Unforgettable Lotus Motif

I love Red Heart’s Unforgettable self-striping yarn. Yes, I know, it’s “sticky” and that makes it an absolute pain in the butt to unravel if you have to rip back, but it’s the first self-striping yarn whose repeats and colours are gorgeous, and that is consistently available when I want it, since Bernat discontinued Mosaic. I’m looking at you Bernat. I’m giving you a very hard look right now.

Unforettable is also super soft and drapes, two things that aren’t always found in a 100% acrylic product.

However, you can make this motif in any colour and any yarn you want, with any hook.

Supplies:

One skein Red Heart Unforgettable in Dragonfly (this link is not compensated)

5.5mm crochet hook

6.5mm crochet hook

7.0mm Tunisian hook

darning needle

Pattern Notes:

• You’ll have LOTS of yarn left over. This project uses only a small amount, but I don’t know exactly how much.
• The central motif is done in regular crochet. The starting tail is woven in and then when the last round is completed, the yarn is brought to the back. Surface crochet is worked around one round on the wrong side, using the 5.5mm hook.
• The lotus leaves are worked in the same manner as Tunisian entrelac base triangles. The tutorial is here and it is also in the top bar across this webpage, as “Sunrise Mandala”. Read through the section titled “First Tunisian Round (Base Triangles)”.
• The triangles are worked on the wrong side of the central motif.
• This is kind of a spicy little project to work on if you’re new to Tunisian crochet. There’s a lot going on: traditional crochet involving different stitches, Tunisian entrelac triangles, and working around in a circle, overlapping petals, and surface crochet. I packed a lot into a little project for those who are getting bored with scarves but don’t want to spend forever on something.

Special stitches:

Normally 99% of all Tunisian entrelac is worked in Tss (Tunisian simple stitch). This time I chose to use Tdc because I fell in love with it while working on another design, so I’m going to put it everywhere to see how it behaves.

Tunisian Double Crochet (Tdc): Yarn over hook, insert from left to right (for lefties) or from right to left (for righties) behind the vertical bar of the row below. Yarn over hook again and draw up a loop. Yarn over and draw through two loops, completing the stitch. FYI: The Tdc looks a bit like the hdc in regular crochet.

Spike single crochet (ssc): Worked exactly like a regular single crochet but the hook is inserted into a stitch or space one or more rows below the last row worked. Draw up the single crochet a little taller than normal so the work does not bunch up.

Central Motif:

(regular crochet)

Using a 6.5mm hook, make either a sliding loop or chain four and join with a slip stitch.

Round One: Chain 1, work 6 single crochet in the ring, join with a slip stitch. Do not turn.

Round Two: Chain 3 (counts as double crochet), double crochet in same stitch, chain 3, *2 double crochet in next single crochet, chain three; repeat from * five more times, join with slip stitch to third chain of chain-3, slip stitch to next double crochet.

Round Three: Chain 1, *5 single crochet in next chain-3 space, skip two double crochet, repeat from * around, join to first single crochet.

Round Four: Chain 1, Spike single crochet between two double crochet in Round Two, *chain 2, skip the first 2 single crochet in the 5-single crochet group, into third single crochet work: (3 double crochet, chain 3, 3 double crochet), chain 2, repeat from * around, ending round with slip stitch into beginning spike single crochet. Do not fasten off.

Surface crochet:

Turn the work. Bring the yarn back to the wrong side, chain 1 for ease, and using the 5.5mm hook, work slip stitches into the backside of each of the single crochet stitches that were made in Round Three, and also in between each grouping of single crochet using the legs of the spike single crochets from Round Four, for a total of 36 surface crochet stitches.

Note: The smaller hook is used because this part can be tight and fiddly. It can also be very frustrating because this yarn is sticky. Take your time, and don’t panic if you get more or fewer stitches. As long as you have enough to make the leaves – each leaf requires at least 11 stitches – it’s all good. This free-form crochet is less about counting and more about making something pretty.

Tunisian Leaves:

First Leaf Round:

Look at the ring of surface crochet. Crochet stitches have a heart shaped stitch head consisting of a front and back loop. The front loop is the loop closest to you, the back loop is the one closest to the centre of the motif. The first round of leaves are made in the front loops, with the right side is facing outwards.

Using the 7.0mm hook and following the steps outlined in my Sunrise Mandala tutorial for Tunisian Base Triangles, attach the yarn to a surface crochet stitch that is below the centre of the one of the flower petals. You will work from the centre of one petal to the centre of the next one. Work an 11 stitch Tunisian triangle using Tunisian double crochet, in the front loops of the surface crochet. Remember to do your bind off in Tunisian double crochet as well.

Because Tdc is taller than Tss, the triangle will curve and look funny while it is being worked. This is normal. When it is done, it will look like a curled leaf. Work three leaves in the front loops. Cut yarn, weave in ends.

Second Leaf Round:

Follow as for the first round of leaves, except that:

• You will work in the back loops of the surface crochet.
• You will attach your yarn to a back loop that is at the middle of one of the Tunisian leaves just made, and work towards the middle of the next leaf. This offsets the leaves.

Fasten off, weave in ends.

Breathe.

You did it!!!!

Copyright 2015 Nicole Cormier. 

You can make and sell items using my patterns but you may not sell the patterns. The patterns are free and traffic helps keep this site going, so please credit and link back to my patterns, do not post the pattern.