Introducing the Starfall CAL

I am so pleased to announce that our next Crochet Along (CAL) will be starting on 1st December 2026 and running through to March 2027.

On this page you will find everything you need to know prior to the CAL, from yarn substitution to dates for your calendar. 

About the Design

Following on from the Imagination Quilt CAL last year, I wanted to push the idea of crocheted patchwork further for the 2026 advent CAL.  For this design, I chose equilateral triangles arranged into 6 pointed stars. Triangles are not often seen in crochet patterns and finding a way to ensure they fit together (and remained flat when joined) took lots of experimentation! 

Is it suitable for beginners?

The pattern is suitable for confident beginners and intermediate crocheters. It would be helpful for you to learn the mattress stitch join if you haven't come across it before. If you crocheted the Imagination Quilt, you can make this blanket too!

What is a Crochet Along?

A Crochet Along is where a group of crocheters work through a pattern at the same time, over a period of weeks or months, sharing progress and supporting each other. CALs usually include guidance on which parts of the pattern to work on through the CAL and some have extra events along the way like virtual meet ups or giveaways.

Keep reading to find out how Meema Makes CALs work.

Crochet Along Information

The Starfall CAL will run from 1st December 2026 to 21st March 2026 in a similar way to previous Meema Makes CALs.

The pattern will be released ahead of the CAL on 27th November on my website and in my Ravelry and Etsy stores for £7.50 + VAT. 

How do I join the CAL?

There is no sign up list for the CAL. To join you need to:

  1. Buy the pattern when it releases on 27th November. There will be a discount code for members of our free Facebook group: Meema Makes Crochet Club.
  2. Crochet your blanket during December to March - you can work at your own pace or choose to follow the CAL timetable included in your pattern. 
  3. Optional: post photos of your progress as you go - this could be on public social media using the hashtag #StarfallCAL or in our private Facebook group.
  4. Keep an eye out for the giveaways!

You will also want to think about what yarn to use before the CAL starts. Keep reading to find out more about the yarn I used and how to substitute your own choice.

Let's Talk Yarn

You might be wondering why the photos of the blanket are in black and white. I had the pleasure of collaborating with Georgie aka the Fibre Fox by using her gorgeous 2026 yarn advent called "Autumn in the Wolds". It's a stunning fade of 24 colours that closely matches her moodboards shown above.

What is a Yarn Advent?
If you've not come across yarn advents before, they are usually 24 x 20g mini skeins of sock yarn dyed by hand, often into a subtle fade inspired by moodboards. They are a luxurious mystery product and designed to be opened one per day through the advent (1st - 24th December). So all the photos I am sharing right now will remain black and white, until those who bought the advent have opened their advents.

Buying the Yarn

For the pattern you will need 1 advent in her Luxe Sock base. The pre-orders for the advent closed in Spring 2026, however there will be spares available to purchase before the CAL, and a second preorder in the New Year. I am not involved in the design, production, or shipping of the advents, and I do not receive any commission for promoting it. Please email Georgie directly at thefibrefox@gmail.com for all enquiries.

PLEASE NOTE: Unlike last year's collaboration, you will not recieve a copy of the Starfall pattern included in your advent. You will need to purchase this seperately on my website, Ravelry, or Etsy shops on or after 27th November.

As well as the advent you'll also need a background colour so your stars pop. Georgie has designed a beautiful warm neutral to pair with the advent called "Harvest Moon", shown crocheted into triangles in this photo.  You will need 3 x 425m/100g skeins of this colour, which is available to order here.

Yarn Substitution

For last year's advent CAL, I provided an alternative yarn pack in commercially available yarn. This year I have chosen not to do this. Instead I have provided plenty of information on this page for you to customise the pattern to your own preferences of yarn colour and weight.

Substituting Different Advents

You can substitute any sock/4ply/fingering weight advent that includes 24 x 20g mini skeins that have meterage of at least 80m per mini skein. You will also need 1275m of a contrasting background colour.

Substituting Other Yarns

If you wish to substitute other yarns, you can refer to this table. The table is also included in the pattern PDF.

Please note that I have done my best to ensure the numbers in the table are accurate, but as the pattern is still being independently tested they may change when the pattern releases.

Keep reading for guidance on choosing yarn colours.

Yarn Colours & Layout

If you are using an advent, you do not need to read this section.

Before we discuss choosing colours, we need to talk about the layout.

It's quite difficult to show with black and white photos that there are 3 star designs, so I have included a diagram of them here for you. As I mentioned earlier, the yarn advent is the most beautiful subtle fade, which mostly flows from top to bottom through the blanket design. Each star uses 2 colours and some stars have more contrast than others.

You do not have to follow this layout for the CAL and the blanket would look beautiful with a more random layout of colours like the Imagination Quilt. In the pattern I provide an appendix with some alternative layouts using the triangle motifs - some sticking with the star theme, but others geometric. I also included space for you to colour in your own design before you even start crocheting! 

Helping You Decide

If this all feels too overwhelming, then just follow the plan below:

  1. Choose your favourite yarn (for example Stylecraft Special DK).
  2. Choose how many colours you want to use in your stars. There are 24 in the original design so I recommend using 6, 8, or 12 colours.
  3. Decide what colours you want to use, ideally into a fade/gradient to make substitution easier. If you are unsure then you can use Fibre Fox's moodboards as inspiration.
  4. Go to the yarn substitution table above and find the column for your chosen yarn weight.
  5. Find the "colour meterage" for your yarn weight and divide it by the number of colours you chose. This will give you the meterage needed for each colour.
  6. Choose a background colour that contrasts well with your chosen colour palette. You will find the meterage requirements for this in the table too.
  7. Arrange your colours into the gradient/fade you like and make a note of this order. 
  8. Assign these colours to each of the 24 advent days - so if you chose 8 colours then the first colour you would substitute for Days 1-3 of the advent, the second for days 4-6 of the advent etc.
  9. You are all set for the pattern release.

If you need further guidance then I recommend posting in our Meema Makes Crochet Club Facebook group as we love chatting yarn choices over there.

So that's everything you need to know ahead of the CAL

If you still have questions that haven't been answered on this page then get in contact with me at em@meemamakes.com and I'll be happy to help. I will also be putting up an FAQ video on my YouTube channel the day the pattern launches.