CALs and MALs
CALs and MALs bring thousands of people, from all over the world, to work together on the same patterns at the same time. They are a brilliant way to experience making, sharing, and learning together.
CAL stands for “Crochet ALong” and MAL stands for "Make ALong" - a very simple and easy idea that anyone can be part of. In a CAL/MAL you join me and hundreds of other lovely crocheters to make the same pattern together at the same time. It's great fun.
In a CAL the pattern is released in parts, once a week, according to a timetable set out before the CAL starts. You work on your own project and can choose your own colour scheme or one of those that comes with my pattern. In a MAL the pattern is released with all of the details required to make the design, along with the start date.
One of the best things about a CAL/MAL is being social and being part of a community. The CALs/MALs are hosted on the daisyknots' Mosaic Community Group on Facebook. This friendly group is the go to place to share your progress, get help and advice and to fall in love with the gorgeous colour-ways on display.
I've hosted two CALs so far: the Mosaic Sampler and the Daisy Sampler are suitable for complete crochet newbies or for those new to the mosaic style of crochet. I’ve made video tutorials to hold your hand along each step of the way. Thousands of people have taken part in these which means there are loads of wonderful samplers to look at for inspiration.
The 2022 MAL starts on 10th August and will run through until October 2022 and I'm sure it's going to prove as popular as my previous CALs. This pattern is suitable for any crocheter who has completed a small overlay mosaic.
A CAL or a MAL is a wonderful place where you can meet new friends who share your joy of using a hook and yarn to create beautiful works of art
New Beginnings MAL (2022)
New Beginnings is an overlay mosaic design that is worked in rows. The Make ALong runs from 10 August 22 to 30th September 22.
With this design I wanted to really push the tapestry mosaic boundaries and let people see how a simple pattern can be transformed by adding small touches of colour.
With this in mind I created a lot of mockups and there is a link to a downloadable file which has twenty-one different variants using the tapestry mosaic charts that are included in the pattern.
New Beginnings MAL (2022)
New Beginnings can still be worked in just two colours and looks absolutely gorgeous worked up like this, so if you do not care for tapestry mosaic or are a newbie, don’t worry this pattern works just as well without the addition of any of the tapestry mosaic sections.
You can still make my previous, beautiful CAL patterns...
Though these CALs have ended, the full patterns for both the Mosaic Sampler and the Daisy Sampler are available to purchase in my shop (and on Ravelry) - and the weekly parts of the Mosaic Sampler are still available to download free.
The Mosaic Sampler CAL
After creating my first sample of mosaic crochet, I was hooked. So much so that I challenged myself to create my own patterns and the Mosaic Sampler was born.
I wanted to make a sampler that was not only a testing ground for me when I was creating the designs but was also a project that anyone could make, even someone new to crochet. I have had many, many crochet newbies make beautiful samplers and they are always amazed at how easy it is to work mosaic crochet and are awestruck at the end that they have produced such a wonderful piece of art.
The Daisy Sampler is a square blanket which is worked flat in the round. With this design I wanted to debunk the myth that working like this with mosaic crochet was difficult. This design was also called a sampler as like the Mosaic Sampler it is very much a learning platform and again I wanted it to be accessible to newbie crocheters.
There are three versions of the Daisy Sampler and each version treats the way the colours are applied to the pattern differently. Therefore, please do watch the introductory video before deciding which sampler you wish to make.
The Daisy Sampler CAL