Tunisian crochet is not just another word for crocheting. It’s a craft unto itself. It blends the best of knitting and crocheting.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link. Please read the disclosures and disclaimers for more information.
In my About Me page, I mentioned that I started crafting with yarn by knitting and then I moved onto crocheting and haven’t stopped. And don’t get me wrong because I love to crochet. It fits my style of what I want to create.
But, sometimes, I do miss knitting. I miss the stitches that you can make when you knit. Like the stockinette and the purl stitch. These stitches are so pretty. And while you can recreate some of the knitting stitches with crocheting, but not the stockinette and purl stitches.
Or so I thought! I started googling and the stitches that I could learn that could help me create patterns and, in turn, help you learn how to do these stitches. Tunisian crochet popped up in my search results.
I’ve heard of it but I didn’t know what it was all about. So, I dug deeper because I wanted to challenge myself to learn something new and give me another way to create patterns for you all.
I’m so glad that I took that step because I love it! I want to learn all the stitches that I can about Tunisian crochet. So, stay tuned!
Simply put, Tunisian crochet is the perfect blend between knitting and crocheting. While the name has the word “crochet” in it, there are differences between Tunisian crochet and crochet.
Difference #1 – Only Working on One Side
With crocheting, you are always turning your working at the end of the row to continue with the pattern. In Tunisian crochet, you are only working on one side.
With Tunisian crochet, you are working the stitch and collecting the loops onto your hook in the forward pass. At the end of the row, you are not turning your work but working the return pass to complete the row and taking the loops off your hook.
Difference #2 – Different Type of Crochet Hook
With knitting, you have several types of knitting needles in various lengths. Depending on what type of project you are doing, it would determine what type of knitting needles you would need.
If it is a narrow project (i.e. scarf), the standard 10” knitting needles are used. If it is a wider project (i.e. super scarf, blanket), 14” knitting needles or circular needles (various cord lengths) are used.
With crochet, you only need the standard 6” crochet hook since only one loop is on the hook at any given time.
Since you are collecting loops onto your hook with Tunisian crochet, the standard crochet hook just won’t do. Unless it is a narrow project.
So, you will need a 14” Tunisian crochet hook which is also called an afghan hook. Or you could use an interchangeable crochet hook which comes with various cord lengths. You need the added space on your hook to collect as many loops as you need for your project.
Difference #3 – Collecting Loops onto the Hook
As mentioned before, with Tunisian crochet, you are collecting loops onto your hook which is what you would do with knitting. These loops help shape the stitch of what you a creating by the way that you are working the yarn and collecting them onto your hook. It’s how you can achieve stitches that look like if you knitted them.
Difference #4 – Curling Happens
Similar to knitting, curling happens. Curling happens because you are only working on one side of the project. So, the stitches being pulled and the yarn being worked, the stitches naturally want to curl in on itself.
There is nothing that you can do to prevent it from totally happening. But, you can minimize how much curling at the ends of your project occurs.
One way to minimize this effect is with the last difference between crochet and Tunisian crochet.
Difference #5 – Not Using the Recommended Hook Size
With crochet patterns, it will let you know what yarn and crochet hook to use. Sometimes, the recommended hook size for the pattern matches up with the recommended hook size of the yarn that is being used.
With Tunisian crochet, you definitely need to go up two hook sizes from the recommended hook size of the yarn. So, if a yarn recommends using a H/5 mm hook, then use the J/6 mm hook.
Going up two hook sizes will help you with the stitches and collecting them on to the hook. But, it will help minimize the yarn curling at its ends since the stitches are not being worked so tightly.
What do you think? Have you knitted before and excited to try out Tunisian crochet?
The best of both worlds! It takes some elements of knitting and some elements of crocheting to create this type of yarn crafting. It’ll be an adventure in creating patterns using Tunisian crochet stitches.
Are there any types of patterns that you would like for me to come up with using Tunisian crochet stitches?
Let’s get started on this adventure together!
Pin Me For Later!
