Every Christmas Eve, without fail, I curl up with a glass of wine, a warm and snuggly dog and a pile of socks in need of repair.
It’s a tradition I started about a decade ago that helps centre me before the onslaught of cheery faces and socialising that Christmas Day entails. It’s my self-care ritual before my autistic brain is overcome with the chaos and cameraderie of the season.
My family usually go out for Christmas Eve pints, but they have long learnt that despite my love for them, my socks need my attention that night, so they imbibe without me… and we’re all better for it the next day when I arrive batteries fully charged and able to enjoy the day’s feasting.
This year – as with last year – is to be quite different, however. My family aren’t off to the pub tonight. And tomorrow, I won’t be joining them in their celebrations.
Despite this, I am clinging to my sock tradition. Somehow, it feels even more important this year.
I’m not sure if I’m deriving comfort from the preservation of this tradition when so many other customs fall necessarily by the wayside, or if repairing that which has been worn away this past year is an act of self-care and regeneration.
Whatever the reason, I examine each patch, I observe its unique shape and then I chose a contrasting yarn to repair it.
The contrast is important to me. What is the point of repairing something only for your hard work to disappear? It took time and effort to get that hole there, and time and skill to repair it. Both are worthy of acknowledgement. So, I use orange yarn on a grey sock, green yarn on a black one. Each repair declares “I made it through, I have the scars to prove it, and I’m wiser for them.”
I know it’s just a sock, but it feels like more than that right now so this evening, I intend to curl up with a glass of wine, a warm and snuggly dog and a pile of socks in need of repair.
I highly recommend it as a Christmas Eve activity, if you’re so inclined.
Once you have your Reoite Glove panels complete, and the vine details added with either a crochet hook or an embroidery needle, it’s time to sew them up! This tutorial will take you through the process.
What You Will Need
Panels 1 and 2 are laid out in the image below, as is the afterthought thumb. I’ll be sewing up a right-handed glove in this tutorial, using the right-handed snow flower panel and my stitch markers set for the thumb on my right hand.
Panel 1, the afterthought thumb, Panel 2, my right hand and a bodkin
Below, I have a blunt-ended darning needle known as a bodkin. I prefer to use a bodkin for seaming up a piece because the blunt end won’t split a strand of yarn when I’m passing it through the fabric. This gives a neater finish to a piece of crochet.
bodkin!
To Begin
Align the stitch marker on your thumb with the lower stitch marker on Panel 2. Then, thread your bodkin and pass it through the two marked stitches. Add a few more stitches to give this join a bit more strength.
align these two markers
bodkin through both marked stitches
This is what we end up with:
thumb tacked to Panel 2
When you sew up the rest of the seam, you get a little thumb flap off the edge of Panel 2, like this:
Once again, add a few extra stitches to the last stitch, then weave the end in on the wrong side of the work. I like to travel back down along the stitches I have just made:
Adding Panel 1
Now that the thumb has been attached to Panel 2, it’s time to add Panel 1 to the party.
The image below is a little misleading, and I apologise for that. The intention was to ensure you knew how to orientate the panels (with the last row of each panel at the knuckle end of the glove), but I really should have put Panel 1 on the OTHER side, with the thumb itself in the middle.
I’ll fix this when I have another glove made up, but for now, let’s press on!
With the Wrong Sides of panels pressed together, start at the cuff end and seam the thumb side of both panels together up to the lower stitch marker.
seaming…
seaming…
more seaming…
When your seaming reaches the lower stitch marker, work through marked stitch AND the stitch at the point of thumb.
stitch marker marking the point where the thumb is included in the process
I recommend you run a few extra stitches into this spot for neatness and strength. This join is the one that will get the most wear. Seam up the open portion of thumb to Panel 1.
panels 2 and 1 seamed on thumb side, and thumb and panel 1 open
thumb seamed to panels 1 and 2
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Completing The Thumb
Fold glove in half along completed seam.
fold…
…fooooold…
…folded!
