Finally Finished: My Crochet Mandala Rug in Chunky Yarn
The DIY Crochet Mandala Wall Hanging Kit was such a fun project that once I finished it, I needed to make even more mandalas. I started a crochet mandala rug to go with my wall hanging; you might remember when I wrote about it as a work in progress (WIP).
Rather than using the sportweight yarn called for in the Fine China Mandala Pattern (from Modern Crochet Mandalas, designed by Sandra Eng), I held 2 strands of Aran-weight yarn together to make a thick, chunky yarn. I used the thicker yarn so that my mandala would turn into a crochet mandala rug without having to do a ton of pattern alterations.
It took me a while to finish, but now that the project is completed, here are a few things I learned:
1. While white was the perfect color to match my Mandala Wall Hanging, it was not the perfect color for my home. My house is covered in white carpet, and I am struggling to find a place for this rug in my home that will really let it shine. Any ideas? Let me know in the comments below.
2. White was also a bad color choice because I tend to drink coffee while I crochet. See this yarn shaming post to know what I mean.
3. Adding to a circular pattern will always involve some frogging. I originally planned to add the edging from Deborah Bagley’s Desert Rose Mandala (from Love of Crochet Spring 2017; find the instructions for that alteration in my WIP post) but then changed my mind and decided to add 2 rounds of popcorn stitches to match the popcorn rounds in the center of the mandala. The popcorn stitches required too much increasing, though, and the edge of the rug started to ruffle. Plus, the popcorn stitch used too much yarn. Thanks to crochet class, I knew I needed to rip out a few rounds. So I went back to my original idea of using Deborah’s edging, and that worked well.
Even though it took some frogging and reworking, I really love my crochet mandala rug in chunky yarn. If I can’t find a place for it on my floor, it also works as a great blanket or couch cover! I can’t wait for cooler temperatures so I can cuddle up in this giant crochet mandala!
What mandalas have you made from Modern Crochet Mandalas? Have you tried altering or adding on to any of the patterns? Let us know how it worked for you!
Happy mandala making!
Sara Dudek
Associate Editor, Interweave Crochet
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Dawna, Erin, Deborah, Teresa! These are such fantastic ideas! Thank you! We could almost write an entire second blog post on all the fantastic suggestions you have! So creative! Sannie, mandalas ARE addictive! Would love to see your rug from Modern Crochet Mandalas!
Dawna, Erin, Deborah, Teresa! These are such fantastic ideas! Thank you! We could almost write an entire second blog post on all the fantastic suggestions you have! So creative! Sannie, mandalas ARE addictive! Would love to see your rug from Modern Crochet Mandalas!
I made a mandala rug in a chunky yarn from Modern crocheted mandalas. I am an expert frogged, but loved the outcome. Totally addictive!!
I made a mandala rug in a chunky yarn from Modern crocheted mandalas. I am an expert frogged, but loved the outcome. Totally addictive!!
I didn’t see where/ if you said what kind of yarn you used, but maybe you could dye it. RIT makes a dye for synthetic fabrics if that is what was used,
I didn’t see where/ if you said what kind of yarn you used, but maybe you could dye it. RIT makes a dye for synthetic fabrics if that is what was used,
Hi, maybe you could choose a color and add one more row to your border, or embroider some color onto the piece. Your ruff is beautiful, gives me courage to try something similar.
Hi, maybe you could choose a color and add one more row to your border, or embroider some color onto the piece. Your ruff is beautiful, gives me courage to try something similar.
I was going to suggest maybe putting it on a hula hoop and hanging it as well, but then I went and looked at your living area picture (which is amazing with those wood end tables…YUSSSSSS!) and noticed your walls are white too. But if you had a room with a pop of color on the walls, it would look really nice with that color popping through the white. Just something I have pinned repeatedly on pinterest. Oh…you could even spray paint the hula hoop gold or something fun like that before you wrap the mandala. Anyway, all that said, the rug is beautiful and it looks really nice where you have it in that one picture too!!!
I was going to suggest maybe putting it on a hula hoop and hanging it as well, but then I went and looked at your living area picture (which is amazing with those wood end tables…YUSSSSSS!) and noticed your walls are white too. But if you had a room with a pop of color on the walls, it would look really nice with that color popping through the white. Just something I have pinned repeatedly on pinterest. Oh…you could even spray paint the hula hoop gold or something fun like that before you wrap the mandala. Anyway, all that said, the rug is beautiful and it looks really nice where you have it in that one picture too!!!
Love the rug! You could attach a backing to it using whatever color would work well with your room’s decor.
Love the rug! You could attach a backing to it using whatever color would work well with your room’s decor.