Tunisian Crossed Simple Stitches
Mary Beth TempleDescription
In this video Mary Beth Temple demonstrates how to crochet Tunisian Crossed Simple Stitches. There are two versions of this technique: one where the crossed stitches are stacked up in columns, and another where they alternate. Mary Beth shows us both versions (one on top of the other) so that we can see the difference in the finished look of each stitch pattern.
For the “columns of crossed stitches” version:
Make a chain that is a multiple of 2. In this video, Mary Beth makes 10 chs.
To make things easier to begin, start with a plain row of Tunisian Simple Stitch (TSS). This means that on the forward pass you will pick up a loop in the second ch from hook and in each chain across. Then on the return pass you will work as follows: Yo, and pull through one loop on the hook, *yo and pull through two loops, repeat from * across until only one loop remains on the hook.
Crossed Simple Stitch Forward Pass
After completing the first TSS row, skip the first vertical bar (the vertical bar that would normally be the first to be worked), insert hook from right to left (or left to right if left-handed) under the second bar, yo and pick up loop, go back to the bar that was just skipped and insert hook from right to left through this skipped bar, yo and pick up loop. This creates an “x” where the stitches cross. Repeat this process across the row: skip the next bar, pick up a loop in the following bar, go back to the skipped bar and pick up a loop, etc. One stitch will remain at the end, insert hook under both strands at the end, yo and pick up a loop. You should have the same even-number of stitches on the hook.
Mary Beth points out that each row worked actually crosses the stitches from the row below.
Work a standard return pass (as described above).
Repeat the Crossed Simple Stitch Forward Pass followed by the standard return pass for pattern.
The “alternating” version of this stitch pattern starts in the same way, beginning with a row of Tunisian Simple Stitch, with a standard return pass. For Row 1, work the Crossed Simple Stitch Forward Pass as described above with the standard return pass. Work the next row as follows:
Row 2: Insert hook from right to left under the first vertical bar, yo and pull up loop (for a TSS), then skip the next vertical bar, *insert hook from right to left (or left to right if left-handed) under the next bar, yo and pick up loop, go back to the bar that was just skipped and insert hook from right to left through this skipped bar, yo and pick up loop to create the “x”. Repeat from * across until two stitches remain at the end, make a TSS, and then insert hook under two vertical strands at the end, yo and pull up loop. You should now have the same even-number of stitches on the hook. Work a standard return pass.
Repeat the Crossed Simple Stitch row (with standard return pass), and then Row 2 (with standard return pass) as desired for pattern.
Hi guys, Mary Beth Temple here with yet another exciting Tunisian stitch that I want to share with you. Now, this is a Tunisian crossed simple stitch and there are two different stitch patterns you get with just doing the same thing. And the only thing that changes is the forward pass. So here down here is my Tunisian crossed simple stitches in columns. And up here is my Tunisian crossed simple stitches alternating. So we're gonna learn how to do this, pick up real quick and then you can do both of these stitches and it's very easy to do. So I'm going to make just a teeny tiny swatch on camera. So I'm gonna go ahead and just again for the, for the uh purposes of practicing, I'm just gonna chain 10. You want to do this stitch so that you have a multiple of two on your chains. And for my first row, I'm going to do just a plain row of Tunisia simple stitch because it's really hard to cross on a chain. And I'll show you in a minute how you still get the crosses even though your first row is playing. So that's 12345 six seven. Remember this works on any multiple of 28, 90, look at that. I counted to 10. Even though I wasn't paying attention, there's my row one pickup standard return. You're an over pull through one or chain one, you're an over pull through two until only one loop remains. All right. So now I'm going to go row two forward of my crossed stitches. So I'm going to insert my hook from right to left through the vertical bar like I normally would, but I'm going to skip the first bar. So right to left through the vertical bar, pick up my loop and leave it there because remember on the forward pass, we're putting loops on and then I'm going to go back into the loop that I skipped and I have a little X going on right here. So I'm gonna do that all the way across. Skip the next bar, pick up as if to Tunisian simple stitch pick up as if the Tunisian Simple stitch in this bar that you skipped. So I'm gonna make my little Xs all the way across. And since I have a multiple of two, now my first one is that slip stitch on the right hand side, I'm only gonna have the one left. I'm going to go under two bars to finish off my side edge because that's how I like to do it. But you can go under one if you prefer that. Now notice that even though my first row was only Tunisian simple stitch, it looks crossed and that's because each subsequent row crosses the row below it. So, um, that, that's a little fiddly, particularly when you're designing your own pattern. I like to do this. I, I use this stitch a lot in color work and it confuses you because you think that the cross action that you're doing is gonna show up on the row that you're working on, but it actually crosses the row below. So you're gonna start with one plane of Tunisian simple stitch and then you can do your cross stitches. So now I could, if I wanted the bottom half of that swatch, do the same thing for every forward pass, skip the first bar, pick up in the next, go back to the skip bar, pick up. But if I want that staggered pattern that I showed you, I'm going to start with one extra Tunisian simple stitch. And now I'm going to cross, skip one yarn over and pick it up. Go back and pick up the skipped bar, skip one you over and pick it up, go back and pick up the skipped bar. So this is going to give me that alternating pattern that I showed you and I'll show you again at the end. Now, when I get to the end, I'm going to have two stitches left. So I'm just going to make a plain Tunisian Simple and then go under two at the end to finish off the row. So my stitch count hasn't changed. I still have 10, 2468, 10 and I'm still doing my standard return. So if I want that alternating pattern, I'm going to do one row the way we did the first row, which is jumping right into the crosses and my alternating rows. I'm going to have an extra Tunisian simple stitch at the beginning of the end. And that's going to make that staggered pattern. So let me show you on the swatch one more time. So down here, that's the same row every time. That's that row that I jump right into the crosses. The crosses start at the very beginning and that's what that stitch pattern looks like. But if I want to do the alternating that I just showed you, I get a different look altogether. This is an all over texture pattern that I really like. And both of these stitch patterns look just the same on the back as they would for regular Tunisians stitch. So you have a nice flat back. And as I mentioned earlier, this is a great stitch to do color work with. I, I like to make little snowflakes out of uh my little Tunisian crosses. But you can take this stitch and add it to your bag of tricks and make all kinds of cool things.
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