I've chosen to make this the first pattern I put into writing in this blog because I truly believe that if you have never tried Tunisian Crochet before, this is the one to try it with. This stitch is so incredibly easy and it doesn't have the curling issues of other Tunisian Crochet stitches. Also every time I wear this poncho I get compliments from complete strangers.
Before we get started on writing out the pattern, let me first give you the link to the video so if you are a visual learner like I am, you can watch the full process... and it was a process as all my projects are. In every video I make, I try to include you in the journey of "winging it". Because before I learned to do that, I had the hardest time working off of other people's patterns. My gauge was never right, their instructions were confusing and I was frustrated. Once I learned to go off measurement rather than stitch count and just make it up as I go, I was set free from the crochet constraints I set upon myself unknowingly. So I hope if you follow along, you too will be set free and inspired to just figure it out as you go and enjoy the journey along the way. That being said, I'm going to try not to make these blog posts too wordy and just get to the point. You can click on the picture above to get to the video and follow along, or you can click on the link below. Under the link is the description from the video which includes my affiliate links and all the other info I promised in the video. And under that.... I will attempt to write it all out. Whew! Ready?! Let's go!
Video description with all the promised links and information:
In this free crochet tutorial, I teach how to make a reversible poncho using Tunisian Crochet that you can wear 6 ways! This Reversible Tunisian Stitch is amazing and I hope it inspires you to create many projects with it. As always, this project is a journey. I change my mind and make changes as I go and that is how I crochet in real life. I hope it inspires you to do the same. I have created chapters for you so you can skip to the section you need as you need it.
Intro 0:00
The Concept 1:06
The Supplies 6:42
The Stitch 10:22
The Neckline 27:01
The Finish 40:08
The Reveal 53:57
Here are the links I promised. I am an affiliate so if you choose to order from these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
This is my favorite Love2Crochet Tunisian Hook Set that I used in the video
This is the same Love2Crochet set in larger hook sizes that I am about to buy for myself so that I can work with chunky yarn
Here is the link to the original video I watched to learn this stitch.
It is called Tunisian Crochet Brioche. I called it the Reversible Stitch.
Thank you all for watching! Remember to tell me in the comments what you plan to do with your poncho and if you want to share pictures with me, you can do it on my Facebook group called Ginell's Quarantine Crochet.
Alright let's start with the drawing and the original concept. As a visual learner, I tend to draw out my ideas just so I can organize them in my brain before I get to work. My drawings almost always get changed in the process but here was my original plan.
The whole project is just a square with a hole in the middle with a border on two ends. The original concept had some fringe but I opted for a scalloped edge instead. The square was about 30X30 inches. With a stop in the middle at about 15 inches to make the hole and then continue on to the end of the square. You can adjust this size if you want as you go by simply doing 3 or 4 rows in the 30 inch length and laying it across you to be sure it covers where you want it to. Keep in mind the border and scalloped edges will add about 1 inch on each end. In the end, after my adjustments, mine is about 28x28 not including the edging and the hole is in the center at about 14 inches. I typically wear a small or medium size.
The original plan was to wear it as a V-neck shape or turn it for the boat neck shape giving you 2 designs in 1. Then the reversible stitch meant that if we use a different color on the opposite side, you could turn it inside out and wear it those same 2 ways but with the other color on the outside for a total of 4 ways to wear it. The 5th and 6th way came at the end of the journey when I shared pictures with my Facebook group before editing the video and I was asked "couldn't you also wear it diagonally with the point in the front?" They say that if you surround yourself with people smarter than you, they will elevate you to their level. It must be true because that is my favorite way to wear it!
This is what the finished piece will look like. It's just a square with a hole in the middle and some edging. You can do it!
