Tunisian Flower Shawl

The beauty of this afghan is sure to blow you away.  Made using the Tunisian crochet style, this Flower Shawl could also double as a crocheted afghan and makes a wonderful gift for the special woman in your life.  A challenging, yet rewarding, project, this shawl is something you'll love showing off to your family and friends.  Curl up with this afghan on a dark and stormy day and spend some time with a cup of tea and a good book.  You'll be so glad that you did!

Materials:                  

• 9 skein Caron International's Simply Soft Shadows yarn in Mardi Grey (MC)
• 1 skein Caron International's Simply Soft yarn in Sage (A)
• 1 skein Caron International's Simply Soft yarn in Plum Wine (B)
• 1 skein Caron International's Simply Soft yarn in Light Country Blue (C)
• 1 skein Caron International's Simply Soft yarn in Soft Yellow (D)
• Tunisian (Afghan) hook, size US K/10 1/2 (6.5 mm), or size to obtain gauge
• US J/10 (6 mm) crochet hook
• Yarn needle
• Embroidery needle
• 72 yellow seed beads
• Beading needle and thread

Gauge:  In Tunisian crochet (Afghan stitch), 16 sts and 16 rows = 4"/10 cm, using Tunisian hook

Special Stitches:

• Ldc (Linked double crochet): Insert hook under horizontal bar of dc just completed, yarn over, draw up loop, insert hook in next st, yarn over, draw up loop, (yarn over, draw loop through 2 loops on hook) twice.

Instructions:
Width 72"/183 cm across upper edge
Length 50"/127 cm, excluding fringe
Each row of Tunisian crochet is worked in two steps after the Foundation Row.

Foundation Row (counts as Step 1):  Chain the number of sts indicated in the instructions; skip first ch, * insert hook in next ch, yarn over and draw up a loop (2 loops on hook); repeat from * across, drawing up a loop in each ch. Complete Foundation Row by working Step 2, then work Steps 1 and 2 for remainder of piece.

With RS facing, working from right to left, pick up stitches for the row:

Beginning in the second vertical bar of the previous row, * insert hook into the vertical bar of the previous row, yarn over and draw loop through the vertical bar (2 loops on hook); repeat from * across, drawing up a loop in each vertical bar.

Step 2: Working from left to right, work off the stitches:

Yarn over and draw through first loop on hook, * yarn over and draw through 2 loops on hook; repeat from * across.

NOTES

1. Complete embroidery before joining Side panels to Flower Panel.

2. Separate 4-ply yarn as shown in Chart Key before beginning to work from chart.

FLOWER SQUARE

Using Tunisian hook and MC, chain 70.

Begin Tunisian crochet; work even for 70 rows.

Do NOT fasten off; do NOT turn.

Edging

Round 1: Change to smaller hook; ch 1, sc in each vertical loop across to last st, work 3 sc in last st; working along row ends, sc in each row end to beginning ch; work 3 sc in first sc of beginning ch, working in rem loops of beginning ch, sc across to last st, work 3 sc in last st; working along row ends, sc in each row end to beginning of round, work 3 sc in last st—288 sts.

Fasten off.

Using yarn needle, weave in ends. 

Embellishment

Note: Separate 4-ply strands of B and D into two 2-ply strands; separate A and C into 1-ply strands, then hold 1 strand of each (A and C) together for leaves.

Flowers, Stems and Leaves

Working from Chart, using embroidery needle and colors indicated, cross stitch flowers, stems and leaves.

Flower Centers

Before working Flower centers, using beading needle and thread, string 4 beads for each cross-stitch; hold beading thread together with 2-ply strand of D while working, and slide 2 beads up for first half of st, and 2 beads up for second half of st.

MESH SIDE PANELS (make 2)

Using smaller hook and MC, chain 5.

Row 1: Dc in the fifth ch from hook – this is the first ch worked (counts as dc, ch 1, dc)—1 mesh.

Row 2: Ch 4 (counts as dc, ch 1), dc in first dc (second ch of beginning ch-5), ch 1, skip next ch, [dc, ch 1, dc] in 4th ch of beginning ch-5, turn—3 mesh.

Row 3: Ch 4 (counts as dc, ch 1), dc in first dc (increase), ch 1, skip ch-1 space, work [dc, ch 1] in each dc across to last dc (third ch of beginning ch-4), [dc, ch 1, dc] in last dc (increase), turn—5 mesh.

Rows 4 – 27: Repeat Row 3, increasing 1 mesh st each side every row—53 mesh after Row 27.

Fasten off, leaving a 20" tail.

Using yarn needle and tail, sew one Mesh Side Panel to each upper side edge of Flower Square.  Weave in ends.

UPPER MESH PANEL

With RS facing, attach yarn to beginning dc of right-hand side Mesh Panel, ready to work across the upper edge.

Row 1: Ch 4 (counts as dc, ch-1), dc in same space (1 mesh increased), ch 1, skip ch-1 space, work [dc, ch 1] in each dc across to last st, working ch 1 between dcs in center where Side Panels and Flower Square join, end  work [dc, ch 1, dc] in last st—109 mesh.

Rows 2 - 9: Ch 4 (counts as dc, ch-1), dc in first dc, ch 1, skip ch-1 space, [dc, ch 1] in each dc across to last st, [dc, ch 1, dc] in last st, turn—111 mesh after Row 2; 123 mesh after Row 9.

Fasten off. Weave in ends.

FINISHING

Border

With RS facing, attach yarn to center of 3 sc at lower point of Flower panel.

Round 1: Ch 3 (counts as dc), Ldc in same space, Ldc in each sc to end of Flower Panel; work 3 Ldc in ends of rows of Side Panel and Upper Panel; work 5 Ldc in third ch of beginning ch-4 on last row of Upper Panel; Ldc in each ch-1 space and dc across Upper Panel, working 5 Ldc in last dc; Ldc in ends of rows of Upper Panel and Side Panel as for opposite side; Ldc in each sc of Flower panel, end Ldc in same space as beginning ch-3, slip st in third ch of beginning ch-3 to join—617 Ldc. 

Rounds 2 – 5: Ch 3, Ldc in same space and in each Ldc across to second Ldc of corner 5-Ldc group, work [2 Ldc in second st, 3 Ldc in third st, 2 Ldc in fourth st, Ldc fifth st] of this group; work LDC in each Ldc across Top to second Ldc of corner, work as previous corner; Ldc in each Ldc to beginning, end Ldc in same space as beginning ch-3, slip st in third ch of beginning ch-3 to join—657 Ldc after Round 5.

Do NOT fasten off.

Edging

Slip st in next Ldc; [sc in each of next 4 Ldc, ch 2, skip 1] across to corner; [sc, ch 1 in next Ldc]across upper edge to corner; sc in next Ldc; * ch 2, skip 1 Ldc, sc in each of next 4 Ldc; repeat from * to beginning, end ch 2, join with slip st to beginning sc.

Fasten off.

Weave in ends.

Fringe

Using MC, cut strands 16" long. Holding 3 strands together, fold fringe in half. Using crochet hook, * insert hook from WS to RS into first ch-2 space on side edge at upper edge of Shawl, pull through loop, insert ends into loop and pull tight against edge; using 5 strands, repeat from *, working into every ch-2 space along both sides of Shawl; end with 3 strands in last ch-2 space.

When all fringes have been attached, knot all strands of first Fringe with half the strands of second Fringe, about 2" down from Shawl edge (see diagram). * Using remaining strands of previous Fringe, knot with half the strands of next Fringe at same distance from edge; repeat from * around, knotting all strands of last Fringe with the remaining strands of previous Fringe.