Leslie’s Belt

Leslie is a crocheter I know
Who wants a belt when she’s on the go
One of her goals is to learn TC*
“A place to begin” she asked of me.
It’s hot, so a small project is nice
To do in July for a small price
The pattern uses #3 thread
And no extra hooks- nothing to dread!

Measurements

Approx. 1-1/2 in wide, length as desired

Yarn

Aunt Lydia’s Fashion 3 (100% mercerized cotton; 150yd ball)

Hook

G-size crochet hook (4.0mm) – a regular crochet hook! A special Tunisian hook isn’t needed for this project.

Notions

Tapestry needle

Belt buckle

To make a narrow piece, use #10 crochet cotton and an E-size crochet hook.

Honeycomb stitch is a combination of Tunisian Purl Stitch (tps) and Tunisian Simple Stitch (tss). The honeycomb pattern is created by the staggered stitches – working a tps into the tss from the previous row, and a tss into the tps from the previous row. The stitch pattern gives wonderful texture and visual appeal.

This pattern includes a Tunisian Foundation Row, Tunisian Simple Stitch, Tunisian Purl Stitch and a final Binding-off row.  If you have never done Tunisian Crochet, I recommend you do sample swatches of Tunisian Simple Stitch and Tunisian Purl Stitch before doing the Tunisian Honeycomb Stitch pattern.

Some general things to remember with Tunisian crochet:

• All work is done on the right side.
• Each stitch adds a loop on the hook. It is important to count the number of loops on your hook before each return pass.
• The last row is only a forward pass and “binds off” the piece.
• Some curl is natural in Tunisian crochet. If you find the piece curling tightly, increase your hook size.

Tunisian Foundation Row (also known as “Casting On”)

Working in back bump of each chain, insert hook from front to back through second chain from the hook.

Yarn over and pull up a loop through the chain. Leave the loop on the hook.

Insert hook in back bump of the next chain. Yarn over and pull up a loop through the chain. Continue across the chain.

The number of loops on the hook will be the same as the number of chains you started with.

Standard Return

Yarn over; pull through 1 loop on hook to make a chain stitch.

Yarn over and pull through 2 loops on the hook, repeating for each stitch across.

The last loop remains on the hook.

Tunisian Simple Stitch (tss) Forward Pass (see tutorial)

Skip the first vertical bar. Insert hook under next vertical bar, pull up a loop and leave it on the hook.

Continue to the last stitch.

NOTE: In this pattern the last stitch is worked under just one vertical bar.  In other patterns the last stitch is often worked under both vertical bars (If you turn your work slightly, you will see the other one behind it).

Tunisian Purl Stitch (tps) Forward Pass

Skip the first vertical bar; bring the yarn to the front of your work. While keeping the yarn to the front, insert hook under the next vertical bar.

Bring the yarn backward around the front of the vertical bar.  Hold the yarn in place with your thumb.

Yarn over making a loop around the hook.

Pull up a loop.

Belt Pattern

Foundation Chain: ch9

Begin “Casting On”

Foundation row, forward: Working in back bump of each ch, insert hook from front to back through second ch from hook; yo, pull lp through ch and leave on hook, [insert hook in next ch; yo, pull lp through and leave on hook] across. Total 9 lps on hook (the same number as the foundation chain).

Standard return: yo, pull through 1 lp on hook to make a ch st; [yo, pull through 2 lps on hook] 8 times. The last lp remains on hook.

Begin Honeycomb Stitch Pattern

Note: The first vertical bar is skipped when doing the tunisian crochet rows because the loop that remains on the hook at the end of the standard return counts as the first loop of the next row.

Note: The pattern is fairly simple and repetitive.  There are 2 tss at the beginning of the row (the first loop and a tss) and 2 tss at the end of the row (a tss and the final tss). The 5 stitches in the center part of the row alternate between tps and tss.

Row 1, forward: Sk first vertical bar, tss in next vertical bar, (tps, tss, tps, tss, tps), tss, tss in the last st. Total 9 lps on hook.

Work a standard return

Row 2, forward: Sk first vertical bar, tss in next vertical bar, (tss, tps, tss, tps, tss), tss, tss in the last st. Total 9 loops on hook.

Work a standard return

Repeat Rows 1 & 2 until belt is desired length.

For squared off edge

Binding off (forward only): Sk first vertical bar, [sl st into next vertical bar] across; sc in last st inserting hook as for tss.

For pointed end

R1: Sk first vertical bar, insert hook under next 2 vertical bars, pull up loop, [tps in next vertical bar, tss in next vertical bar] 2 times, tss in the last st. (7 loops on hook)

Work standard return

R2: Sk first vertical bar, insert hook under next 2 vertical bars, pull up loop, tps in next vertical bar, insert hook under 2 bars and pull up loop, tss in the last st. (5 loops on hook)

Work standard return

R3: Sk first vertical bar, insert hook under next 3 vertical bars, pull up loop, tss in last st. (3 loops on hook)

Work standard return

R4: Sk first vertical bar, insert hook under next vertical bar and final st, draw up a loop and pull through all 3 lps on hook.

Fasten off

Weave ends

Sew buckle on at the starting end by wrapping the piece around the buckle and securing the foundation row to the body of the belt.

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