Add a few stitches to top edge of thumb where indicated below:
right there
thumb stitches in place
Those stitches add a bit of a gusset to the thumb and makes the opening fit far better.
Then, carry on seaming Panels 1 and 2 together above thumb.
…last few stitches…
…and done!
Lovely stuff! Time to weave in your ends, then admire your handy work and get another strand of yarn ready.
Flip your glove like a pancake, attach yarn to cuff end of open seam, and start sewing!
open seam
seaming in progress
seam complete
Once all your ends have been sewn in (or, more likely tucked inside and hidden from view, amirite?) your gloves are ready to be worn and admired by friends and strangers alike!
Well done!
And remember, small, independent businesses like mine can only make it work through word of mouth, so leave a review if you liked this pattern, tell a friend if you loved it, and don’t forget to tweet about it too!
Embroiderers: In the image below, my needle is resting on the spot where I would insert it IF I was making another petal stitch. DON’T go in there.
DON’T go in here
Instead, lift the last petal made up a little and insert bodkin into the fabric in front of it.
Go in here instead.
From the Wrong Side, pull yarn to tighten loop.
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pull…
PULL…
…and done.
That little stitch will hold the last petal in place without adding any bulk to the end of your vine. But we now must secure that end on the Wrong Side of the glove so it doesn’t come loose.
weaving your bodkin into the fabric on the wrong side is enough to hold the strand in place
After that, carefully trim the end.
Once all your ends are woven in and your pieces have been gently blocked (if you’re into that sort of thing), it’s time to sew up your panels to complete your gorgeous new gloves!
Once you have your Reoite Glove panels complete, there’s one last detail to add before they’re sewn up. There are two different ways to achieve this lovely petal stitch detail on your own gloves.
If you’re handy with a darning needle, click here for the Embroidery Version.
Using just your crochet hook, here’s how you create this gorgeous, textured vine effect.
First Things First
Here’s what we want to achieve. You can either work with the same colour yarn as the rest of your glove for a subtle effect, or you can spring for a contrast colour yarn to really show off your new skills. For this tutorial, I’ll be using a contrasting yarn so that you can see exactly what I’m doing at every stage.
Completed Reoite Gloves (left) and a Reoite in progress with contrasting colour vine detail (right)
So, first, we’re going to need a good, old-fashioned slip knot. This creates the loop we will put on our hook in a moment.
(If you don’t know how to make a slip knot, click here.)
Slip knot and yarn loop
Insert hook into dead centre of cuff edge of fabric (see pattern for a chart to guide you). Then add loop to hook while it is still inserted in fabric.
insert hook
add loop
Draw loop through to front of fabric. Don’t worry if your loop is still loose. We’ll fix that next.
draw loop to front
Pull ball end of yarn and the loop on your hook with tighten. Pull gently but firmly until loop is snug (but not tight) on your hook.
pull ball end of yarn
loop is now snug on hook
The First Stitch
From the Right Side of your fabric, press hook through to Wrong Side at the point indicated on the pattern’s chart.
Then Yarn Over from Wrong Side, and draw loop through to Right Side. You’ll have two loops on your hook.
yarn over
draw loop through fabric to right side
Draw loop closest to hook tip through other loop. You’ll be left with one loop on your hook, and a petal stitch in your fabric.
Tip. Crochet loosly. These petal stitches have zero stretch to them, so be sure to add a little slack as you crochet.
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Adding More Petal Stitches
Let’s go through the sequence again…
Find next spot on pattern’s guide
push hook through to wrong side
yarn over
draw loop through fabric to right side
and draw loop closest to hook through other loop
After a few more repeats, this is what it will look like:
four petal stitches complete, and one on the way
Keep working like this, with the pattern guide as reference.
four petal stitches complete, and one on the way
Once you have completed your entire vine, cut the yarn on the Wrong Side of the fabric, then loosen the loop on your hook until the end pops through to the Right Side.
