This Plaid Tunisian Crochet Afghan is a stylish choice for your home and a stunning classic look for a friend. You can learn an easy Tunisian lace stitch pattern for this beauty.
“Plaid Tunisian Crochet Afghan” free crochet pattern free crochet pattern by Kim Guzman, © Apr. 2025 All rights reserved.
Technique: Tunisian Crochet
Skill Level: Intermediate
Crochet Pattern At A Glance
Plaid Afghan Free Tunisian Crochet Pattern
Designer: Kim Guzman © 2022-2025. All rights reserved.Rate the Pattern
Yarn
- JoAnn “Big Twist Value” yarn, size 4 weight, 100% acrylic, 380 yds/347m per 6 oz skein: 2 skeins White, 1 skein Mustard, 1 skein Soft Gray, 1 skein Denim Blue, approx. 1900 yards used total.
Other Materials
- Suggested Tunisian Crochet Hook Size I-9 (5.5mm) or hook needed to meet gauge. The hook should be at least 1/3 the width of your project.
- Suggested Crochet Hook Size 7mm for surface crochet.
- Suggested Crochet Hook Size I-9 (5.5mm) for trim (optional).
- Yarn Needle for weaving ends.
Instructions
- Begin with a typical chain and foundation row.
- Work row 2 to establish the stitch pattern.
- Repeat row 2 throughout, changing colors to form stripes until 110 rows are completed.
- Work desired vertical lines with Surface Crochet by working chains on the top of the work in desired locations.
- Work the optional single crochet trim on the top or bottom.
- Weave in ends securely.
Full Free Crochet Pattern Below
This is a free crochet pattern and the written instructions are below. If you prefer a printable download, a PDF is also available for purchase.
My Crochet Pattern Notes
This crochet blanket project is made in rows from bottom to top. You work a foundation row then a second row that establishes the pattern. The second row is repeated throughout, changing colors according to the sequence provided.
The vertical stripes are added separately with surface crochet.
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Finished Size
44″ x 47″ for a Sofa Throw size but size is easily increased or decreased depending on your needs.
Yarn
JoAnn “Big Twist Value” yarn, size 4 weight, 100% acrylic, 380 yds/347m per 6 oz skein: 2 skeins White, 1 skein Mustard, 1 skein Soft Gray, 1 skein Denim Blue, approx. 1900 yards used total.
Sadly this yarn is no longer available because it was a JoAnn exclusive yarn and JoAnn is closed. However, you will be able to use whatever size 4 aran weight yarn you like.
I’ve received word that the intellectual property and brand names have been purchased by Michaels so this yarn may be available at Michaels later. Some of the excess inventory Is available at both Annie’s Attic and Herrschners at the moment.
Other Materials
Suggested Tunisian Crochet Hook Size I-9 (5.5mm) or hook needed to meet gauge. The hook should be at least 1/3 the width of your project.
Suggested Crochet Hook Size 7mm for surface crochet.
Suggested Crochet Hook Size I-9 (5.5mm) for trim (optional).
Yarn Needle for weaving ends.
Gauge
Approx. 15 sts for 9 rows measures 4″ x 4″ square.
Working at a different tension may require additional materials.
Stitch Multiple
The blanket is worked in any multiple of 3, then add 2.
Changing the Size
You can easily change the width with the stitch multiple. To change the height, use the color sequence and add in any extra rows wherever you would like. I have made the stripes of color randomly up to the center then mirrored them for the top. You can easily do whatever you like.
You can add rows or deduct them in any way you would like. You can even make the blanket a solid color, if you prefer.
Tunisian Crochet Mini Clusters
This stitch pattern is a mini cluster of 3 stitches, joined at the top. There are chain stitches on either side of the mini cluster. Stitches are then picked up in each chain and the top of each cluster then closed in the same manner as previous.
As with all lace, the closing chain, the second part of each row, isn’t your typical Tunisian crochet closing. But, the good news is that the row is repeated throughout. There’s not even a binding off row. It’s really not necessary when you’re doing lace in all situations.
Surface Crochet
For this project, the Surface Crochet is a simple chain. Hold your yarn under your project and insert the hook from the top surface of the blanket. It’s just a chain made on the chain spaces between the clusters. It could also be done in a typical embroidery stitch.
Be aware that you need to work this portion very loosely. The 7mm hook is just an estimate. Try doing the surface stitching with different sizes of hook until you get one that doesn’t bunch up the fabric. Hold the blanket up and let gravity pull it down. If there is bunching up of stitches, it will show when the blanket is held up. You’ll want to keep trying until you get the magic tension.