Before I attempt to explain the Tunisian Reversible Stitch (my term) or also known as Tunisian Crochet Brioche, I just want to offer you a little info. If you have never done Tunisian Crochet before, don't be scared, it's a fun and easy sort of hybrid between Crochet and Knitting. Just to understand the concept, take a look at Stitch Minute videos #49 - #53 on THIS PLAYLIST
Each video is only a minute long and will give you the basic concept super fast. We won't be doing any increasing or decreasing but it would be a good idea to familiarize yourself with the concepts.
SUPPLIES
The links to the specific Items I used are above in the video description if you would like to use those and also below.
*Tunisian Crochet Hook with a removable cord and stopper in size J 6.0mm (the stopper is super important) I used the Love2Crochet Tunisian Hook Set
*Scissors
*A tapestry needle for weaving ends in
*Stitch markers (I just use safety pins, but you can be fancy if you want)
*2 colors of yarn in any size 4 worsted. I used Caron Big Cakes in the color Toffee Brickle and Red Heart Super Saver Jumbo in the color Soft White
*Measuring tape
And away we go....
The Pattern
It's not really a pattern as much as it is a step by step guide. I am a visual learner so I have included pictures and videos to try and be more helpful. If any of this doesn't make sense to you, please let me know in the comments and I will try to make edits to make it better. I am new to blogging, please enjoy the journey with me. Also the full video is linked above if you would rather watch than read.
First Half
Start with Color A (This will be the color you want on the outside edges. I chose white)
and your hook with an extension cord and a stopper on the end. You may want to have a second stopper ready for when we switch sides. The pictures below are from a practice swatch but eventually move to the poncho just like in the video.
1) Chain the number of stitches it takes to get to the length you want. (measure from where you want it to fall on your back, over your shoulder to where you want it to end in the front. I measured just above my waist to the belly button) For me that was 28" which is probably a sm/med.
2) Forward Pass: Place your hook through the back loop (the bump on the back) of the chain, yarn over and pull up a loop. Leave the loop on the hook and continue all the way across.
3) (see video below) When all the loops are loaded onto the hook and extension cord, stop. Move your loops to the center of the cord and swap the hook and stopper. This might be easier if you have a second stopper. Just remove the hook and replace it with a stopper, then turn your work and remove the original stopper replacing it with the hook. Now the yarn and tail for Color A is on the opposite side of the hook.
4) Return Pass: (see short video above) Make a slipknot in Color B (First color change only. On all other color changes you will just pull up the yarn left from the previous row) and then pull it through the first loop on the hook. Then yarn over and pull through 2 loops (The one for color B you just made and the next loop of color A) all the way across to the end. Do not chain up or turn, but do pull your yarn to tighten up that last loop before moving to the next step.
5) Forward Pass: Place your hook through the top loop of the horizontal bar between each loop from front to back (see video below) Yarn over and pull up a loop. Leave that loop on the hook and continue all the way across, leaving all loops on the hook and extension cord. Do not make a knit stitch in to the last loop like is normally done in Tunisian Crochet. Your last stitch is the loop you pulled through the bar before the last loop on the previous row.
6) Repeat step 3-5, changing colors each time on step 4, until you reach the height you want before creating the neck hole which should be half of your original measurement. For me that was 14"
This is the video I uploaded to share with my Facebook Group as I was learning the stitch. This is what your piece should start to look like.
The Neck Hole
7) When you have completed step 4 in color A and the length of your work is at about the halfway mark (for me that was 14" long), stop. Place your piece on your body over one shoulder. Take one stitch marker and mark where you want the V to dip down to in the front. Then take the piece off of you, fold it in half and mark the other side at the same spot so they are symmetrical. Now turn it and put it on the front of your body to make sure that the hole you are about to make won't be too wide and slip off your shoulders if you wear it the other direction. If it is, bring the markers closer to the center by a few stitches on each side. Now count your stitches on each end to make sure the number of stitches to the markers are the same on each side. If not, adjust accordingly.
