Recent crochet projects: Shell Stitch Crochet Hat & Mandala

Happy Sunday, friends. I hope the week has treated you well.

I am happy to see the sun at last breaking through, melting snow into slush, the green grass persevering through one of the most severe winter storms I have witnessed in my 27 years. Businesses were closed much of last week, as well as the school I work at, due to subzero temperatures and unsafe driving conditions. It was a good time to catch up on my reading, on cleaning, and of course, on my crocheting.

Two of my recent projects were a Shell Stitch Crochet Hat and a Mandala.

I first made the shell stitch crochet hat as a Christmas gift for my sister, and so enamored with the results I had to make one for myself in my favorite color, purple.

Here is a shot of me wearing the hat, forgive the bad lighting. ;)

The shell stitch hat is care of Elise at the Grow Creative blog. Click here for the pattern. Elise also includes a pattern for a gorgeous flower that you can add to your hat for optimal adorability. 

My other recent crochet project was a mandala. Mandalas are special to me because they are a symbol of Buddhism for the Universe as well as balance. However, mandalas are enjoyed by many people simply because they are beautiful to gaze upon. Mandalas also happen to be very fun to crochet because you get to experiment with color work and different stitches. 

Here is my first mandala:

This mandala pattern comes from Barbara at Made In K-Town. Barbara has said this is one of the most popular patterns on her blog and it is easy to see why. Barbara provides detailed instructions for each round as well as step by step pictures. Check out the mandala pattern here. 

Time to refill my mug of coffee and consider what will be next on my crochet project queue. I hope you enjoyed these projects and I thank you for visiting Thread by Thread Zen!

Cheers,

- Katie Rose