Square Top Tassel Pattern

Materials
Crochet silk (substitute crochet cotton thread) No thread size given in pattern.
Steel crochet hook No. 9
1 mould for tassel, 1 1/2 inches square (could substitute stuffing the crocheted square lightly with polyester fiberfill)

Ch 40, turn, sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in each of 39 ch.
Row 2 Ch 1, turn, (sc in first 3 sc, 1 satin stitch in next st), repeat across.
Row 3 Sc in ea stitch across. (39 sc)
Row 4 Ch 1, turn, sc in first sc, satin stitch, (sc in next 3 sc, satin st in next sc), repeat across until 1 stitch remains, sc in last sc.
Repeat rows 1 - 4 (with row 1 being sc in ea st across) until there are 10 rows of satin st.
Join over mould and tie in the fringe on two sides. Length of threads for fringe is 9 inches.

Sandi's Note For "join over mould" you could substitute the more modern way of stuffing the square lightly with a bit of polyester fiberfill.

(1917 pattern doesn't tell you to do this, but you will be folding the crocheted piece in half and either sewing edges or crocheting edges closed.)

Satin Stitch

Directions as given in 1917 pattern: Chain length desired, turn, miss 1, ch 1, sc in ea of ch, ch 1, turn.
1 sc in each of 3 sc, thread over needle, then through chain first made, thread over needle and through same ch, thread over needle and again through same ch, over and pull through all the loops on hook, ch 1, 3 sc in next 3 sc, satin stitch, 2nd row of satin st will be made over sc in 3rd row.

Satin Stitch Sandi's further explanation: Foundation row is a row of single crochet. Satin stitch pattern for next row is (sc in next 3 sc, satin stitch in next sc), repeat across. To do the satin stitch: thread over hook, then insert hook in stitch directly below in last row done, thread over hook and pull through same stitch, thread over hook and again pull loop through same stitch, thread over hook and pull through all the loops on hook, ch 1 to close satin stitch; (continue with pattern). Because satin stitch is worked in the row below, with thread being drawn through several times, it makes a stitch a bit longer than normal, that puffs out a little, adding some texture to the piece.

In the original 1917 publication, this tassel is shown attached to the bottom of a crocheted purse.

Note I rewrote much of the wording of the pattern to make it easier for today's crocheters to understand. For example, Rows 3 - 4 directions originally read "Next row plain, next row same as 2nd row, having the satin st come between the satin st of 2nd row." I rewrote this to make it more easily understandable.

My © rewritten instructions for this Square-top Tassel Pattern not to be redistributed ("shared"), with or without charge. For your personal use only. If someone else wants the instructions, please give them the URL to this web page, so that they can come here and explore everything this site has to offer, for themselves. Thank you. URL of this page is http://crochet.about.com/library/blsquaretoptassel.htm

Photo from New Designs in Tatting and Crochet, 1917

Pattern was originally printed in New Designs in Tatting and Crochet by M. Hemingway & Sons Silk Co. in 1917.

Vintage Tassel Pattern Index (7 free old tassel patterns): http://crochet.about.com/library/weekly/aa082899.htm