Once you have your Reoite Glove panels complete, there’s one last detail to add before they’re sewn up. There are two different ways to achieve this lovely petal stitch detail on your own gloves.
If you’re handy with a crochet slip stitch, click here for the Crochet Hook Version.
Using just a bodkin (a blunt darning needle), here’s how you create this gorgeous, textured vine effect.
First Things First
Here’s what we want to achieve. You can either work with the same colour yarn as the rest of your glove for a subtle effect, or you can spring for a contrast colour yarn to really show off your new skills. For this tutorial, I’ll be using a contrasting yarn so that you can see exactly what I’m doing at every stage.
Completed Reoite Glove (left) and a Reoite in progress with contrasting colour vine detail (right)
So, first, thread your bodkin with an armspan of yarn.
While you will need about 3 meters of yarn to complete the entire vine it’s not wise to work with a strand of yarn that length from the beginning. The end will get ragged and tatty, and it will catch on your yarn with every stitch. You’ll end up fighting with it more than embroidering with it. It’s better to cut a length you can easily manage and then secure your end and start with a new strand when you run out.
From Wrong Side to Right Side, insert needle where indicated in pattern (the location of your first stitch changes depending on the size of glove you’ve chocen to do).
Setting up for the first Petal Stitch.
From Right Side to Wrong Side, insert bodkin into same hole you chose to set up stitch. From Wrong Side to Right Side, come out one square up, and at a diagonal.
draw loop to front
Draw yarn in front of bodkin so it sits between fabric and the bodkin itself. This creates a loose loop which will become the first “petal stitch” in a moment.
Take tip of bodkin and pull it out of the fabric. As you pull, you’ll notice the loose loop you created in the last step tighten…
yarn wrapped in front of bodkin
bodkin removed from fabric
…and tighten, until a little petal shape has been created.
pull to tighten loop
first petal now sits on top of fabric
The Second Petal
From the Right Side of your fabric, press bodkin through fabric from within the petal loop.
Pick up yarn again and draw it in front of bodkin so it sits between fabric and the bodkin once more.
yarn wrapped in front of bodkin
Bodkin removed from fabric and loop pulled to tighten
Once loop has been tightened, you’ll see you have a second petal stitch completed.
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Adding More Petal Stitches
Let’s go through the sequence again…
bodkin inserted inside previous petal
and out to Right Side again, according to pattern guide
yarn wrapped in front of bodkin
bodkin pulled through fabric with loop tighening
…tighter…
…and done!
Keep working like this, with the pattern guide as reference. For a photo guide on finishing off, click here.
The Fasten Off Yarn Along is currently in full swing, and I’m heartened to see how many people are using the event as encouragement to try out a “new-to-them” craft.
I see knitters jump on the crochet band wagon, I see weavers wading through lace knitting, and many people expressing an interest in Tunisian Crochet as their next big adventure.
To help you along your way, I have compiled a list of Tunisian Crochet patterns I’ve designed that I think are perfect for your first forray (or your 5th!) into Tunisian Crochet.
Luckily, ALL of these patterns can be made with a regular length crochet hook, so there’s no need to invest in a long Tunisian-style hook for anything I’m about to show you.
Crocheters, I guarantee you have all the tools you need to hand, and knitters, I bet you have a crochet hook lurking somewhere in the bottom of your stash that you use to pick up dropped stitches.
Ok, so with hook in hand and yarn picked out, let’s dive in!
Hey! Knitters!
The perfect starting point for you is the ever-popularIshrat Hat.
It starts off with a soothing, and a familiar knitted garter stitch brim to ease you in. You then add some gorgeous Tunisian Simple Stitch on to it to create the textured crown. The construction is fun, and the hat itself takes less than a skein of your favourite sock yarn.
The pattern comes with a suite of Helpful Tutorial videos that takes you through the entire process.
This pattern is straight up Tunisian Simple Stitch from start to end. This stitch is the one everyone learns first, so this project is a wonderful opportunity to get the basics down right from the start.
