Tunisian Holiday Sampler Blanket – FREE CROCHET PATTERN

Want to learn some new Tunisian crochet skills? Try your hand at the Tunisian Holiday Sampler Blanket, a free 20-block crochet sampler afghan pattern featuring plenty of exciting stitches and techniques!

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GET THE PDF PATTERN

Purchase a printable PDF version of the Holiday Tunisian Sampler pattern here: PATTERN PDF

ABOUT THIS BLANKET

It’s no secret – I’m nuts about Tunisian crochet. I love learning stitches, trying new techniques, and experimenting with different tools. Since I started my Tunisian crochet journey, the number one question I’m always asked is, “I’ve never tried Tunisian crochet. How do I get started?”

The Tunisian Holiday Sampler is my answer to that question! I wanted to design something that engaged both determined novices and experienced makers by combining different techniques and stitch patterns into a single masterpiece.

I’ve always thought that sampler blankets are a hidden gem in the maker community. Most of the patterns are really well done, and you can practice a new technique in an easily digestible way. For the Tunisian Holiday Sampler, each of the 20 unique squares brings you one step closer to mastering this exciting skill.

BLANKET MATERIALS

I’m excited to partner with my friends at Lion Brand for the yarn used in the Tunisian Holiday Sampler Blanket Pattern. I used Lion Brand’s Pound of Love, which is a massive 1 pound skein of 100% acrylic, CYC level 4 – worsted weight yarn. I used 4 different colors to help the stitches in each square come to life.

Get the Tunisian Holiday Sampler all-in-one kit from Lion Brand HERE.

Here’s a breakdown of how much yarn I used in each color:

• Color A (shown in Succulent). I needed 1 ball of Pound of Love and used about 350 yards total.
• Color B (shown in Taupe). I needed 1 ball of Pound of Love and used about 300 yards total.
• Color C (shown in Elephant Gray). I needed 2 balls of Pound of Love and used about 1155 yards total.
• Color D (shown in Oxford Gray). I needed 1 ball of Pound of Love and used about 1005 yards total.

Yarn Color Combinations

Choosing the right yarn at the beginning of the project will ensure that you love the end product. I chose one main color, then added in three neutrals. Play around with your personal style to come up with a four-color combination that you love. Here are some other options from the Pound of Love collection:

Frosted Dreams: Succulent (A), Taupe (B), Elephant Gray (C), and Oxford Gray (D)

I Heart Fall: Pumpkin Spice (A), Taupe (B), Elephant Gray (C), and Oxford Gray (D)

Holiday Cheer: Cherry (A), Hunter Green (B), Taupe (C), and Oxford Gray (D)

If Pound of Love isn’t your jam, or you don’t have access to these yarns at your local store, any comparable worsted weight yarn in the yardage mentioned above should do. Here are some options I recommend:

• Brava Worsted from WeCrochet
• Plymouth Yarn Encore Worsted from LoveCrafts
• Universal Yarn Uptown Worsted from LoveCrafts
• Stylecraft Special Aran from Wool Warehouse
• Paintbox Simply Aran from LoveCrafts

Crochet Hooks

To make the Tunisian Holiday Sampler, you’ll need three different hooks:

• 6.5mm Tunisian crochet hook with a 16″ cord
• 6.5mm traditional crochet hook
• 6.0mm traditional crochet hook

The 6.5mm Tunisian crochet hook is used to make all of the squares. In this case, you can use a straight or a corded hook. Straight and corded hooks are available in inexpensive sets on Amazon or you can find them sold individually. Click here, here, and here for some that I’d recommend. If you’d really like to indulge, grab a Furls Tunisian crochet hook. They’re a little pricier but they’re the best straight TC hooks I’ve found online. Click here for details.

The 6.5mm crochet hook is used to slip stitch seam the squares together, and the 6.0mm hook is used to crochet the border. Find individual hooks and sets on Amazon (get the 6.5mm here and the 6.0mm here), or get these hooks from wherever you source your yarn.

Notions

Here are the last few supplies you need to make the Tunisian Holiday Sampler:

• Scissors [LINK]
• Tape measure [LINK]
• Tapestry needle [LINK]
• 1 locking stitch marker [LINK]
• A cable needle -or- a 6.5mm interchangeable knitting needle tip (optional) [LINK]
• Foam blocking mats [LINK]
• A steam iron or garment steamer [LINK]
• T-pins [LINK]
• Knit blockers (optional) [LINK]

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Blanket Size:

65″ x 54″ after blocking

Gauge:

Gauge will vary with each square. Pattern for each square include a starting chain multiple – adjust as needed to meet the finished size. All squares should measure 11.5″ or 29cm square before the border is added.

