TRACING BACK TO BODY

The body of the calendar is a simple granny square. I then used embroidering thread to create a path ontop of the body through single crocheting around and along. The surface crocheting was very intuitive. Then with red acrylic wool, in the circles that represent a day I bled, through a mix of double crocheting and chains, I filled in the circles. The dates I embroidered using the same thread as the path. The calendar comes out to be about 27cm x 27 cm.

Other than very specific things like a pingpong racket purse, I hadn´t crocheted much before this. I looked for inspiration of projects that were calendar related but came across nothing. I figured I could make a granny square and use that as a basis, and move forward from there. I followed this tutorial for the body of the calendar which is a granny square. Everything else I tinkered independently.

Experimenting with other red thread to because the wool doesn't hang softly. Too erect. Something I´ve found hard to represent is the intensity of flow, being able to create a range. With this thinner thread, I am able to play around more with it. I also like how its texture is different to the rest of the calendar.

start() {
    MC;
}

round1(16DC) {
    3CH; // COUNTS AS 1ST DC
    15DC; // INTO MC
    SL ST TO TOP OF BEG 3CH;
}

round2(16DC-BLO + 16CH-SP = 32ST) {
    4CH;
    repeatAround {
        1DC-BLO IN NEXT ST;
        1CH;
    }
    SL ST TO 3RD CH OF BEG 4CH;
}

round3(16SC + 16[3CH-SP] = 64ST) {
    1CH;
    repeatAround {
        1SC IN NEXT 1CHSP;
        3CH;
    }
    SL ST TO TOP OF FIRST SC;
}

round4(16[3DC IN 3CH-SP] = 48ST) {
    SL ST IN NEXT 3CH-SP;
    3CH;
    2DC IN SAME 3CH-SP;
    repeatAround {
        3DC IN NEXT 3CH-SP;
    }
    SL ST TO TOP OF BEG 3CH;
}

round5(16V-ST) {
    SL ST INTO NEXT DC;
    5CH;
    1DC IN SAME ST AT BEG 5CH; //COUNTS AS FIRST V-ST
    repeatAround {
        MISS NEXT 2DC;
        1V-ST IN NEXT DC;
    }
    SL ST TO 3RD OF BEG 5CH
}

round6(64DC + 16[2CH-SP] = 96ST) {

    SL ST INTO NEXT 2CH-SP; //MIDDLE OF V-ST
    inNext2CH-SP {
        3CH; //COUNTS AS 1ST DC
        1DC;
        2CH;
        2DC;
    }
    repeatAround {
        inNext2CH-SP {
            2DC;
            2CH;
            2DC;
        }
    }
    SL ST TO TOP OF BEG 3CH;
}

round7(96DC + 16[6CH-SP] = 192ST) {
    3CH; //COUNTS AS 1ST DC
    1DC IN NEXT DC;
    repeatAround {
        inNext2CH-SP {
            1DC;
            6CH;
            1DC;
        }
        1DC IN EACH NEXT 4DC;
    } //LAST REPEAT ENDS WITH 2DC CONNECTING TO BEG 3CH + 1DC

}

round8(96SC + 16PICOTS + 16[3CH-SP]) {
    SL ST ACROSS 2DC;
    SL ST INTO 6CH-SP;
    1CH;
    repeatAround {
        inNext6ch-SP {
            3SC;
            1CH;
            PICOT;
            1CH;
            3SC;
        }
        MISS NEXT 6DC;
    }
    SL ST TO FIRST SC;
}
					

I followed this pattern, which is originally for a coaster. I deviated from looking at calendar references and tried to find patterns of any kind that were circular. I really liked this design because it´s dynamic; there are dense parts and gaps, more delicate parts and more sturdy ones. I was really curious to play with projecting the cycle onto this type of pattern. Mine came out way bigger than the reference, I believe because I used thicker yarn and hook, and because I tend to crochet loosely. I also came across surface crochet technique, which I used to make the path for the days of the cycle in white.

The circularity of this pattern works really well. It makes the reading of the data intuitive and related to the menstrual cycle. It would be nice to have more gaps and free space to thread in the red yarn and make that more prominent.