Because of its simple construction, the Tea Beanie is infinitely modifiable to fit your personal tea pot (or your head, if you seam it up entirely! Who doesn’t love wearing a tea cozy on their head, eh?!)
This cozy as written takes about 100 m of worsted weight yarn (or 100m each of fingering weight yarn, doubled for a great stash-busting project) and you could easily get this done in time for Christmas.
Crocheters!
If you know how to make a single crochet (US) stitch or a double crochet (UK) stitch already, then you already KNOW how to do Tunisian Crochet. Tunisian Simple Stitch uses the exact same dance steps, just in a slightly different order, so crocheters… you got this!
I designed Paxspecifically to be a tutorial for beginners, so there are no unwelcome surprises.
I have taught Paxat many yarn festivals over the years, and it has become the introductory pattern for So. Many. People into the wonderful world of Tunisian.
I’ve kept the price super low, too, to ensure it’s accessible to everyone. The only commitment you need is a little of your time.
The reviews for Finolaare in, and they are glowing!
Finolais made out of a series of wedge shapes, so once you have the first one complete, the rest flow on in a logical pattern. This one is great for anyone who loves a good jigsaw, as the pieces all fit together in a soothing and satisfying manner. You’ll find yourself saying “I’ll just do one more wedge before bed” more than once!
Finola comes with a suite of How To videos on Instagram. Click here to see them before you buy.
Nuadais one of my personal favourites. It is made in layers, with each layer made out of Tunisian Simple Stitch.
The two main layers contain simple-to-learn lace eyelets. This shawl is easy to modify, too. You can make it longer by adding more lace repeats, and make it wider by adding more layers to the centre.
Discount Time!
And don’t forget to use your FO2021 discount on these patterns, (and a whole range of other ones, too) before the deadline on the 6th of December.
Happy Crocheting, everyone!
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Work the Return Pass as usual until there are only two loops left before we reach the stitch marker:
(This will require referencing your copy of Reoite as the number of stitches to be worked will change depending on the glove size and Snow Flower position)
Two loops left on hook before the stitch marker is reached.
Remove the marker.
Then, Yarn Over and draw through 3 loops on hook. You will work through 2 tight loops and a loose (petal) loop.
Yarn Over in place on hook.
Yarn Over has been drawn through two loops and the looser (petal) loop. Note how the first petal has been worked off the hook.
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Make another Yarn Over and draw that through the next two loops and one looser (petal) loop. Do this repeatedly until all the petals have been removed from hook.
Second Repeat – second petal is off hook
Third Repeat – third petal is off hook
Fourth Repeat – fourth petal is off hook
Fifth Repeat – fifth petal is off hook
Sixth Repeat – sixth petal is off hook
At this point all six petals of the Snow Flower have been worked off the hook, so now, we can complete the Return Pass in the traditional manner i.e. *Yarn Over, and draw through 2 loops* repeatedly to end of row.
The “Snow Flower” on my Reoite Mitten pattern is worked as you crochet, rather than being added afterwards. As such, it’s literally part of the fabric of the glove, making them warmer on your hand and cozier to the touch.
Reoite has 4 Snow Flowers per glove, and here’s how you create this gorgeous, textured effect with some simple loops and regular length crochet hook.
Next, we have to locate a spot on the fabric we’ve created..
Three TSS sts in…
…and four rows down.
From the next stitch along, count three stitches in, and then count four rows down. There is a little hole in your fabric on the bottom right of that stitch’s bar. (It’s on the bottom left for left-handed makers)
The First Petal
Insert your hook into that hole, push through to the back of your fabric and make a Yarn Over.
Hook about the enter fabric
Hook at back of fabric, with Yarn Over added
Draw Yarn Over through to the front of work, and stretch until loop reaches top of fabric.
This is your first Snow Flower petal
Peek behind the petal you have just made and you’ll see the previous row’s TSS bars sitting there. Insert hook into the next one along:
Hook in next TSS ba along
Yarn Over, and draw through:
Yarn Over
Draw Yarn Over through bar
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Adding More Petals
We will repeat the above dance steps a few times until our flower starts to bloom.