Abbreviations:

Special Stitches:

• Bobble (bo): (yarn over, insert hook into next stitch as for Tunisian knit stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through next 2 loops on hook) 5 times, yarn over, pull through next 5 loops on hook.
• Cable 4 Back (C4B): Tunisian knit stitch the next 2 stitches, transfer two loops onto a cable needle and hold stitches toward back of work, Tunisian knit stitch next 2 stitches, place 2 held stitch back onto Tunisian crochet hook, drop cable needle.
• Camel stitch (cam): half double crochet in 3^rd loop of next stitch.
• Long Tunisian front post double crochet (LTfpdc): yarn over, insert hook under front and back vertical bars of the stitch 2 rows below, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through 2 loops on hook.
• Last Tunisian stitch (Lts): insert hook under BOTH vertical bars of last stitch and complete as for Tunisian simple stitch.
• Return Pass (RetP): chain 1, (yarn over, pull through next 2 loops on hook) until only one loop remains.
• Tunisian simple stitch 2 together (tss2tog): insert hook under the front vertical bars of the next 2 stitches, yarn over, pull up a loop through both stitches (decrease made).
• Tunisian simple stitch 3 together (tss3tog): insert hook under the front vertical bars of the next 3 stitches, yarn over, pull up a loop through all three stitches (decrease made).
• Extra long Tunisian front post double crochet (XLTfpdc): yarn over, insert hook under front and back vertical bars of the stitch 3 rows below, yarn over, pull up a loop, chain 1, yarn over, pull through 2 loops on hook.
• Yarn under (yarn under): bring yarn to front of hook as for Tunisian purl stitch, hold yarn to hook against the hook with your index finger before completing the next stitch. 

Pattern Notes:

• Complete the Return Pass (RetP) as written unless otherwise instructed in the pattern.
• Numbers in parentheses at the end of some rows indicate the total number of stitches in that row.
• Portions of this pattern are written in crochet shorthand. For example, “sc 2” means to single crochet in each of the next 2 stitches, while ”2sc” means to place 2 single crochet in the next stitch (increase made).

Want to print your pattern?

Get the printable, ad-free version of the Tunisian Holiday Sampler Blanket pattern from my shop.

PART 1: CREATE THE SQUARES

Begin your Tunisian Holiday Sampler by crocheting each of the 20 blocks in the blanket. Find individual blog posts on how to crochet these blocks using the links below. Be sure to add a border to your squares – find details on adding the border in this video.

• Arrowhead Stitch
• Bias Square
• Block Stitch
• Bobble Stitch
• Brick Stitch
• Circle in Square
• Full Stitch
• Home Square (learn Tunisian crochet stranded colorwork)
• Honeycomb Stitch
• Knit Stitch
• Lacy Shells
• Lattice Stitch
• Meandering Cables
• Mesh Stitch
• Mitered Square
• Seed Stitch
• Smock Stitch
• Tree Square (learn cross stitch on Tunisian crochet)
• Two-Tone Tunisian Simple Stitch
• Wave Stitch

PART 2: ASSEMBLY + FINISHING

Find the finishing tutorial video HERE.

Layout

Use the grid below to lay out the squares of your blanket. You can change the layout to your desired configuration before seaming.

Assembly

With the right sides of squares facing in the layout of your choice, use the 6.5mm hook and color D to slip stitch seam all squares together, working in the back loops only. Weave in all ends.

Border

Round 1: With the 6mm hook and color C, join with sl st in any corner ch-2 sp, ch 1, hdc in same st as join, hdc across to next ch-2 sp, placing 1 hdc in each sc and hdc2tog over the chain spaces of neighboring squares, *(hdc, ch 2, hdc) in next ch-2 sp, hdc across to next ch-2 sp, placing 1 hdc in each sc and hdc2tog over the chain spaces of neighboring squares; rep from * around, join with a sl st in the first hdc of round and cc to A.

Round 2: Ch 1, cam in same st as join, cam across to next ch-2 sp, *(hdc, ch 1, hdc) in ch-2 sp, cam across to next ch-2 sp; rep from * around, join with sl st in first hdc of round and cc to B.

Round 3: Rep Round 2 and cc to C.

Round 4: Rep Round 2. Fasten off.

FINISHING

• Weave in all remaining ends.
• Steam block finished blanket, paying close attention to the seams and border.

Thanks for checking out the Tunisian Holiday Sampler Blanket pattern! If you just can’t get enough Tunisian crochet, CLICK HERE for even more fun, FREE patterns!