Tunisian Crochet Chart
This stitch pattern is the most common Tunisian Lace Stitch. It’s available in the Lace section of my Tunisian Crochet Stitch Guide. Read more about my books at About Kim Guzman.
Special Stitches
Tunisian Chain Top Loop Stitch (tchtls): The closing chain of the second part of a Tunisian crochet row is sometimes called the horizontal bar. The chain is tipped on its side. This stitch is formed by placing the hook from front to back in the top loop of that horizontal bar, yarn over and pull loop through.
Tunisian Chain Back Bar Stitch (tchbs): This stitch is worked in the horizontal bar that connects the three stitches together at the top of the mini cluster. Place the hook from front to back, yarn over and pull loop through.
Other Abbreviations
This crochet pattern is written in US crochet terminology.
ch=chain; lp(s)=loop(s); rep=repeat; sk=skip; st(s)-stitch(es); yo=yarn over.
All numbers after the colon at the end of an instruction are stitch counts. Use the stitch count to check your work.
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This pattern is made free through ad support below, but the PDF download for the Plaid Tunisian Afghan pattern is available for free this weekend only. This promotion ends at 11:59pm CST, Monday, April 21.
Free Crochet Pattern Instructions
Row 1:
A: With white and Tunisian crochet hook, ch 167, sk first ch, *insert hook in next ch, yo, pull lp through, leave lp on hook, rep from * across: 167 lps.
Note: The closing for this stitch pattern is very different than the typical closing. Be aware that, when you yarn over to pull through 4 loops on hook, you count the first loop on the hook just like you would if you yarn over and pull through 2 loops on hook. When you yarn over and pull through 4 loops, it will close 3 stitches.
B: *Ch 2, yo, pull through 4 lps on hook (cluster made), rep from * until 2 lps remain on hook, ch 1, yo, pull through 2 lps on hook, 1 lp remains.
Row 2:
A: Sk first vertical bar, *tchtls in ch, tchbs in top of shell, tchtls in ch, rep from * to last st, insert hook in last st under two outer vertical bars of last st (the first ch of the previous row B): 167 lps.
B: *Ch 2, yo, pull through 4 lps on hook (cluster made), rep from * until 2 lps remain on hook, ch 1, yo, pull through 2 lps on hook, 1 lp remains.
Rep row 2 throughout until 110 rows in total completed, following the Color Sequence below or make your own color sequence as you like. This stitch pattern also makes a beautiful single color project.
When changing colors, do the return row B until the chain 1 and last 2 loops remain, then yarn over and pull through the last 2 loops with the new color and cut off the old color. When there is only one row of a color, you don’t always need to cut off the old color right away. You could carry it up that one row, whenever possible. This just saves you some weaving of ends at the finishing.
Stripe Color Sequence
white=14, mustard=1, white=10, mustard=1, soft gray=5, mustard=1, soft gray=3, mustard=3, denim blue=6, mustard=1, soft gray=6, white=2, denim blue=4 (horizontal center of project), white=2, soft gray=6, mustard=1, denim blue=6, mustard=3, soft gray=3, mustard=1, soft gray=5, mustard=1, white=10, mustard=1, white=14.
You could use a highlighter to mark each color section after completion to make it easier to read.
Surface Crochet
This is another place you can use your own color sequence for the chain embellishment. You can make as many lines as you like. When I made them, I was trying to avoid weaving in ends as much as possible so, I went up to the top then worked across the edge and back down whenever possible. “Any shortcuts at all” is my motto. The following is the Color Sequence I used for the Surface Crochet. (More information on Surface Crochet can be found above.)
I really liked this short video from Naztazia on Surface Crochet.
There are 55 mini clusters so 54 chain spaces between them. Work the Surface Crochet Chains in spaces as designated here:
Denim Blue in spaces 4, 5, 9, 10, 27, 28, 45, 46, 50, 51.
Mustard in spaces 7, 16, 17, 19, 21, 22, 33, 34, 36, 38, 39, 48.
Finishing
There is no binding off row as with typical Tunisian crochet projects. When you finish the last row 2, that’s it. Then, embellish as desired.
Because I tried to avoid weaving in so many ends, I had some surface crochet that went along the top and bottom. I covered that up with a row of single crochet on the top and bottom. You can do that or maybe even incorporate a fringe into the ends of the Surface Crochet so you don’t need to worry about those ends at all.
Weave in all ends securely.
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