Bloom Burst Mystery CAL - first instalment

We're just bursting to bring you the first instalment instructions for our Bloom Burst Mystery CAL so that you can sow the seeds of a very colourful crochet project of your very own.

For this CAL you will need Stylecraft Special DK (100% acrylic).

Buy the yarn here >

1 x 100g (295m) ball of Stylecraft Special DK (100% acrylic) in each Jaffa 1256, Fiesta 1257, Sunshine 1114, Matador 1010, Bright Green 1259 and Aspen 1422. You will also need a 4mm crochet hook.

Don't panic if you're new to crochet, as we teach you how to crochet this flower from start to finish in our very floral pictorial guide, below.

Download your free PDF for Part 1 here.

This week's motif is the meconopsis flower, a delicate smaller version of a poppy which is so pretty that Bhutan have picked it as their national flower.

To make your meconopsis:

Use a 4.00 hook and make six chains (ch).

Join these into a ring by working a slip stitch into the first of these 6ch.

This forms a circle which, when doing the first round, you will work directly into.

Work 1 ch and 9 double crochet stitches (dc) into the ring. As a reminder, to work a dc, simply insert your hook into the ring, and begin by bringing a loop of yarn through to the front.

This creates two loops of yarn on your hook. To complete the stitch, bring another loop of yarn through these two on the hook. You know that any crochet stitch has finished, when only one loop remains on the hook.

This English dc is not to be confused with the American translation, which is actually the equivalent of a UK treble.

When the 9 dcs have been worked, try joining in your new colour when working a slip stitch into the first of these 9dc. It will create a smooth and seamless colour join. This is how it's done:

Cut off your yarn leaving an end long enough to join in later (but not too long so that you waste yarn), and insert your hook where the slip stitch is to be worked. Bring a loop of yarn in the new shade through the loops on the hook being careful to leave an end in the new colour too.

To begin your first petal, work 4ch and then work a double treble (dtr), two of them together in the next stitch, and then another 4ch.

Insert your hook under the yarn ends as you go into the work to catch the strands into your crochet - it'll save a lot of darning ends in later! It's easy to do - as you insert your hook into the work each time, just lay your ends over the hook each time (shown, below). When you've finished the round, you can trim these off.

Work a dc in between each petal.

And repeat to end, working a slip stitch in the 1ch from the beginning of the first round (the one in the previous colour).

When you fasten off, be mindful to leave a long end (20cm is recommended) as these will come in handy later for sewing-up.

You'll know your tension is correct if your finished flower measures approximately 4.5cm from the tip of one petal running along the line of symmetry to between two others

There's a fair few to make, but they're quick! So make sure you take our advice and crochet over your ends as this will save you a lot of time when you come to put your floral Bloom Burst together in its full glory.

Over the coming weeks we'll be showing you the many uses of your glorious CAL project. Don't forget to share your progress in our Facebook group, we can't wait to see your CALs blossom! What will yours end up as?