This lace shawl in Tunisian crochet is worked in 3 shades of DK weight yarn.

Tunisian crochet is an exciting hybrid of crochet and knitting, and both crocheters and knitters will find this pattern to have many familiar and easily understood elements. Previous experience with Tunisian crochet (TC) is not essential for this project, as there are simple explanations given for each stitch.

TC lace has a uniquely attractive appearance which is very different from that of knitted and crocheted lace and it works up quickly on a large hook.

The design uses 4 openwork stitches and only 2 increase rows. Three shades of any color may be used, but gradient or variegated colors, or a single color will also be suitable. A tiny scalloped crochet edging adds a decorative touch.

The shawl was made extra long for flexibility of wearing, with tapered ends. If preferred, the pattern can be sized down to a rectangular shawl or a scarf (guidelines given below).

I wanted a large and comfortable lace shawl which would be as peaceful to make as to wear! The colors of the yarn were my inspiration. They reminded me of the intense, sparkling blues of the Mediterranean off the Cote d’Azur. At the end of a hectic day, the simple repetitive patterns in the long rows of this shawl offer a very calm and soothing retreat.

Tutorial

TSS Tunisian Simple Stitch

Size

80” at top edge, 96” at lower edge, 18” width at center

Rectangular shawl variation

For a rectangular shawl of size 66” x 18”: ch 214 and work the foundation and setup rows (without increases) followed by the same 22 rows of the body pattern, omitting the increases in R6.

Scarf variation

For a scarf of size 60” x 8.5”: ch 196 and work the foundation and setup rows (without increases) followed by 10 rows of the body pattern, omitting the increases in R6.

Yarn

errata one the yarn amounts added on April 2, 2018

Vardhman Millenium, DK weight acrylic, 165 yards/151 meters/50 gram skein; colors DC (dark blue) (19),: 3 skeins; MC (medium blue) (26) & LC (light blue) (53): two skeins each.

Any DK weight yarn with similar yardage may be substituted. Find yarn substitutes at YarnSub.

Yarn D: dark blue

Yarn M: medium blue

Yarn L: light blue

Hooks

US J-10 (6 mm) 32” (or larger) cabled hook for the body, US E-4 (3.5 mm) crochet hook for edging.

Notions

Removable stitch markers; tapestry needle

Gauge

Approx 13 sts and 5 rows (P1 to P4, and P1) = 4” [10 cm] in stitch pattern with US J-10 (6 mm) hook, after blocking.

To work a gauge swatch: Ch 30 and work Foundation Row. Work Setup Row (in TPS as instructed, without increases). Work 10 rows of the body pattern (2 repeats of P1 – P4 followed by P1 & P2). Fasten off, block and measure gauge in the center of the swatch.

Abbreviations

Please see our standard abbreviations.

A row in Tunisian crochet consists of a Forward Pass worked by picking up loops on the hook from right to left and a Return Pass which is worked from left to right. Extended TC stitches are taller and are made by adding one or more chains after working a standard stitch.

FwdP (forward pass): With one loop on the hook at the beginning of the row, work row from right to left in the designated stitch pattern. The loop on hook at the beginning of the row is counted as the first st of the row. The Forward Pass produces a row of loops or vertical bars which are held on the hook. The number of loops on the hook at the end of the row = number of sts.

Right and left ES (edge stitch/es): This refers to the first and last stitches of the FwdP. The right ES is the loop on hook (first st or first vertical bar) at the beginning of the row. To work the left ES: insert hook behind both front and back vertical bars of the ES of the previous row, yo and pull through.

RetP (return pass): After working the FwdP, work back across row from left to right as follows: ch 1, yo, pull through 1 loop, *yo, pull through 2 loops. Rep from * to end of row. The Return Pass makes a closing chain across the top of the stitches of the Forward Pass The loop left on hook at the end of the RetP will form the first st (right ES) of the next row.

TPS (Tunisian purl stitch): *bring yarn to front, insert hook from right to left behind next front vertical bar, move yarn behind hook, yo and pull up a loop through the front vertical bar, leave loop on hook; repeat from * across, end with ES , leaving all loops on hook..

ExTPS (Extended Tunisian purl stitch): ch 1 (height of right ES increased), *bring yarn to front, insert hook from right to left behind next front vertical bar, move yarn behind hook, yo and pull up a loop through the front vertical bar, leave loop on hook, ch 1; repeat from * across, end with ES, ch 1, leaving all loops on hook.

