Skill Level: Intermediate

Size: Approximately 35” wide x 33” long

Gauge: Each block is approximately 5.5” wide at the widest point

Materials

Yarn: Noro Taiyo Sock (50% Cotton, 17% Wool, 17% Nylon, 16% Silk; 459 yards [420 meters]/100 grams): Color Number S 8 (3 balls)

Hook: US Size K/10½ (6.5 mm) Tunisian hook; US Size J/10 (6 mm) hook for Crochet Cast On; US Size H/8 (5 mm) hook for edging.

Notions: Locking stitch marker, tapestry needle

Special Stitches

Crochet Cast On

Place slip knot on size J standard crochet hook, position Tunisian hook in left hand, resting it on top of yarn coming from ball and directly under the lp on standard hook; yarn over and draw yarn through lp on standard hook. *The yarn will now be above the Tunisian hook. Slide it around the front of the hook to the back, yarn over and draw through lp on standard hook; rep from * until 1 fewer stitches than needed are on the Tunisian Hook. Slide final lp on the standard hook onto the Tunisian hook.

Tps (Tunisian Purl Stitch)

Bring yarn to front of work, with yarn in front of hook, insert hook from right to left under next vertical bar, bring yarn across front of stitch and to the back, yo, draw up a lp.

Tss (Tunisian Simple Stitch)

With yarn in back, insert hook under front vertical bar from right to left, yo, draw up a lp.

Tks (Tunisian Knit Stitch)

With yarn in back, insert hook from front to back between strands of next vertical bar, yo, draw up a lp.

RtLTss (Right Leaning Tunisian Simple Stitch)

With yarn in back, insert hook from left to right under front vertical bar of next stitch, pushing it to the right, yo, draw up a lp.

Hdc dec (half double crochet decrease)

To be worked over the 3 stitches that create a valley where blocks are joined: Yo, draw up a lp in the stitch before the center, skip the center stitch, yo, draw up a lp in the next stitch, yo, draw through all 4 lps on hook.

Pattern Notes

Each row in Tunisian crochet consists of two parts – a Forward Pass where you pick up the stitches and a Return Pass where you work the stitches off the hook until 1 stitch remain. The stitch remaining at the end of the Return Pass counts as the first stitch of the next row.

Do not turn the work. The right side is always facing.

Blocks are worked in diagonal rows using a combination of Crochet Cast On and picking up stitches in ends of rows of previously worked blocks to get the required 35 loops on the hook to begin each block. Decreases are worked either side of the center stitch on subsequent rows.

Fasten off yarn only when you have completed the final block in a diagonal row, otherwise continue on with picking up stitches for the next block.

When reading the schematic, the numbers refer to working order and letters refer to the type of block.

Pattern

Block A (used at beginning of diagonal row when there are no adjacent blocks)

Row 1: Crochet Cast On 35 lps. Place marker on center (18th) lp. (35 lps on hook)

Row 1 return: *Yo, draw through 2 lps; rep from * until 1 lp remains.

Note: Drawing through the first 2 lps creates a 2-stitch cluster – work each of these stitches separately on the next forward pass.
Row 2: Tps in each st until 2 remain before marked st; Tss under next 2 sts as one (decrease made); Tks in marked st (move marker to this st on hook); RtLTss under next 2 sts as one (decrease made); Tps in each st until 1 remains; Tss under both bars of final st. (33 sts on hook)

Row 2 return: Rep Row 1 return.

Row 3: Rep Row 2 remembering to move marker, noting there will be 2 fewer sts on hook at the end of each forward pass.

Row 3 return: Rep Row 1 return.

Row 4: Tks in each st until 2 remain before marked st; Tss under next 2 sts as one (decrease made); Tks in marked st (move marker to this st on hook); RtLTss under next 2 sts as one (decrease made); Tks in each st until 1 remains; Tss under both bars of final st.

Row 4 return: Rep Row 1 return.

Row 5: Rep Row 4, remembering to move marker each row, noting there will be 2 fewer sts on hook at the end of each forward pass.

Row 5 return: Rep Row 1 return.

Rows 6-7: Rep Row 2

Rows 8-9: Rep Row 4

Rows 10-16: Rep Row 2

Row 17: Skip next st, Tks in marked st; Tss under both vertical bars of final st. (3 sts on hook)

Row 17 return: Yo, draw through all 3 lps (1 lp on hook). Fasten off if this is the final block in a diagonal row, otherwise lp on hook is first st of first row of next block. Do not fasten off at the conclusion of Block 46, continue with edging.

Block B (used when there is a block to the right but no block to the left)

Row 1: Working from top to bottom along left side of block just completed, pick up a lp in the end of each row (17 lps on hook); with standard hook, pick up a lp through final cast on st of block, Crochet Cast On 18 lps. Place marker on center (18th) lp. (35 lps on hook)

Row 1 return-Row 17 return: Work as for Block A.

Block C (used when there is a block to the right and to the left)

Row 1: Working from top to bottom along left side of block just completed, pick up a lp in the end of each row (17 lps on hook); working under back lp only, pick up 1 additional lp from foundation row of same block (mark as center lp); working from bottom to top in ends of rows of adjacent block to the left, pick up 17 lps. (35 lps on hook)

Row 1 return-Row 17 return: Work as for Block A.

Block D (used when there is a block to the left but no block to the right)

Row 1: Crochet Cast On 18 lps, working from bottom to top, pick up a lp in the end of each row on block to the left. Place marker on center (18th) lp. (35 lps on hook)

Row 1 return-Row 17 return: Work as for Block A.

Edging

Rnd 1: At the end of Block 46 transfer final lp to 5.0mm hook, ch 2, working in ends of rows or opposite side of foundation chains, as needed, hdc evenly around, placing 3 hdc in peaks and working a hdc dec over valleys, join with sl st in top of beg hdc.

Fasten off.

Finishing

Weave in ends. Block.