (counts as initial dc), dc in same st. Dc in next 9 st. *2dc in next st, dc in next 9 st* Repeat from * to * around and join with sl st to top of initial ch3. Fasten off. (132 dc)

Note: I fixed the math between taking photos and writing the final pattern, so the photos for rounds 12 and 13 don’t reflect the correct number of stitches for those rounds. But they give the general idea.

Round 13: Join new yarn in any dc from round 12. Ch1 and sc in same st (or join with standing sc). Sc in next 5 st, picot. *Sc in next 6 st, picot* Repeat from * to * around and join with sl st to initial sc. Fasten off and weave in ends. (132 sc, 22 picot)