December’s Section of the Monthly Mosaic Mystery CAL is finally here!!

This month we have another 24-stitch repeat in a festive, Nordic design. You can read more about the inspiration for the pattern down below, but I’m sure you can already guess. You can get the chart for this pattern for free down below. But If you want the complete pattern for the CAL so far, including written instructions, click here to purchase the ebook on Ravelry.

Before I go much further with this CAL though, I wanted to make sure you knew about the Mosaic Nordic CAL that is also happening right now!

The Mosaic Nordic CAL

I don’t want to explain it too much here because I have all the details you need on the landing page for the CAL.

Just click the button below to find out more!

The Monthly Mosaic Mystery CAL

I am so glad you are joining me for the 2022 Monthly Mosaic CAL hosted by me – Erin of Juniper & Oakes! Welcome. (If you have no idea what I am talking about, click here.)

Have you ever crocheted a mosaic pattern?

I had never done one until I designed this Peaks & Pillars afghan strip for the Friends Around the World CAL.

I have since turned that simple Afghan strip into a trivet pattern and a pillow pattern.

And then I used that pattern as the basis of my first strip in the in my Monthly Mosaic CAL. I made another strip for February – the Hearts Galore Design. Then my 3rd strip for March was Celtic Knots. My 4th design was Mosaic Squares. My 5th design was May Flowers. the 6th was Mosaic Monstera. The 7th was Tybee Waves. The 8th was the Plus Side. The 9th was Lovely Lattice. The 10th was Mosaic Pumpkins. The 11th was Thanksgiving.

And now today I am introducing you to December’s section of the MMMCAL called – Nordic Star.

Want to find out more about the cal? Read here.

 

Don’t have time to work this pattern now? Pin it for later.

What is the Monthly Mosaic CAL

To start off with, a CAL is a Crochet ALong. Its when many people crochet the same project together.

This CAL will be a blanket using the overlay mosaic technique.

Every month in 2022, I will be releasing an afghan strip that is abstractly inspired by that month. Each pattern will be released near the end of that month. Typically you will receive a free chart for the pattern with a link to another blog post that walks you through how to read the mosiac chart. Since it has yet to be published, this pattern will include the written instructions as well.

Full Pattern for the CAL

If you prefer to have written instructions for the whole blanket, you can purchase the CAL pattern bundle which will have the charts, written instructions, and cheat sheets for this blanket CAL as they are released (for example, if you are purchasing the bundle in October 2022, there will only be ten blanket strips released , so only the charts + written instructions for the Peaks & Pillars, Hearts Galore, and Celtic Knots, Mosaic Squares, May Flowers, Mosaic Monstera, Tybee Waves, The Plus Side, Lovely Lattice AND Mosaic Pumpkin patterns will be available, and then the next month you will gain access to that months pattern and so on. If you are purchasing the bundle in December 2022, all of the patterns will be available right away. Makes sense?

My blanket so far:

What do you think of my blanket so far? I am loving it! Thank you so much for joining.

December’s Section:

Nordic Star – Mosaic Afghan Strip for my Monthly Mosaic CAL

I want all the mosaic patterns in my Monthly Mosaic CAL to be an abstract representation of that month somehow.

This Nordic Star pattern is a slight adaptation of section #5 in the Mosaic Nordic CAL. If you participated in that CAL, you will know that it was also a Nordic Star. The only different is that was a 25-stitch repeat, and this one is a 24-stitch repeat.

Can you spot the differences? I think these Nordic Stars are so iconically Christmas & December, so I knew I just had to include similar patterns in both of my CALs this year!

 Let’s get started.

The Yarn

The yarn used for this crochet along is Heartland by Lion Brand Yarn in the colorways Congaree & Great Smoky Mountains.

Thank you to Lion Brand for providing yarn support for this CAL. I truly love this yarn and am so grateful that I was able to get this collaboration with them. If I hadn’t, I probably would have still bought this yarn with my own money. I like how soft the color AND the texture is. I also love how the colors are named after national parks.

Purchase the Yarn here

The Hook

I used a size H (5.0 mm hook from Furls Crochet – a beautiful Cream-colored Streamline Swirl. Furls sent me this hook to use for this crochet-along and I absolutely love it! I have spent actual dollars on these hooks, and I will keep on collecting them as well. Let me know if you have any questions about them – I would love to share my experience.

Purchase the Hook here

Here is my sample. What do you think?

If you work up with pattern, PLEASE post pictures on social media and tag @juniperandoakes and use the hashtags #juniperandoakes #monthlymosaicCAL and #jaomosaic. (You can also post pictures on my Facebook Page, or in the Juniper + Oakes Crochet Community Facebook Group.)

