Lift Your Spirits Mystery Crochet Along (MCAL)

UPDATE: The Lift Your Spirits MCAL is now over. The pattern is now available for purchase here.

What is a Mystery Crochet Along (MCAL)?

A mystery crochet along is an event where a group of people crochet the same mystery project during a specific period of time. The mystery pattern is released in pieces known as clues. Each clue reveals the next series of instructions for the pattern slowly revealing the project.

How do I participate?

Lift Your Spirits will be a free pattern for the duration of the MCAL which is September 3rd – October 15th, 2021. After that the pattern will be available for $6.00. During the MCAL you can download the free pattern clues as they are released on my website or on Ravelry. 

Clues will be released at 9am PT / 12pm ET every Friday for the duration of the MCAL. See timeline below:

September 3rd, Clue #1

September 10th, Clue #2

September 17th, Clue #3

September 24th, Clue #4

October 1st, Clue #5

October 8th, Clue #6

The MCAL chat will be hosted in the Mandobug Crafters Corner Facebook Group. That is where you can ask questions, share your progress by posting pictures, and also see how other participants’ projects are working up. 

You can also tag your project on other social media platforms by using #liftyourspiritsmcal and #liftyourspiritsshawl . By using hashtags on your posts other participants can see your progress. You can also follow those hashtags to see the progress of others. 

I will also be hosting a YouTube Live MCAL Chat every Saturday for the duration of the MCAL at 9am PT / 12pm ET on my YouTube channel. Bring your project and beverage of choice as we chat all things crochet and crochet this project together.

What can you tell me about the pattern?

Description 

Lift Your Spirits is a ghost inspired pattern. And let me be clear here, my inspiration is very literal. THERE WILL BE GHOSTS, lots of ghosts actually, stitched up using the most exciting combination of stitches into a stunning beaded shawl. The pattern instructions are both written and charted.

Skill Level 

Intermediate (uses several stitches with complex shaping)

Stitches used are provided in US terms and include ch, dc, dc2tog, dc3tog, hdc, sc, and sl st.

Sizes

Small (Large)

What are the Required Materials?

Yarn Requirements

Fingering Weight Yarn

510yds / 466m (1950yds / 1783m)

Suggested Yarn

2 (5) hanks Schmutzerella Yarns Dude, 80% Superwash Merino 20% Nylon 400yds

(365m) / 3.5oz (100g) in the Unicorn Blood colorway.

Please Note: Schmutzerella Yarns is a small independent yarn dyeing company. If you plan to use their yarn, place your order as far in advance as possible to ensure it will arrive on time!

Hooks

US size E hook (3.5 mm) or size needed to obtain gauge.

US size 14 steel hook (0.75 mm) – for optional beading

Optional Beads

Size 6/0 Seed Beads – I used 2 bags Glow in the Dark Czech Glass Beads from Bead Biz

412 (1,236) beads which is approximately 27 (80) grams of beads

Notions

Tapestry Needle

Gauge

23 stitches, 10.5 rows = 4” in double crochet, after blocking.

What color should I choose?

Schmutzerella Yarns has put together a collection of colors that will work perfectly with this pattern!

Check out Schmutzeralla Yarns recommended colorways.

All Schmutzerella Yarn orders will receive this special MCAL sticker while supplies last.

I highly recommend using a light solid or semi solid color for this pattern. A dark

solid or semi solid color will still work nicely and one of my pattern testers used a

gradient yarn that looks pretty awesome as well. The only colors I would not

recommend are highly variegated colorways. There are details in the pattern that will be lost if you

decide to go with a busy yarn.

How big are the sizes?

The small size is what I would call a shawlette. You’ll definitely need a shawl pin in order to wear it. Where the large size is what I would call a shlanket, a shawl so big it’s like a small blanket.

Are you in!?

Let me and others know you’ve joined by sharing a picture of your gathered materials or your gauge swatch in the Mandobug Crafters Corner Facebook Group or by using #liftyourspiritsmcal and #liftyourspiritsshawl on any other social media platform.