Crochet designer and author Toni Lipsey of TL Yarn Crafts is an expert in Tunisian crochet, and she wants to share her passion with you!
Tunisian crochet is a versatile technique that’s gaining popularity with stitchers of every discipline. Seemingly at the crossroads of knitting and traditional crochet, Tunisian crochet has a unique style that will hook you from the very first stitch.
A LITTLE BACKGROUND
Tunisian crochet has always had an air of mystery, likely because craft historians still can’t pinpoint its true origin. The most reputable sources suggest it was developed in either North Africa or the Middle East.
The earliest known reference to Tunisian crochet is in a French knitting magazine from the early 1800s. Back then, it was called ‘tricot crochet’. It’s also been called afghan crochet, shepherd’s knitting and railroad knitting.
The main feature that sets Tunisian crochet apart from other needle arts is the tool used. A Tunisian crochet hook looks like a knitting needle with a hook on the tip.
You can actually learn the basics of Tunisian crochet using a hook from your own stash – just make sure it has the same gauge all the way down the handle with no ergonomic or decorative shaping. The length of your tool will dictate the width of your project (just like in knitting), so you’ll eventually want to graduate to a longer tool.
Fixed Tunisian crochet hooks are 10-12 inches long and work for small projects like scarves and potholders. But soon you’ll want to invest in interchangeable crochet hooks, which allow you to attach cords of various lengths to your hook so you can make large projects like blankets and jumpers.
As you may already know, it takes two passes of stitching to create one row in Tunisian crochet. First is the Forward Pass. Stitches are created by pulling up loops from the row(s) below. Those loops are left on the hook for the duration of the Forward Pass. Once all loops are collected, you’ll move into the Return Pass, where loops are worked off of the hook.
TRY IT YOURSELF
Tunisian crochet is still a relatively novel idea in modern yarn culture. With over 400 stitch variations and unlimited project ideas, a better understanding of the usefulness of this method will broaden your stitch horizons.
Tunisian crochet has a meditative rhythm that’s easy to master, especially if you already have crochet experience. Contrary to popular belief, you can
