The Loft Stair
When I was quite a bit younger, 1 was once charmed by the loft in my uncle's cabin. He has moved and divorced since then, but I still remember the compliment my thenaunt lavished on the in-progress first dishcloth I made with this pattern. (On a later visit than the loft, but still... ) (PS: The idea of loft stairs and the utilitarian nature of a dishcloth also brings to my mind Kitchen Stories.) This pattern does not aim to teach you Tunisian crochet (although it would not be a bad first project once you learn the basic movements). However, due to there being no real standardized notation for Tunisian/afghan stitch, I need to explain the way I have written this pattern. There are two parts to a row of Tunisian, because you first acquire stitches working right to left, and then work them off the needle from left to right. Therefore, in my notation, you will always work some stitch and then
return.
BTR: Base Tunisian Row - Pull up a stitch in each chain (I usually work through the loop on the back of the chain stitches.) Return: In this case, it's always yo, pull through one loop, \*yo, pull through two loops\* across the row. tss: Tunisian Simple Stitch - the basic stitch; please find a tutorial if you don't know how to work it. tps: Tunisian Purl Stitch - looks sort of like a purl stitch in knitting, worked by holding the yarn in front. tks: Tunisian Knit/Stockinette Stitch: looks sort of like knit stitches, worked through the fabric. Please seek out a tutorial on Tunisian crochet if you don't know how to perform one of these techniques. PS: I don't chain one at the beginning of my Tunisian rows.
Shown in Sugar 'n' Cream in Summer Splash. Better picture coming soon! You will need a Tunisian/afghan hook of a size you feel is appropriate. If afghan hooks are rare in your neck of the woods, it might be easier to use a slightly thicker or thinner yarn as appropriate for the size you find. But worsted weight cottons should work with most common Tunisian hooks. With the hook and some yarn, chain about 20-30, as you feel appropriate (no stitch repeat), plus one turning chain. Set-up Row\*: BTR. Return. Row 1, 3, 5: tss. Return. Row 2, 4, 6: tps. Return. Row 7: tks. Return. \*It isn't strictly necessary, however. This pattern is $\mathcal{C}2010$ Arachnera /SJ, however, it is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike License!
