A Tunisian Discovery

Tunisian Crochet.  What can I say about you?  Fun, different, and very interesting!  I stumbled upon Tunisian Crochet via an email from Lion Brand Yarn.  They send me patterns and ideas for new projects every few days and this one pattern really caught my eye.  I quickly realized the pattern I was looking at was something new!  Something new?! Alright!  I started researching right away.  I will be making a bag for myself after some practice.

Considered a mix of knitting and crochet, Tunisian crochet leaves loops on the hook and takes two passes to complete one row.  Despite taking two rows to complete one, it does work up rather quickly, and probably best of all...it doesn't seem hard at all.  I played around with the simple stitch and a regular crochet hook before purchasing a real Tunisian hook.  Using Ravelry.com, I found a simple pattern for a hot pad and started working.

If you have never seen a Tunisian simple stitch I will give a brief description.  You chain stitches like you normally would in regular crochet.  This is where it changes.  Instead of working in the top of the chain, you work in the spine of the chain.  Now, working in the spine, you yarn over(YO) and pull up a loop, but instead of YO again to form a single crochet you insert your hook into the next chain spine and YO to pull up another loop.  This is repeated across the chain, leaving all the loops on the hook. Once you have reached the end of the chain you do not turn. You YO and pull the loop through one loop on the hook.  Then you YO again and pull that loop through two loops, the loop that you just pulled up and the loop from the previous row; repeat across.  Now you are ready to begin the next row.  Do not turn, with one loop on your hook, insert your hook into the next vertical loop in the row below.  YO and pull up a loop, leaving 2 loops on your hook.  Insert your hook into the next  vertical loop, YO and pull up another loop, leaving three loops on your hook.  Repeat for all the vertical hoops in your work.  Then repeat "Once you have reached the end of the work you do not turn. You YO and pull the loop through one loop on the hook.  Then you YO again and pull that loop through two loops, the loop that you just pulled up and the loop from the previous row; repeat across."  Pretty easy huh?

There are a ton of videos on YouTube and plenty of designs on Ravelry.com and other websites.  Try it, you'll like it :)  If you do try, leave me a comment, or ask for help.  I am brand new too, but we can stumble through Tunisian Crochet together.

Until next time... Happy Crafting!