Bring some island vibes to your home decor when you crochet the Bahama Blanket, a FREE Tunisian crochet chevron throw blanket pattern.
I always start thinking about going on a vacation this time of year. Sand between my toes, a gentle breeze on my skin, and a cool drink at the ready. But this year, I’ve foregone my spring vacation in order to buy my first home! I’ve decided to indulge in a little stay-cation, tucked under my new Bahama Blanket. And you can too, using the free pattern and photo tutorial for this beginner-friendly Tunisian crochet chevron stitch throw blanket.
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Get the Bahama Blanket
- FREE PATTERN – Keep scrolling for the FREE version of the Bahama Blanket + a helpful photo tutorial
- PRINTABLE PDF – Pick up the one-page PDF version of the Bahama Blanket from Ravelry and TLYarnCrafts.com. (In light of the Uvalde school shooting, all revenue from sales of the Bahama Blanket will be donated to Sandy Hook Promise.)
Tunisian Crochet for Beginners
Trying a new technique like Tunisian crochet can be daunting for beginners. You might not know what tools to buy or what pattern to start with. I’ve always lived by the philosophy that you can make anything with the right tools, resources, and patience.
The Bahama Blanket is a wonderful project for beginners. Though it may look intimidating, the Tunisian crochet chevron stitch pattern of this blanket is simple, rhythmic, and a great way to get into the groove of this crochet style. Keep scrolling for the free pattern, including a few helpful photo tutorials. You can also try a pattern like this, this, or this if you’d like to start with something a little simpler.
If this is your first time trying Tunisian crochet, welcome to the club! Check out these tutorial videos to help avoid some of the common issues beginners often have:
Yarn Substitutions for the Bahama Blanket
The original Bahama Blanket uses a gorgeous yarn called Landscapes Breeze. I ran across it during a random trip to JOANN and reviewed it in one of my Yarn Snob Review videos.
It’s an acrylic, modal, and wool blend with a chainette construction and lots of beautiful colors in each skein.
Sadly, Landscapes Breeze was a test yarn, created exclusively for JOANN by Lion Brand. Despite my endless pleading, it is unlikely that you’ll see Landscapes Breeze on yarn store shelves again and online resources have dried up as well.
There are plenty of gorgeous yarns on the market to make your version of the Bahama Blanket. Here are a few that I recommend:
- Cascade Cantata, worsted weight (#4); 70% cotton, 30 % superwash wool [218 yards / 100 gram skein]. Blanket would need 2 skeins each of 5 colors. Pros – this yarn features a similar construction and weight to the original yarn. Cons – this yarn is only available in tonal colors, not multicolored like the original yarn. Purchase it HERE.
- Juniper Moon Farm Cumulus Rainbow, worsted weight (#4); 94% mako cotton, 6% nylon [251 yards / 100 gram cake]. Blanket would need 2 cakes each of 4 colors and one additional cake in a 5th color. Pros – wool free alternative to other yarns on this list. Cons – very pricey. Purchase it HERE.
- Berroco Mochi, worsted weight (#4); 37% baby alpaca, 35% nylon, 26% fine merino wool, 2% other [191 yards / 50 gram skein]. Though this yarn is categorized as a worsted weight, it may crochet much thinner. I recommend getting 1-2 skeins to try before purchasing a blanket quantity. Pros – multicolored options. Cons – inconsistent gauge on website. Purchase it HERE.
- Hobbii Metallico, worsted weight (#4); 70% polyamide, 21% acrylic, 9% wool [126 yards / 50 gram skein]. Blanket would need 4 skeins each of 4 colors and 2 skeins of one additional color. Pros – similar yarn construction. Cons – mostly tonal colors as opposed to multicolored like the original yarn. Purchase it HERE.
- Lion Brand Ferris Wheel, worsted weight (#4), 100% acrylic [270 yards / 85 gram skein]. Blanket would need 1 skein each of 8 colors. Pros – multicolored, wool-free skeins with short bands of color. Cons – different yarn construction from the original. Purchase it HERE.
- King Cole Riot Chunky, bulky weight (#5); 70% acrylic, 30% wool [147 yards / 100 gram skein]. Blanket would need 2 skeins each of 7 colors plus one additional skein in a different color. Pros – multicolored skeins with plenty of colorways to choose from. Cons – different yarn construction and may have thick-thin texture. Purchase it HERE.
If you are looking for your own yarn sub for the Bahama Blanket, look for a worsted weight (#4) multicolored chainette yarn with blown fiber and short bands of color. This Tunisian crochet chevron blanket achieves its faded coloring by doing 2-tone stripes throughout the body of the blanket, blending two colorways together. The more overlap between the two colors, the subtler the fade.
Customize Your Bahama Blanket
Make your Bahama Blanket your own with a few simple customizations. Try these out:
-Adjust the Width. The Bahama Blanket is constructed using a beginning chain multiple of 14 + 1. Add more repeats to make your blanket wider. Remove repeats to make your blanket narrower.
-Adjust the Length. Make your blanket the desired length by stopping at the size you want. Make your blanket shorter by doing less rows, and make it longer by doing more rows.
-Use a Different Yarn Weight. If you’re looking to use yarn you already have on hand, apply this pattern to different yarn weights by adjusting your hook size. I have only made this blanket using worsted weight yarn so I cannot advise on the yardage you need when making this blanket in different yarn weights. Here are my recommendations for the proper Tunisian crochet hook size when changing the yarn weight for your blanket:
- Fingering weight – 4-5mm
- Sport weight – 5-6mm
- DK weight – 5.5-6.5mm
- Bulky weight – 9-10mm
- Super Bulky weight – 10-12mm
Learn more about how to choose and use the right Tunisian crochet hooks in this video.