 

How do I add the new section to the previous one??

This video is from the Hearts Galore pattern, but it still applies to this one.

Skill Level: Intermediate

 

Materials

• Yarn: Worsted (4) 

  • Color A: appx 150 yards
  • Color B: appx 150 yards
• Hook H/8 – 5.0mm
• Scissors

Gauge: 

14 stitches x 15 rows = 4” x 4” in square

A swatch of the pattern 

Finished Size: 

Approximately 48 inches x 3”

(One 48+3 stitch strip is approximately 16” x 4.5”.)

Stitch Abbreviations (US Terminology)

BLOsc – Back Loop Only Single Crochet

ch – Chain

dc – Double Crochet

FLOdc – Front Loop Only Double Crochet

Fsc – Foundation single crochet

RS – Right Side

sc – Single Crochet

Special Stitches

Overlay Mosaic Technique

This is a simple technique that is so fun to make these intricate crochet pieces that actually are extremely easy!

Click to read this blog post all about the basics of overlay mosaic crochet.

If unfamiliar, be sure to watch my YouTube video playlist.

Please SUBSCRIBE to my channel, comment that you joined in from the Monthly Mosaic CAL, and like the video. Thank you so much!

Pattern Notes

• US Terminology 
• This is the December section of the Monthly Mosaic Mystery CAL hosted by Juniper & Oakes. You can read more about the CAL by clicking here.
• Ch 1 does not count as a stitch.
• Pattern is worked from right to left on Right Side only.  (If you are left handed, feel free to work from left to right according to the chart below).
• Every row is worked in a different color.
• Fasten off at the end of each row. 
• Every row begins with a sc through both loops as a “border” stitch. 
• Every row ends with a sc through both loops as a “border” stitch.
• SC are worked in BL only of previous row, unless otherwise noted.
• DC are worked in FL only of stitch 2 rows below, skipping the stitch behind unless otherwise noted. 
• Pattern begins with 1 border stitch, has a repeat of 24 stitches, 1 stitch to even out the pattern, and 1 border stitch at the end. 
• You may choose to repeat the pattern as many times as you wish. Make sure your Foundation Row is made up of any multiple of 24 plus 3 extra stitches. 
• For the monthly Mosaic CAL, the Foundation Row is the last row of the Thanksgiving pattern. Simply work Row 1 of this pattern in the BLO of last row made..
• Although the chart included is for a foundation row of 48+3, we will be using a foundation row of 144 + 3 (or 147 stitches).
• For the sake of the Monthly Mosaic CAL, crochet 25 Rows, though you may wish to keep going if you choose. 
• This pattern includes a chart and written instructions below. You may want to refer to each. (Chart for 48 + 3 stitches repeat included).
• Please join the Juniper & Oakes Crochet Community FB Group and share pictures and questions that arise. 
• There is no video tutorial yet for this pattern.

 

How do I work the Repeats??

Please SUBSCRIBE to my channel, comment that you joined in from the Monthly Mosaic CAL, and like the video. Thank you so much!

Chart

Remember, you can get the full pattern with a printable chart, written instructions, etc On Ravelry.

Instructions

Foundation Row: For the CAL, use last row of the Thanksgiving section as your foundation row.

Rows 1-25: Refer to the chart (or click here MMM CAL ebook)

DO NOT WEAVE IN YOUR ENDS.

The next section to be released is how to crochet the envelope border. With the envelope border we will be hiding those pesky ends instead of weaving them in.

Stay tuned.

The Fine Print

This pattern and its images are the property of Juniper and Oakes ©2023. The pattern is for your personal use only. Please do not copy/paste, distribute, or alter and claim as your own. You may sell products made by this pattern, but please credit @juniperandoakes and remember to link back to juniperandoakes.com or credit Juniper & Oakes on the craft fair tag.

You may post pictures on social media and tag @juniperandoakes and use the hashtags #juniperandoakes and #jaobookmark. If you make this pattern, please email a picture to [email protected] and I will include it in a gallery on my website. You can also post pictures on my Facebook Page, or in the Juniper + Oakes Crochet Community Facebook Group.

This post may contain affiliate links. View our disclosure policy here.

I would love for this pattern to be included in your round-up. Please ask for my permission to use a photo, and please link back to this post. Also, share the link to your round-up post with me so I can promote it as well. Thank you!

Let me know if you run into a problem. I respond quickly and will help any way I can to clarify any confusion or challenging stitches.