When you take basic stitches and combine them with increases and decrease, a whole new world of patterns opens up. Today, we’re showing you how to take Extended Tunisian Simple Stitch (extss) and transform it into a ripple pattern.

This ripple pattern is featured in Darla Fanton’s Aegean Dreams Throw. We are currently hosting a crochet-along (sponsored by Plymouth Yarn and skacel by addi®) with this pattern! Join the CAL now and put your new extss and ripple pattern skills on full display!

Tunisian Crochet Ripple Pattern

Before beginning this tutorial, be sure to read “How to Crochet Extended Tunisian Simple Stitch” to learn the basic stitch that is repeated throughout the ripple pattern. Once you make a swatch of extss, you’ll have all the foundation skills needed to be successful making a swatch using the techniques shown here.

This ripple pattern uses a multiple of 18 stitches plus 2. To work a swatch with two ripples (the areas pointing up), chain 38 stitches. Then, for the first row, working in the back ridge of the chain, pick up a loop in the 2nd chain from the hook and each chain across.

Return Pass (RetP)

Once you reach the left side of the work, you’ll crochet a return pass (RetP). This is where the ripple pattern is formed!

1. Yarn over and draw through three loops. (Photo 1.)
2. Next, yarn over and drawn through two loops. (Photo 2.) Repeat this a total of seven times. (Photo 3.)
3. Chain two. (Photo 4.)

4. Yarn over and pull through two loops again. And repeat it for a total of seven times. (Photo 5.)
5. For the decrease that forms the valleys between the peaks of the ripple pattern, yarn over and pull through five loops. (Photo 6).
6. Repeat of the process in steps 2 and 4 to yarn over and pull through two loops seven times.
7. With four loops remaining on the hook (Photo 7) form a cluster (cl). Yarn over and pull through four loops. (Photo 8.) One loop remains on the hook.

Row 2 of Ripple Pattern

With your hook back on the right end of your work, you’re set up to crochet the next row of the ripple pattern. In the Aegean Dreams Throw, it is Row 2. The following images breakdown the step-by-step process of the second row.

8. Skip the cluster and extended Tunisian simple stitch in the next stitch seven stitches. (Photo 9 shows the first extss.)
9. Work four extended Tunisian full stitches in the chain-two space. (Photo 10.)
10. Extended Tunisian simple stitch in the next seven stitches. Then repeat steps 8 and 9 to form the pattern.
11. When you reach the final cluster at the left edge of the work, you will work an Extended Tunisian Reverse Stitch (extrev) as follows: Roll the end of the row forward so you can see the back bars of the cluster stitch. Insert the hook from right to left through the three bars. Yarn over and pull through the three bars. (Photo 12.)
12. The final step Row 2 is to work the return pass. So, going forward and then back completes the row. The swatch below shows four rows of the pattern.

To bind off the ripple pattern, single crochet across as if to Tunisian simple stitch, work four single crochets in the chain-two space, skip each cluster, and single crochet as if to extrev in the final cluster.

Adding Color to Ripple Patterns

This simple one-row repeat is perfect for a variety of colorful effects. You can introduce new colors every few rows for something one of a kind such as a temperature blanket, or follow the 4-1-2-1 repeat of the Aegean Dreams Throw.

Happy Crocheting!
Kerry Bogert
Content Manager, Yarn

Learn more Tunisian crochet stitches with patterns and resources from Interweave!