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Get the Bahama Blanket
- FREE PATTERN – Keep scrolling for the FREE version of the Bahama Blanket + a helpful photo tutorial
- PRINTABLE PDF – Pick up the one-page PDF version of the Bahama Blanket from Ravelry and TLYarnCrafts.com. (In light of the Uvalde school shooting, all revenue from sales of the Bahama Blanket will be donated to Sandy Hook Promise.)
Bahama Blanket Details
DESCRIPTION
Bring those island vibes home with the beginner-friendly Bahama Blanket. This Tunisian crochet chevron afghan is crocheted from the bottom up, utilizing multicolored yarn to create a long faded gradient. Swap in yarn from your stash or a reasonable substitute to achieve the look of the original blanket.
MATERIALS
- Lion Brand Landscapes Breeze, worsted weight (#4); 68% modal, 26% acrylic, 6% wool [157 yards / 90 gram skein]. Sample uses 2035 total yards achieved with 2 skeins each of 6 colors, plus one additional skein of a 7th color. Label colors with a letter (Color A, Color B, etc.). Colorways used, in order, are Tropical, Rainforest, Bloom, Willow, Lagoon, Bay, and Hot Hibiscus.
- 8mm Tunisian crochet hook with 32″ cord (like this one!)
- Scissors
- Tapestry needle
- Blocking supplies (learn who to block an acrylic blanket HERE)
FINISHED SIZE
52″ wide x 70″ long after steam blocking
GAUGE
3 pattern repeats wide = 13″; 5″ = 9 rows long.
ABBREVIATIONS
- Ch = chain
- Lts = Last Tunisian Stitch (see Special Stitches)
- RetP = Return Pass (see Special Stitches)
- Sk = skip
- St(s) = stitch(es)
- Tks = Tunisian knit stitch (learn it HERE)
- Tss = Tunisian simple stitch (learn it HERE)
- Yo = yarn over
SPECIAL STITCHES
–Last Tunisian Stitch (Lts): Insert hook under BOTH vertical bars of the last stitch and complete as for Tss.
–Return Pass (RetP): Ch 1, (yarn over, pull through the next 2 loops on hook) until 1 loop remains on hook.
Bahama Blanket Pattern
Ready to make the Bahama Blanket? Use these helpful photo tutorials to guide you along the way!
Making the Foundation Chain:
- Start with a chain that is a multiple of 14 + 1.
- Pull up a loop in the back bump of the 2nd chain from the hook.
- Pull up a loop in each remaining chain. You should have the same number of loops on the hook as the number of chains you started with.
Completing the Return Pass:
- Yarn over, pull through one loop on hook. This is a chain 1 – the Return Pass ALWAYS starts with a chain 1.
- Yarn over, pull through 2 loops on the hook. This will begin to work the loops off the hook.
- Continue to yarn over and pull through 2 loops until there is only one loop left on the hook.
Completing the Chevron Stitch Pattern
- Yarn over.
- Pull up a loop in each of the next 5 vertical bars – these are Tunisian simple stitches.
- Skip the next vertical bar, pull up a loop in the space between the front and back vertical bar of the next stitch – this is a Tunisian knit stitch. Skip the next stitch. This is the valley of your chevron.
- Tss each of the next 5 stitches.
- Yarn over. Tks the next stitch. Yarn over again. This is the peak of your chevron.
- Repeat this stitch pattern until you have one stitch left on the row.
- Yarn over.
- Complete the Last Tunisian Stitch. This is followed by the Return Pass.
Blanket Pattern
With the first color, ch 169.
ROW 1: Starting in the 2nd ch from the hook, pull up a loop in the back bump of each ch across. RetP.
ROW 2: Yo, tss 5, sk 1, tks 1, sk 1, *tss 5, yo, tks 1, yo, tss 5, sk 1, tks 1, sk 1; rep from * to last 6 sts, tss 5, yo, Lts, RetP.
Repeat Row 2 until 50% of the 2nd skein of A remains.
NEXT ROW: Repeat Row 2, completing the Forward Pass in A, and the Return Pass in B.
NEXT ROW: Repeat Row 2, completing the Forward Pass in B, and the Return Pass in A.
Continue in pattern, adding in color C on the Return Pass when Color A is exhausted.
Repeat this sequence throughout the blanket, continuing to fade into a new color on the Return Pass as an old color is exhausted.
FINISHING
Finish blanket with final skein worked on its own until approximately 12 grams remaining. Slip stitch bind off loosely. Fasten off.
Weave in all ends.
Steam block to final dimensions.
Prefer an ad-free version of the Bahama Blanket? Find it in my shop!
If sand, sea, and surf are what you seek but you can’t make it to the airport, the Bahama Blanket is the next best thing. I can’t wait to see how you get creative in choosing yarn and recreating this lovely Tunisian crochet chevron afghan!
Share your projects with me on Instagram @TLYarnCrafts. Then drop by my private Facebook group, TLYC Makers, and share there too!
Find more FREE crochet afghan patterns here:
Nancy says
Thank you! I’ve been waiting for you to come out with this pattern!
Yard Bunny says
This is perfect for a temperature blanket. Do 4 pattern repeats for each day (3 days per row).
Toni L. says
What a fun idea!