This hat-and-mitts pair is a great introduction to working two-color Tunisian crochet in the round with a double-ended hook. Not only is the standard “woven” stitch employed, but designer Lily Chin’s original take on two-color Tunisian in the round results in colorwork that looks like Fair Isle knitting, without the need to strand the unused color. It’s like magic. Lily introduced this technique in Interweave Crochet magazine’s winter 2010 issue.
YARN: Lion Brand LB Collection Cashmere (100% cashmere, 82 yd [75 m] per 0.88 oz [25 g]), #483–098 Natural (A) and #483–124 Toffee (B), 1 skein each for hat, 1 skein each for mitts.
HOOKS: H-8 (5 mm) double-ended Tunisian hook and F-5 (3.75 mm) standard hook, or sizes needed to obtain gauge.
NOTIONS: Smooth contrasting yarn as stitch marker.
19 sts and 14 rows = 4" (10 cm) in Tss after steam blocking.
HAT: 20¼" (50.5 cm) around forehead, 6½" (16.5 cm) tall.
MITTS: 7½" (19 cm) around palm, 9" (23 cm) long with cuff.
Tunisian reverse stitch (Trs): Insert hook behind back vertical lp and draw up a lp.
Increase (inc 1): Insert hook in between 2 bars, pick up a lp.
Decrease (dec 1): Insert hook under 2 vertical bars and pick up a lp.
Tslst2tog: Insert hook in next 2 vertical bars, yo, draw yarn through 2 vertical bars and lp on hook.
Checkerboard patt:
Refer to Checkerboard Pattern diagram.
Rnds 1–3: Fwd: *With A work 3 Tks, with B work 3 Trs (see above); rep from * around. Rtn: *With B, yo, draw yarn through 2 lps; rep from * around.
Rnds 4–5: Fwd: *With B work 3 Trs, with A work 3 Tks; rep from * around. Rtn: *With B, yo, draw yarn through 2 lps; rep from * around.
Checkerboard Pattern
Color Key
With double-ended hook and A, make a slipknot with the tail end able to slide to open and close up the knot. Enlarge knot and work into it as if it were a chained-ring.
FOUNDATION RND: With A, [yo, draw up a lp in ring, ch 1] 12 times while occasionally working off lps from other end of hook with B, place marker to mark end of rnd, do not join—12 sts. Work in a spiral, moving marker up as work progresses.
RND 1: *Tss in next st, inc 1 (see Special Stitches); rep from * around—24 sts.
RND 2: Work even in Tss.
RND 3: *Tss in next st, inc 1, Tss in next st; rep from *around—36 sts.
RND 4: *Inc 1, Tss in each of next 3 sts, rep from * around—48 sts.
RND 5: Tss in each st around.
RND 6: *Tss in each of next 2 sts, inc 1, Tss in each of next 2 sts; rep from * around—60 sts.
RND 7: *Inc 1, Tss in next 5 sts; rep from * around—72 sts.
RND 8: Tss in each st around.
RND 9: *Tss in next 3 sts, inc 1, Tss in each of next 3 sts; rep from * around—84 sts.
RND 10: *Inc 1, Tss in next 7 sts; rep from * around—96 sts.
RND 11: Tss in each st around.
Beg checkerboard patt (see Special Stitches) and work for 14 rnds total, ending with A on hook.
LAST ROW: Change to standard crochet hook, maintaining st patt and color, working over strand of second color, sc in each st around, sl st in beg sc to join, fasten off.
Steam block piece to measurements. Weave in loose ends.
With double-ended hook and A, ch 36, sl st in first ch to join, being careful not to twist sts.
FOUNDATION RND: Draw up a lp in blp of each ch around while occasionally working off lps from other end of hook with B, place marker to mark end of rnd. Move marker up as work progresses.
Beg checkerboard patt (see Special Stitches) and work for 9 rnds—10 rnds worked, including Foundation rnd.
RND 1: Fwd: With A, Tss in first 17 sts, place marker, pick up lp in each of next 2 sts for thumb, place marker, Tss in last 17 sts—36 sts. Rtn: *With B, yo, draw through 2 lps on hook; rep from * around. Rep rtn rnd for each rem rnd.
RND 2 (INC RND): Tss in each st around, working inc 1 (see Special Stitches) after first and before last marker counting inc sts as thumb sts—38 sts: 17 sts each side for hand and 4 sts for thumb.
RND 3 (INC RND): Rep Rnd 2—40 sts: 17 sts each side for hand and 6 sts for thumb.
RND 4: Work even in Tss.
RND 5: Rep Rnd 2—42 sts: 17 sts each side for hand and 8 sts for thumb.
RND 6: Rep Rnd 2—44 sts:17 sts each side for hand and 10 sts for thumb.
RND 7: Work even in Tss.
RND 8: Rep Rnd 2—46 sts: 17 sts each side for hand and 12 sts for thumb.
RND 9: Rep Rnd 2—48 sts: 17 sts each side for hand and 14 sts for thumb.
RND 10: Work even in Tss.
RND 11: Work 17 Tss, inc 1 before first marker, sk 14 thumb sts, inc 1 after last marker, work 17 Tss on other side of hand—36 sts.
RNDS 12–20: Work even in Tss.
RND 21: *Tss in next 4 sts, dec (see Special Stitches) in next 2 sts, rep from * around—30 sts.
RND 22: *Tss in next 3 sts, dec in next 2 sts; rep from * around—24 sts.
RND 23: *Tss in next 2 sts, dec in next 2 sts; rep from * around—18 sts.
RND 24: *Tss in next st, dec in next 2 sts; rep from * around—12 sts.
RND 25: *Dec in next 2 sts; rep from * around—6 sts, work off all lps. Fasten off B.
RND 26: With standard hook and A, inserting hook as if to work Tss, *Tslst2tog (see Special Stitches) in next 2 sts; rep from * around—3 sts. Fasten off.
RND 1: Join both yarns to base of thumb, with Tunisian hook and A, draw up a lp at this base join, with A, Tss in each of next 14 thumb sts, draw up a lp at base of thumb again, do not join, mark last st—16 sts. Work in a spiral as before, moving marker up as work progresses.
RNDS 2–3: Work even in Tss.
RND 4: *Tss in next 2 sts, dec in next 2 sts; rep from * around—12 sts.
RND 5: *Tss in next st, dec in next 2 sts; rep from * around—8 sts.
RND 6: *Dec in next 2 sts; rep from * around—4 sts, work off all lps. Fasten off B.
RND 7: With standard hook and A, inserting hook as if to work Tss, *Tslst2tog in next 2 sts; rep from * around—2 sts. Fasten off.
Steam block piece to measurements. Weave in loose ends.