Happy New year!!! I hope you all had a lovely festive season! I love waving goodbye a year and waking up to a new one, fresh ideas are running through my head and resolutions to make. I made a decision 3 years ago, to make resolutions and stick to them. Vegetarianism, Giving Blood, Learning something new. And so far I’ve kept to all of them. This year, my resolution is to clear the clutter from my life. So I am clearing out, using the Apartment Therapy January Cure to keep me on track and on my way. Tidy house, Tidy work space, Tidy mind.

Resolutions for me, are a way of having direction as we go into a new year. I think for most creatives, we feel so lost after all the excitement of Christmas and New Year that the prospect of January seems so, well, dull. That dark cloud we all know and hate so well, creeps in.

So focus. A great way to relax and unwind with crochet I have found are creating Mandalas. Mandalas are traditionally a spiritual Indian symbol, they represent the universe. The term mandala loosely translates to mean circle. So for me the new year seems a perfect time to create them. Each round reminds me the earth travels around the sun to create the year, and each join is the new year. Its symbolic, relaxing and therapeutic.

Traditionally in Tibet mandalas are made by monks with sand, amazing ornate pieces of work that inevitably get blown away, or swept away by water. This is the universe’s healing efforts. So mandalas are a perfect way to create inner peace.

I have a mini project for you. I want to collect 100 mandalas from crocheters around the globe who need a boost this new year and crochet for their well being. I want to create an exhibit of mandalas. All I ask is you use DK acrylic yarn and a 4mm hook.The colour choice is entirely up to you and your mood. Then instead of it blowing away you’ll pop it in the post and the universe will take it away. Beautiful right?

It would also be great to know who they’ve come from and why you chose to take part, maybe you suffer from depression and crochet is a coping mechanism, maybe you are a recovering addict, or maybe you suffer from anxiety and crochet helps you to relax. This part isn’t compulsory and will remain confidential if you so wish.

Drop me an email here and I will send you the pattern for the above mandala and information on where to send it.

Much love x