Monday, July 1, 2013

Tunisian Crochet Tutorial…The Lace Stitch

I’m really excited to show you this Tunisian Crochet stitch today. It’s called the Tunisian Lace Stich. It’s a lot more open and has a different look compared to the others I have shown you so far. This would be a great stitch to use when making a scarf! I should also add that this stitch won’t make your work curl like the others tend to do.

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Before you start this, you may want to go back and review the Basic Stitch to get yourself back in the groove. If you have never tried Tunisian crochet before, I also recommend practicing the Basic stitch first.

Lets get started! First you will need your lovely afghan/Tunisian crochet hook. Of course you can always use a regular hook especially if you are just making a small sample like I will be showing you.

I am using a 6mm hook and worsted weight yarn

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Keep your hands nice and loose

To start this stitch I am chaining 17. Now you can chain whatever you would like to start this. Just keep in mind that you should be chaining in multiples of 5 then adding two.

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Foundation Row (forward pass): Work the same as the foundation row of the basic stitch. Bring up a loop in each chain, leaving all the loops on your hook. 17 loops on your hook

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This is where the pattern will be different from the others. You will be making chain 3 spaces and clusters to make the pattern

Foundation Row (Return Pass): Chain 3

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Yarn over

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Pull through the next 5 loops on your hook

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Next, yarn over…

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…and pull through one loop

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Now you made a cluster!

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Time for another cluster… Chain 3

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Yarn over and pull through the next 5 loops on your hook

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Yarn over and pull through one loop

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Now you have two clusters

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Continue doing this to the end until you have one loop left on your hook

You will have 4 clusters and 4 chain 3 spaces (this will be different if you chained a different amount)

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That is the end of the Foundation Rows. Now we will start on the rest of the rows. It will be the same as the foundation row except when you do the forward pass, you have to pick up your loops in the clusters and the chain 3 spaces. You’ll see what I mean in the pictures

Smile

Row 1 (Forward Pass): Keeping all loops on your hook, insert your hook into top of the first cluster. There should be a little loop on the top to go into

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Yarn over…

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… and pull up a loop. You now have two loops on your hook

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Next you will be working in the chains of the chain 3 you did from the previous row.

Bring up a loop in the next three chains

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Insert your hook into the first chain, yarn over and pull up a loop

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You will have three loops on your hook

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Do this in the next two chains. You will then have 5 loops on your hook

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Next you will bring up a loop in the top of the next cluster, just like at the beginning

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Insert your hook, yarn over and pull up a loop

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You will then have 6 loops on your hook.

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Continue doing this all the way across, picking up loops on the top of the clusters and in the chains. You will have 17 loops on your hook when you’re done.

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Row 1 (Return Pass): This will be just like the return pass from the foundation row.

Chain 3

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Yarn over and pull through the next 5 loops on your hook

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Next, yarn over and pull through one loop on your hook.

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One cluster made

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Continue doing this all the way across until you have one loop left on your hook. You should then have 4 chain 3 spaces and 4 clusters.

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For the rest of the pattern, continue Row 1 until you have the length you would like. You should have something like this when you are done. Isn’t it pretty??

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Now it’s time to finish! This is a lot like the finishing for the basic stitch.

You will go across the row like the forward pass, picking up stitches in the same spots as the pattern.

Insert your hook, yarn over. Instead of pulling up a loop, make a slip stitch.

So yarn over, and pull through both loops on your hook.

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You will be left with one loop on your hook again.

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Do this all the way across, going in the top of each cluster and the chains you made. You will be left with one loop on your hook at the end

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Go ahead and cut your yarn and finish off. Weave in the ends and you’re done! What do you think? I think it’s so pretty!

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Here is the written out pattern

ch- chain

yo- yarn over

rep- repeat

sk- skip


Chain in multiples of 5 plus 2. I chained 17
Foundation Row (forward pass): Work same as Foundation Row (forward pass) of Square A - 29 loops on hook.
Foundation Row (return pass): *Ch 3, yo and draw through 5 loops, yo and draw through 1 loop (cluster made); rep from * until 1 loop remains.
Row 1 (forward pass): *Keeping all loops on hook, insert hook into top of next cluster, yo and draw up a loop; working in next ch-3 (insert hook in next ch, yo and draw up a loop) 3 times; rep from * across.
Row 1 (return pass): *Ch 3, yo and draw through 5 loops, yo and draw through 1 loop (cluster made); rep from * until 1 loop remains.
Rep both passes of Row 1 until a total of 14 rows have been worked.
Last Row: Sl st in each stitch across. Fasten off.

 

I am so happy I could share this with you guys. Please feel free to ask any questions you have. Either contact me via email or leave a comment on this post. If you leave a comment please make sure you have an email address I can respond to.

 

Have fun crocheting!

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13 comments:

  1. Very beautiful! Your tutorials are always easy to read and understand. That is going to make a gorgeous scarf for my daughter this winter!

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  2. This looks so lovely! I can't wait to try it out. Tunisian crochet is one of those things that I love while doing, but don't think of it unless I see something to spark my imagination. Thank you!

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  3. Thank you for this pattern :) I love it i am doing it right now...keep up the good work!

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  4. I have always had a hard time with Tunisian crochet, this tutorial makes it look so easy I might give it another shot. Great clear pictures.

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  5. Very well done tutorial and a pretty stitch! Happy Crocheting!

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  6. How well does this stitch do with color changes? I want to do a scarf in purple and white.

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  7. I tried this pattern the other day and struggled with it quite a bit. I started with chaining 27 stitches (5x5+2) but no matter how many times I tried it I always ended up with two stitches on my hook at the end of my return row and I could not figure out where the extra stitch came from.
    After thinking for a few days and looking again at your pictures, is the correct number of chains actually a multiple of four add one? 17 would fulfill both the original formula (3x5+2) and this proposed formula (4x4+1).
    Or am I crazy?? (because I've had a crazy day and that's totally possible!)

    Thanks for the pattern! I'm excited to use it!!

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  8. I'm practicing this now ... after 2 hours of trying to get the clusters right on the foundation row - I FINALLY just NOW made another row ... sometimes you have to back n forth to get where you're supposed to go LOL ... Thank you so much for the pic by pic.... it really helps ... :P

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  9. Like the stitch but there is a fundamental error in the pattern. It should read multiples of 4 (FOUR) + 1 stitches.

    After 3 hours of frustration with this I resorted to some maths to find the correct stich calculation.

    Hope this helps others trying it. Other than that your instructions are very clear. Thank you :-)

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  10. I don,t think there is an error in this pattern!

    Starting with 15+2= 17. Then, each group starts with +1, -5, +1= -3. Then each group back across picks up 3 loops via the ch 3 between the clusters = +3. You end up with however many stitches you first created! These are wonderful tutorials...My very first attempt at crochet was the Tunisian sample. I somehow dropped a stitch in the beginning...but I am quite impressed with my small sample.
    Thank you bunches.

    Ruth shields

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  11. Love this blog. Clear concise pictures, directions, labels with arrows to specific stitches. I always heard this called the Afghan stitch. I love the lace and cross stitch variations. For the lace version, though, I also came up with an extra stitch on the foundation row. I think the math is off a bit, but I made it work. Thanks!

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  12. Thank you very much for the clear and easy to follow instructions. You must be a very giving person to do this, and for that I really thankyou. I will be trying this new and beautiful stitch once I've finished my current projects. Thank you very much.

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  13. Wow! This is my new way of crocheting! Been crocheting Christmas gifts and wanted to learn some new stitches.... You're way of teaching with pictures are very concise and easy to follow. Thank you!!!!

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Thanks for your comment! Happy crocheting :)