CALENDAR 3

start() {
    MC;
}

round1(16DC) {
    3CH; // COUNTS AS 1ST DC
    15DC; // INTO MC
    SL ST TO TOP OF BEG 3CH;
}

round2(16DC-BLO + 16CH-SP = 32ST) {
    4CH;
    repeatAround {
        1DC-BLO IN NEXT ST;
        1CH;
    }
    SL ST TO 3RD CH OF BEG 4CH;
}

round3(16SC + 16[3CH-SP] = 64ST) {
    1CH;
    repeatAround {
        1SC IN NEXT CH-SP;
        3CH;
    }
    SL ST TO TOP OF FIRST SC;
}

round4(16[3DC IN 3CH-SP] = 48ST) {
    SL ST IN NEXT 3CH-SP;
    3CH;
    2DC IN SAME 3CH-SP;
    repeatAround {
        3DC IN NEXT 3CH-SP;
    }
    SL ST TO TOP OF BEG 3CH;
}

round5(10[9CH-SP] + 10[3DC-BLO] = 132 ST) {
    3CH; /COUNTS AS FIRST DC-BLO
	DC-BLO IN NEXT ST;
	DC-BLO IN NEXT ST;
	9CH;
	MISS 2ST;
    repeatAround {
       3[DC-BLO IN NEXT ST];
		9CH;
       2[MISS NEXT ST];
    } //IN LAST REPEAT, MISS 3ST
    SL ST TO TOP OF BEG 3CH;
}

round6(10[9DC] + 10[1CH] = 99ST) {

    SL ST UNTIL IN 9-CH-SP; // KEEP DOING A SL ST INTO NEXT ST UNTIL YOU FIND YOURSELF THERE
    3CH;
	inNext9CH-SP {
        3CH; //COUNTS AS 1ST DC
        1DC;
        2CH;
        2DC;
    }
    repeatAround {
        inNext9CH-SP {
            9DC;
        }
		CH;
    }
    SL ST TO TOP OF BEG 3CH;
}

round7(99DC) {
    repeatAround {
       DC IN NEXT ST;
        }
    }

round8(11[5DC] + 11[9CH]) {
    SL INTO NEXT ST;
    CH3;
	4[DC IN NEXT ST];
    repeatAround {
        9CH;
		4[MISS NEXT ST];
		5[DC IN NEXT ST];
    }
    SL ST TOP TOP OF BEG 3CH;
}
round9(11[9DC] + 11[CH] = 110ST) {
    SL ST UNTIL 9CH-SP;
    CH3;
	8[DC IN NEXT 9CH-SP];
    repeatAround {
        CH;
		inNext9CH-SP {
        9DC;
    }
    }
    SL ST TOP TOP OF BEG 3CH;
}

					

I have started to understand the way crochet patterns are built so with this design I deviated from my references and tried developing my own rows. Currently surface crocheting the path of 32 days, so I can fill my cycles data in. Whilst taking pictures of this calendar I saw that the back of the surface crochet looks pretty nice too, so maybe for the next one I can try making the path that way.

CALENDAR 4

start() {
    MC;
}

round1(16DC) {
 	3CH; // COUNTS AS 1ST DC
    15DC; // INTO MC
    SL ST TO TOP OF BEG 3CH;
}

round2(16[2DC-BLO] = 32ST) {
	3CH; // DOESN'T COUNT AS FIRST DC
	2
	repeatAround{
		2[DC-BLO] IN NEXT ST;
	}
}

round3(3CH + 2[DC-BLO] + [9CH] [3DC-BLO] = 81ST) {
    3CH;
	2[DC-BLO IN NEXT ST];
    repeatAround {
        9CH;
		MISS 1ST;
        3[DC-BLO IN NEXT ST];
    }
    SL ST TO TOP OF FIRST SC;
}

round4(81ST) {
	repeatAround {
		SC IN NEXT ST;
	}
}

round5() {
	3CH;
	2DC;
	9CH;
	MISS 1ST;
	repeatAround {
		3DC;
		9CH;
		MISS 1ST;
	} //LEAVES ONE ST OVER FROM ROUND4
}

round6() {
	SL ST UNTIL END OF 3[DC-BLO]; // BECAUSE WE WANT TO START THIS ROUND AT THE HEIGHT OF A 3[DC-BLO] ENDING
	repeatAround {
		SC INTO NEXT ST;
		9CH;
		MISS 1 ST;
	}
}

round7() {
   repeatAround {
	VST;
   } //ONE ST LEFT OVER
}

round8(11[5DC] + 11[9CH]) {
    
}
round9() {
   
}