Tunisian Crochet - Simple Stitch

I recently started learning Tunisian Crochet, and made the cowl in the picture above.  It was fast, easy and fun to make.

I thought it would be nice to share my newest crafty adventure, so in this post and in the following posts, I will be showing you how to Tunisian Crochet.

In this first post, I will cover the foundation, simple stitch, and how to help prevent the curling that goes along with Tunisian Crochet.

Tunisian Crochet creates a very dense, thick fabric.  You can get away with using a larger hook than called for on the ball band of your yarn, and still have a nice fabric.  Play around with different hook sizes and yarn weights.

Below are both written instructions and a video.

This is a Tunisian Crochet Hook, or Afghan Hook

To begin, make a chain as you normally would for crochet.

Next, make the foundation row.  You will work across your chain, leaving the loops on your hook.  Begin in the second chain from your hook.  Yarn over and pull the loop through.

This is what you will have after you have pulled up your first loop.  All loops will be left on the needle.

Continue working across the chain, pulling up loops and leaving them on the hook.  This is what you will have at the end of your row.

As there is no turning in Tunisian Crochet, we will now work back, from left to right and remove the loops from the hook.  To begin, yarn over and pull through one loop only.

This is what you will have after pulling through the first loop.

Now, you will yarn over and pull through two loops for the rest of the return row.

This is what you have after pulling through the first set of two loops

This is what you will have at the end of your return row.  The foundation is now complete.

Once you have your foundation, you can begin working the Simple Stitch.  You will continue working from right to left (Forward Pass or Forward Row), then back from left to right (Return Pass or Return Row).  Take a look at your foundation.  See those vertical bars?  Those bars are where you want to place your hook.  Skip the first bar, and begin in the second bar.

Insert your hook under the second vertical bar, yarn over and pull up a loop.  Again, the loops will remain on your hook in order to complete this Forward Pass.

This is what you will have after working under your vertical bar at the beginning of the row

Continue working under those bars to the end of the row.  At the end of the row, for the very last bar, I like to work under both the bar and the strand that is behind it.  You can work under both loops, or just the bar; the important thing is to just be consistent throughout your work. 

                                 

The Return Pass is worked exactly the same as you did on the foundation.  Yarn over, pull through one loop.  Yarn over, pull through two loops for the rest of the row.  

When you are done, you may cut the yarn and pull your tail through after the Return Pass.  This is what the top of your fabric will look like.

If you want a more finished edge, all you have to do is work back to the left again, but instead of working under the vertical bars,  and leaving the loops on the hook, you will yarn over, and pull through both loops - basically you will just slip stitch across the top of the fabric.  Then cut the tail and the end of the row. 

To bind off, begin in the second vertical bar as usual, yarn over and pull the yarn through both loops on the hook.  This is just a simple slip stitch worked across the entire row that creates a nice, clean edge.

Finished edge

I think that about covers it for starters.  Below is the video, which includes the info on helping prevent curl.  I hope you find the information helpful and will give Tunisian Crochet a try if you have never done it before.