8) Forward Pass: Do step 5 just like before but stop when you get to the stitch marker. At the horizontal bar after the marker, place your hook from front to back, yarn over and pull up a loop just like before, but this time also pull it through the loop you did before it. This is a Tunisian Cast Off or Bind Off. Continue doing that until you get to the stitch marker on the other side. On the bar after the stitch marker, go back to doing your stitches without the cast off. When you finish the row, you should have two sets of loops on the hook and cord with a gap in between. That gap will be the neck hole.
9) Repeat step 3 and change to color B.
10) Return Pass: With color B do your return pass till you reach the end of the first set of loops. Then count how many stitches you casted off in the forward pass below. Then chain that many stitches. For me it was 46. It will be different for you based on how big you made your neck hole. When you are done chaining, continue your return pass through the remaining loops on the hook.
11) Forward Pass: Still in color B, do your forward pass exactly like before, but when you get to the section of the chain, continue the pass by pulling a loop through the back loop (back bump) of the chain. This will make a nice edge that matches the other side. Don't worry that your neck has two different colors on each side, we will fix that later. After the chain, continue the forward pass to the end and continue like before.
Second Half
12) The hard part is over, just continue your square by repeating steps 3-5 until the second half is the same length as the first half.
No your eyes don't deceive you, making the neck hole in the gray section made the piece longer in the front than I wanted so I went back and moved it. But that doesn't change the measurements in this blog, only the journey in the video tutorial. It's always a journey.
13) We are nearly done! When the first half is the same length as the second half (you can count the rows if you want to be absolutely sure), get to where you are starting the forward pass on Color A (the one you started with). Then do your final row as a cast off all the way across just like we did with the neck. It's really just a slip stitch. When you get to the end of the row, slip stitch to knot it and weave all your ends in using the back and forth method. This method is tried and true to make sure your ends don't work themselves out in the wash or with wear. Two videos below, one shows the cast off and the second is a link to my one minute video for the back and forth method.
The Details
14) To finish the edging on the neck so that it matches the other side. With the Color B side facing you, join Color A through the center of the last stich of Color A on the other side. We are going to continue the line along the edge of the Color B side to the other end but by placing a Single Crochet into the top loop of each of those Color B stitches all the way across until you reach the other end of Color A, then join with a slip stitch. Do one more slip stich to knot it, then cut and weave in your ends using the back and forth method.
15) The borders are done only on the vertical line edges. The horizontal edges are already perfect.
To start, with color A, pull up a loop on the far corner at the last two loops you can find on the horizontal edge. Then chain 1.
Next you will place a Half Double Crochet in each end down the edge.
End the row with a HDC in the very last two loops on the last end.
Chain 1 and turn.
Single Crochet in the first stitch, chain 3, skip a stitch and Single Crochet in the next stitch
Repeat this grouping all the way across.
1 SC, CH3, SK 1, 1SC
In order for this to work perfectly, your HDC's from the row below have to be in multiples of three. We didn't really plan for that so the chances of that happening magically are slim. Don't be scared, just be prepared. Count your stitches and see what you have. If it is a multiple of three, you are perfect. I was not. I was off by one stitch I think, so I simply skipped two stitches instead of one in the center so it looks like I did it on purpose, but honestly you can't tell and no one will know. You can literally just make it up as you go.
End with a single crochet in the last stitch and then just to give it a slightly rounded edge, I use a slip stitch in the next loop over. Slip stitch to knot it and the cut your yarn and weave in your ends using the back and forth method.
Last Step) Then all you have to do is repeat it on the other side and you are all done!!
I hope you enjoyed this project as much as I did! I would love to hear if this blog was easy for you to follow or if you need more instruction. My goal is to make a post for each of my past videos while also doing one for each of my new videos as they come out this year. It's a lofty goal, but I am committed to it. At the end of the year, we'll see how close I came.
You can support this blog and my channels (on YouTube and now on Rumble too) by simply subscribing to either or both, sharing the posts and videos with people you think would be interested or simply placing a like on any of it. You can of course purchase from any of my affiliate links and that helps me pay for supplies, but you have no obligation to do so.
Thank you for taking the journey with me!
Comments