Crochet Tunisian Crochet

Tunisian Pine Tree Christmas Coaster

November 21, 2019
The Tunisian Pine Tree Christmas Coaster on a white table and next to a glass of wine and a small bottle of wine

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Tunisian Pine Tree Christmas Coaster

The Tunisian Pine Tree Christmas Coaster is the first of my Christmas patterns designed with makers in mind! This time of year, you need all the help you can get to get ahead of your Christmas makings. And to help you out I’ve designed a couple of quick and easy patterns that will still get you the “Wow” factor! πŸ˜‰

Inspiration

Christmas is getting closer and if you haven’t started on your Christmas makes, you’re likely to start feeling the pressure. The list of gifts to make is huge (or feels like it), the time to make them is getting shorter… Oh the pressure, the pressure!

To make all this Christmas stress go away, I have decided to design quick and easy patterns. Patterns to fit different needs. Like a Christmas home decor or a Christmas-themed baby outfit or adult accessory so that you can have all your bases covered!

So to start this out, how about a quick pattern for the home section? πŸ˜€

A pile of red, black, white and green skeins

The Project

When I designed the Tunisian Raffia Tote I knew immediately, but I mean immediately as in no doubt whatsoever, that I wanted to make more patterns in Tunisian crochet. Tunisian crochet was so easy to learn and I completely fell in love with the thick fabric. I couldn’t wait to try it out with other fibers. If you don’t know about Tunisian Crochet, check out Toni’s video from TL Yarn Crafts for absolute beginners. She will have you Tunisian crocheting in no time!

The thickness in the resulting fabric seemed a great option for a home decor piece. But let’s not forget that the focus here is a quick and easy pattern, so it needs to be a small project. Hence, a beautiful coaster for your Christmas table!

However, a plain coaster will not do. Details are important! And to keep this simple, instead of adding color changes to the pattern, let’s add the details to the finished crocheted piece. And looking at the finished piece, it has this wonderful grid look, that’s just perfect for cross-stitch. And that’s exactly what we’ll do.

So let’s give it a “Christmasy” feeling by adding a pine tree. πŸ™‚ But still… something’s missing. It doesn’t have that “wow” factor just yet. Looking around me, my eyes fell on some leftovers of faux fur yarn from my Cloud 9 Sweater. ( * Bells start ringing * ) That’s it! SNOW!!!

And that’s how you get a beautiful and adorable Tunisian Pine Tree Christmas Coaster that is just too easy not to make! πŸ˜‰

The Tunisian Pine Tree Christmas Coaster on a white table with a glass on top of it.

Pattern

  • You can buy the ad-free, printable PDF pattern HERE!
  • PIN this pattern for later HERE
  • Add this pattern to your Ravelry queue HERE!

Description

The Tunisian Pine Tree Christmas Coaster is the quick and easy pattern you were looking for! Perfect as a housewarming Christmas gift, or even as a great detail for your own Christmas table. Made in Tunisian crochet with cross-stitch details. The bright red mercerized cotton yarn for the background will make this piece shine and the details of faux fur yarn will make it stand out in any Christmas table!

Skill Level

  • Basic

Have in Hand

  • Drops Muskat [Weight 2/Sport, 1.8 oz /50 gr, 109 yds/100 m]
    • 1 skein Red Unicolor 12 for Color A
    • 1 skein Black Unicolor 17 Color B
  • 1 skein Katia Tencel-Cotton [Weight 2/Sport, 1 ΒΎ oz /50 gr, 131 yds/120 m] in Color 12 for Color C
  • 1 skein Katia Velour [Weight 4/Medium, 3 Β½ oz /100 gr, 164 yds/150 m] in 75 Off-white for Color D
  • US 8/H (5.0 mm) Tunisian crochet hook, with an 8’’/20 cm cord
  • Tapestry needle, measuring tape, scissors

Gauge

  • 19 sts x 18 rows: 4”/10 cm

Finished Measures

  • 4’’/10 cm x 4’’/10 cm  

Abbreviations (US Terms)

  • ch: chain
  • rs: right side
  • sl st: slip stitch
  • st(s): stitch(es)
  • tss: Tunisian simple stitch

Notes

  • The coaster is made by working a square in Tunisian crochet, then cross stitching the details.
  • The loop on the hook counts as the first stitch.
  • In the pattern below, all rows (including the foundation row) are followed by a return pass, which is not specified.
    • To make the return pass: ch 1, * yarn over, pull through two loops on hook. Repeat from * until one loop left on hook and proceed to the instructions for the next row.
  • Block the square base before adding the details!
  • The details are cross-stitched using the grid fabric that results from the Tunisian crochet. Each cross stitch will be made in the space between 2 sts in one row to make a grid of 18 x 18.
  • The schematic counts the columns from left to right and the rows from top to bottom.
  • Take care when weaving in the ends of the snowflakes to make sure they don’t the coaster bumpy.
The Tunisian Pine Tree Christmas Coaster on a white table and next to a glass of wine and a small bottle of wine

Tunisian Pine Tree Christmas Coaster

Base

Start with Color A.

Foundation row: Ch 19. Turn your chain and pull up a loop in 2nd ch from hook and each ch across. <19>

Row 1- 18: tss across. <19> 

Slip stitch bind off loosely. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Block your piece.

The square red Tunisian crochet piece after blocking

Pine Tree

I cross stitch by making half of the cross for all stitches and then going back and closing the stitches. The photo tutorial that follows shows this, but you can make the cross stitches as you prefer.

The details are cross-stitched using the grid fabric that results from the Tunisian crochet. Each cross stitch will be made in the space between 2 sts in one row to make a grid of 18 x 18. The grid and schematics count the columns from left to right and the rows from top to bottom.

Using an embroidery needle and with the rs of the base facing you, cross stitch the design according to the schematic.

The schematic for the Tunisian Pine Tree Christmas Coaster
Tree Leaves

Using Color C.

The green of the tree is made of 5 rectangles on top of each other. Starting from the bottom, the first 4 rectangles are 2 rows high. The last rectangle is only 1 row high. Starting from row 12 and going up:

  • the first rectangle goes from column 5 to 14 (10 columns wide);
  • the second rectangle in row 10 and goes from column 6 to 13 (8 columns wide);
  • the third one starts in row 8 and goes from column 7 to 12 (6 columns wide);
  • the fourth rectangle from column 8 to 11 (4 columns wide).

As mentioned, the last rectangle is only 1 row high and is 2 columns wide, from 9 to 10.

The coaster with the green part of the pine tree
Tree Trunk

Using Color B.

Make the trunk of the tree in the squares in rows 13 to 15 and columns 9 and 10. Fasten off and weave in end.

The coaster with the trunk of the tree added

Using Color D.

Snowflakes

The snowflakes are only one stitch sized. I’ve put them in the following squares:

  • row 3, column 16;
  • row 4, column 6;
  • row 6, column 14;
  • row 10, column 3;
  • row 15, column 15.

Fasten off and weave in ends. Take care when weaving in to make sure the coaster doesn’t get bumpy.

The Tunisian Christmas Coaster with the snowflakes added
The Tunisian Pine Tree Christmas Coaster is the quick and easy pattern you were looking for! Perfect as a housewarming Christmas gift, or even as a great detail for your own Christmas table. Made in Tunisian crochet with cross-stitch details. The bright red mercerized cotton yarn for the background will make this piece shine and the details of faux fur yarn will make it stand out in any Christmas table!

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1 Comment

  • Reply Susana December 9, 2019 at 9:25 am

    This pattern appears in the round-up Last Minute Christmas Crochet by Lullaby Lodge.

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