Crossed ExTSS (Crossed extended Tunisian simple stitch) = ch 1 (height of right ES increased), *skip the next (second) vertical bar, insert hook from right to left behind front loop of the next (third) vertical bar, yo and pull up a loop, ch 1, leave loop on hook, insert hook from right to left behind front loop of the skipped (second) vertical bar, yo and pull up a loop, ch 1, leave loop on hook; repeat from * across, end with ES, ch 1, leaving all loops on hook.

HTB: (horizontal top bar) = the horizontal top bar which runs between the tops of two consecutive stitches (vertical bars) and which forms a closing chain of the RetP. The HTB has one front chain (with top and bottom loops) and a back bump.

ExTSS-HTch-1: (Extended Tunisian simple stitch through the top loop of the front chain of the HTB) = ch 1 (height of right ES increased), skip the first HTB, *insert hook from front to back through the top loop of the front chain of next (second) HTB, yo and pull up a loop, ch 1; repeat from * across, working the final st into the last HTB of the row, end with ES, ch 1  leaving all loops on hook.

ExTSS-HTch-2: (Extended Tunisian simple stitch through the top loop of the front chain of the HTB) = ch 1 (height of right ES increased), *insert hook from front to back through the top loop of the front chain of the first HTB (before the second vertical bar of the row), yo and pull up a loop,ch 1; repeat from * across, skip the last HTB of the row, end with ES, ch 1,  leaving all loops on hook.

Note: The only difference between ExTSS-HTch-1 and ExTSS-HTch-2 is the placement of the first and last stitches of the row. The difference has been used to prevent lean of the fabric.

m1:  a single st increase. Work an extra st (as indicated in designated st pattern on the increase rows).

Pattern Notes

• The shawl is worked top down in a trapezoid shape in a 4-row pattern with increases worked in two rows.
• Color changes do not coincide with start and end of the row repeats and are indicated as required.
• Joining a new color: use the new color to complete the last st of the RetP in the old color by pulling a loop of the new yarn through the last 2 loops on the hook. The loop that remains on the hook will be in the new color. This is similar to how you change colors in crochet.

Stitch pattern (four row repeat):

Row 1 (P1): FwdP: crossed ExTSS. Work RetP.

Row 2 (P2): FwdP: ExTSS-HTch-1. Work RetP.

Row 3 (P3): FwdP: ExTPS. Work RetP.

Row 4 (P4): FwdP: ExTSS-HTch-2. Work RetP.

Shawl Instructions

Body

Foundation row: With larger hook and yarn M, ch 182 sts. For easy counting, pm in every 30th ch (you’ll use 6 markers and the final section will have 2 sts in it). FwdP: Pull up a loop in the back bump of the second ch from hook and of each ch across (182 loops on hook). Work RetP – 182 sts.

Setup row (increase row): FwdP: Skip 1st vertical bar, *TPS in next three sts, m1 (TPS in the back vertical loop of the last st worked). Repeat from * across the row (one incr made in every third st) – 242 sts. Work RetP.

Begin to work the body pattern, working increase rows and changing colors as indicated. Yarn colors are indicated in brackets after the row number immediately after a color change for convenience. For easy row counting, pm to denote the first row of each repeat.

R1 (M): Work P1. Join yarn D in the last st of the RetP.

R2 (D): Work P2.

R3: Work P3. Join yarn M in the last st of the RetP.

R4 (M): Work P4.

R5: Work P1.

R6 (increase row): Work P2 as follows. FwdP: ExTSS-HTch-1, working m1 after every fourth st by making an ExTSS through the front vertical bar of the next st to the immediate left – 302 sts. Work RetP. Join yarn L in the last st of the RetP.

R7 (L): Work P3.

R8: Work P4. Join yarn D in the last st of the RetP.

R9 (D): Work P1.

R10: Work P2.

R11: Work P3. Join yarn L in the last st of the RetP.

R12 (L): Work P4.

R13: Work P1.

R14: Work P2.

R15: Work P3.

R16: Work P4. Join yarn M in the last st of the RetP.

R17 (M): Work P1.

R18: Work P2. Join yarn D in the last st of the RetP.

R19 (D): Work P3. Join yarn L in the last st of the RetP.

R20 (L): Work P4. Join yarn D in the last st of the RetP.

R21 (D): Work P1.

R22: FwdP: TSS-HTch-1. Work RetP. Fasten off.

Edging

Using 3.5 mm crochet hook, join yarn M with a Sl st in the top chain of the first st of R22. *Ch 3, skip one HTB, Sl st in the back chain of the next HTB. Repeat from * across the row. Fasten off.

Finishing

Wet block and pin to size, stretching well to open up the fabric. Weave in ends.