Free wavy mosaic Tunisian crochet pattern

Ever feel inspired by the gentle waves of the sea to create a cute decoration for your home? This wavy mosaic Tunisian crochet pattern is what I created on a trip to the Baltic Sea.

I’m often inspired by nature to create things to surround myself with in the home, and this wavy mosaic pattern is no exception.

This mosaic pattern is a variation of what is known as a Greek key, an uninterrupted one in this case. It’s been used since antiquity as a frame for stone or tile mosaics, but it works just as well for mosaic in fiber arts.

You can repeat just half of the pattern for a uniform “sea” of waves, or you can follow the entire pattern for waves that go to and fro.

The pattern repeat is highlighted in the chart, so you can play with this motif and make projects as large or as small as you like.

Oh, and you can definitely use the chart to make a regular crochet mosaic project. But if you know Tunisian crochet, why would you do that?

About this wavy mosaic Tunisian crochet pattern

This is an intermediate Tunisian crochet mosaic pattern inspired by the sea, and it is a variation of what is known worldwide as a Greek key motif.

The pattern can be multiplied over larger areas or made in individual squares that are seamed with different squares of the same size for a larger project.

The instructions below are for a washcloth.

Skill level

Intermediate, due to front post extended stitches.

Notions

• Yarn: two contrasting colors of DK weight 100% cotton yarn; for a washcloth – around 20 g or 50 meters per color;
• Hook – 4, 4.5 or 5 mm hook or hook that gets you gauge – regular crochet hook or Tunisian crochet hook;
• Other notions: tapestry needle, scissors, blocking pins and mats.

Sizes and measurements

The finished washcloth should measure 20 by 20 cm or 8 by 8 inches after blocking.

If you want to, you can add more rows of Sc all around to increase the size of the square if it comes out too small, or you can increase the number of pattern repeats.

Observations

• This pattern includes instructions for a square 37 by 37 pixels wide, which is enough for a washcloth.
• The written instructions include all the stitches in the chart, but the repeats are not organized like in the chart. You can highlight the chart repeats in other ways as well.
• Each row is made with one of two colors (C1 or C2). The colors alternate at the end of each row (see instructions for the return pass – R).
• At the end of the first row, you have the number of loops on the hook for each row, including the first loop. The loop count does not change from row to row.
• In [square brackets] you have repeats.

Abbreviations

• C1, C2 – yarn colors 1 (light) and 2 (dark);
• Ch – chain;
• FpTEs – front post Tunisian extended stitch: insert the hook behind the 2 vertical bars of the stitch in the same color two rows below, pull up a loop, Ch1;
• Ls – last stitch: insert hook behind the 2 vertical bars at the end of the row, pull up a loop;
• R – special Tunisian return: Ch1, Rep [YO and pull through 2 loops] until 2 loops are left on the hook, switch to the other color, YO and pull through 2 loops with the new color;
• Rep – repeat;
• Sc – single crochet (US terms) or double crochet (UK terms);
• Sl St – slip stitch;
• St – stitch;
• Tss – Tunisian simple stitch – insert hook from right to left behind the next vertical bar, YO and pull up a loop;
• YO – yarn-over.

Gauge swatch for this Tunisian crochet mosaic square

If you want to make sure the washcloth comes out the desired size, make a swatch first. You can use just one of the colors.

The gauge should be about 21 stitches and 21 rows of Tss for a 10 by 10 cm square.

Videos for this Tunisian mosaic pattern

If you don’t know how to make Tunisian crochet mosaic or how to make the extended stitches, I have videos for both.

First here’s how to make Tunisian simple stitches.

Next, here’s how to make front post extended stitches, which you will use for mosaic.

Now here’s how to read a chart such as the one I provided below and actually make this Tunisian crochet mosaic project.

Instructions for the wavy mosaic Tunisian crochet pattern

How to weave in the ends in Tunisian crochet

If you don’t know how to weave in the ends in your project, here’s a video in which I demonstrate different ways of doing this. And here’s the left handed version.

Since this project has no shaping, you can just go perpendicularly to the rows, which is the first method demonstrated in the video.

Chart for this wavy mosaic Tunisian crochet pattern

If reading a chart is more comfortable for you, here is a chart for this pattern. It has a watermark on it, but should be quite easy to follow.

If you don’t know how to read this kind of chart, check out the video I linked above, in which I show you how to read a Tunisian crochet mosaic chart.

Start from the bottom of the chart (Row 1) with a foundation row and then continue reading the rows from right to left. Each row includes a forward and a return pass (the R is not a stitch, but denotes a return pass).

If you are left handed, you still read the chart from right to left, but the square will come out mirrored.

Add a row of Sc all around in each color to finish off and weave in the ends (see written instructions above).

Final remarks

If you want to share your project with me, I’m always glad to see it and give it a share at @yarnandy on Instagram. You can also tag me Andrea Crețu in groups, if you share the project in a group I’m in.

Here are some more Tunisian crochet patterns for you to try out and make sure you subscribe to my emails if you want to know when I publish new patterns, videos, testing calls and so on. Email subscribers also get exclusive coupons.

Hugs,

Andrea