Insert hook into same hole in fabric, Yarn over and draw a second petal loop through to front
Locate next TSS bar on previous row behind petal, insert hook, Yarn Over and draw another loop onto hook
Once you’ve done this repeatedly, you’ll notice that the loops on your hook alternate between a long (petal) loop and a shorter (TSS) loop.
Stop picking up loops when you have 6 petals and 5 TSS loops on your hook.
Pop a latchable stitch marker onto your hook.
Make sure the stitch marker you use is a removable one.
Complete the row as directed in the pattern: (This varies depending on the position of the Snow Flower, so follow the pattern to be sure).
Forward Pass is complete
For a Photo Tutorial of the Return Pass,click here.
It’s hard to imagine, but sometimes, Dear Reader LESS Tunisian Crochet is called for. And in those moments, knowing how to decrease is a boon.
In my Reoite Gloves, we use decreases to add a little shape to the fabric. This ensures that we have a cuff that sits comfortably on the wider part of the arm, as well as a glove that sits snug at the wrist and knuckles with no room for pesky drafts to sneak in.
Here’s how the TSS2tog (Tunisian Simple Stitch 2 together) is made.
Work the pattern up to the point where you need to make a TSS2tog:
Part of the Forward Pass on this row of Tunisian Simple Stitch is complete.
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Draw Yarn Over through the two bars on hook:
You have created a TSS2tog stitch by making one loop (on hook) out of two bars (on previous row).
When you complete the rest of the row, you can see a little upsidedown V shape indicating the point you worked the TSS2tog decrease.
The decrease will appear one row LOWER than you may expect. Remember that if you use them to count rows.
Note: The Return Pass is worked as normal i.e. Yarn Over, draw through 1 loop to make a chain stitch, then *Yarn Over, draw through 2 loops* repeatedly to end of row.
I am almost halfway crocheting through your lovely Lunula shawl but have a question re the “36 L40tr” stitches on Panel 3 -does this mean 36 rows of 40linked trebles without increasing or decreasing?
If so, I am confused as I thought the shawl was circular. Is the midpoint of the shawl the middle of these 36 rows?
Could you clarify this for me please? Many thanks! – V
Aoibhe’s Answer
Hi, V!
Thank you for your insightful email.
To answer your question, your interpretation is correct. I can confirm you are being asked to make 36 x L40tr as you thought you were.
Here’s the logic behind it, so you know you’re on the right track;
The purposes of the [increases] at the beginning and end of Panel 3 and later the Short Rows that are added is twofold; First, yes, they are there to increase the number of stitches and help bring your shawl into a curve, but they’re also there to help compensate for the growing stitch height.
Without all those increases and short rows the open edge of Panel 3 would get quite tight and wouldn’t lie flat. It’d be unwearable.
So, while I know it seems like a sudden shock to stop increasing all of a sudden, you will notice in that 36 stitch stretch we also stop growing the height of the stitches, so we’ve way less need for the short rows at that point. That section will lie flat without any outside help.
The 36 stitch stretch is there for a few reasons, too;
Firstly, it’s a good breather and gives the crocheter a chance to take stock, make sure your stitch counts are working out and then to work on from there. It’s a good time to count the stitch spaces you have remaining to you, and to make an adjustment if you have too few or too many. (just add extra L40trs if you have too many sts left, or pull back a few if you’re running low)
But secondly, that big solid gold block is the shawl’s main feature, so I thought adding short rows to it which would interrupt the gorgeous flow of that golden yarn would be doing it a disservice. Panel 4’s increases will help ease that flat section into a curve, so it won’t look out of place.
Your shawl will indeed curve as you want it to, so worry not.
I do appreciate your question though. Thanks for asking.
Happy Crocheting! A x
PS. Hey, crochet fans! If you’d like to have a go at Lunula, you can find it here!