Learn Tunisian crochet for free / it’s easier together

Continue here with Part 2
Learn Tunisian crochet for free - Part 2




The project is being extended due to the large number of participants and the wonderful progress. Stay tuned. You can still achieve a lot.

Dear users, dear authors, dear yarn wizards,
This thread brings together everyone who would like to learn Tunisian crochet or improve their skills by the end of the month—or even beyond. I’m confident that you’ll support one another, and I’m sure that with the right amount of patience and effort, a lot of progress is possible by the end of the month. You can do it.

Who among you has at least basic knowledge, or perhaps even more than that, and would be willing to contribute some information here or maybe a blog post?
Is there a _free pattern_ that someone would like to share?
--> Please do not post any paid patterns; I will remove them.

Okay, let’s get started. I’m excited to see what happens.

I don’t have any basic knowledge, but I’ve already gotten myself a hook, and I have an old book at home that I’ve already looked through.
But it only explains how to increase a stitch at the edge, and nothing else. There are also lots of pattern charts in it, but they don’t mean anything to me at all. But one step at a time.
Since I have two days off next week, I’m determined to at least put the theoretical part for the first three rows into practice.

I’ve made a cushion cover in basic Tunisian stitch before, but I still didn’t handle the edges very well.
I do know, though, that the hook should be 1–2 sizes thicker than what’s recommended for the yarn, otherwise it becomes very stiff.


This would be the basic pattern.

Thanks for the tip—I didn’t know that.
I have a size 4 hook. I’ll look for some size 3 yarn in my stash.

Hello everyone,

I think Tunisian crochet is absolutely fantastic, and I even have 2 free patterns in my shop.

Two crochet techniques are presented and explained in detail. One is the basic pattern and the other is the full stitch.
You don’t need a special crochet hook.


All-purpose crochet plate in the basic pattern


Basket 1, 2 or 3 with the full stitch

Have fun trying it out; Tunisian crochet isn’t hard at all and is also well suited for crochet beginners. 

Best, Petra

If you crochet loosely, a hook half a size larger might be sufficient.
It’s best to test beforehand which hook works best with which yarn.

If you want to crochet larger items using the Tunisian crochet method, you can get hooks with a cord attached. Whether the cord is detachable or permanently attached to the hook tip is really a matter of personal preference.

Double-ended hooks—the kind with a hook on each end—are ideal for Tunisian crochet in the round.
With this method, you work with two skeins of yarn at the same time. 

So far, I’ve been practicing the basic stitch. Everything is explained wonderfully in the book I bought a year ago.

I definitely want to crochet colorful pot holders, and for that I need this stitch and the purl stitch. 

I’m offering this scarf for free.


I’m also a beginner and I’m joining in.

Gabi

Good morning

I’ve started working on the pot holder.
I’m not quite satisfied yet—I don’t think the color transition is quite right.

Here’s how it looks so far.

Now I get it. You can clearly see the difference.
So, back to unraveling.

I’ll be joining in too, and I’d like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to Petra for the free patterns for this. I’m looking forward to checking them out.

Since I don’t know anything about this yet but would love to learn, I’m sure I can do it with your help. It’s always been a dream of mine, so I’m happy to seize this opportunity.

Best, Monika

Dear Monika,

Good luck! Since you knit, Tunisian crochet shouldn’t be a problem for you. Actually, I find it easier than regular crochet anyway (but that’s a matter of opinion).
I call it “crocheting in reverse” :)

The basic pattern is especially well-suited for lettering and motifs.

Here are some of my designs.






 
The tire tread pattern is a bit more involved when crocheted in a two-color ribbed pattern.

Well, I’m curious, Petra. As soon as I get a chance, I’ll give it a try. I’ve had that needle lying around here for a long time, but I’ve never used it.

Your projects look great—I imagine they’re complicated.

@stjerne61  
Petra, you’re absolutely right—Tunisian crochet is great.
Crocheting backwards is fantastic.

I just started yesterday and I’m already totally hooked.
It’s really fun.

This is how far I’ve gotten so far.

That potholder looks great!
I’ll get started later if time allows.

@Wollefaden,
well, that looks really cool. I want to make pot holders from my scraps too, it's just a shame that the back doesn't look so great.

Best regards, Petra

@Petra
if you make them double-layered, they’ll look nice on both sides and be thicker, so you definitely won’t burn yourself anymore.

@ Petra and Mel

I’m glad you like my pot holder. I’m also proud that my first project turned out so well.

Doubling it because of the back is a good and practical idea. But I don’t think the back of my pot holder is bad at all, and it’s not that thin either.

I was just looking for (and found) the right hook, but it’s made of bamboo and had little burrs on it. I sanded it down and wanted to seal it with clear varnish. But my daughter snatched that right out from under me… so I randomly repurposed a bottle of nail polish and coated the hook with it. As I was walking through the dark hallway with it, I noticed that the hook now glows in the dark!
Now I can even do Tunisian crochet at night *laughs*



the ghost needle

@Nadeleule
It must be a funny sight when your crochet hook lights up :)
Anyway, good luck trying it out ☺

I just saw the ghost needle, funny. ☺
Well then, it can get dark.

Hahaha, I’m rolling on the floor laughing… a crochet hook that glows! That’s absolutely amazing. Mel, you’ve given me the laugh of the day. :-) You could totally patent that as an invention for crochet addicts....

Marion, your pot holders look amazing! I haven’t gotten around to starting yet. But I did take a look at Petra’s pattern yesterday. It’s really well written and explained. I’ll get started on them as soon as possible. Yeah, there’s a good chance I’ll get hooked too. ;-)

....how funny...I’ve already dug out my old Tunisian crochet hook. The last time I used it was 30 years ago. I’m going to start a pot holder today. Unfortunately, I won’t have a photo until tomorrow. Have a nice evening. Best regards, Claudia

Any progress?
Let me know.

So, my pot holders are done.

Since this went so well, I’m going to try my hand at something bigger soon.

I wonder why my crochet hook sat in the closet for so many years. It’s really easy and quick.

Wow, you guys are good! I’m really impressed.

Phew… I’m actually having a hard time with this. My swatch always turns out crooked, even though I’m following Petra’s pattern exactly. Tomorrow I’ll start over with a 6-stitch swatch.

For now, I hope you all have a relaxing evening. I’m going to keep working on the sweater for my granddaughter for now. I just need that sense of accomplishment right now. ;-)

Best wishes from Monika

I’m thrilled with these awesome pot holders!

I also managed to make a lopsided test piece at first. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much time to practice today because we were invited to a birthday party. But I’ll keep at it...

Monika and Mel

Don’t worry — you’ll definitely manage it too.
Can it be that you’re missing a stitch at the end when it starts to go crooked?

Thanks for your kind words.
Marion

Yes, I still can’t get the end right, and at one point I was missing a stitch in the middle. Also, the hook isn’t that great—it doesn’t glide very well on the return pass. I’ll try the plastic hook and a different yarn tomorrow.

....my pot holder turned out to be a cell phone case.????. But it turned out pretty nice. I have to resize the photos first, though, so I won’t be able to show it to you until tomorrow evening. Best wishes and good night, Claudia

Thanks for your encouraging words! It does comfort me a little to know that Mel isn’t able to figure this out right away either.

For me, sometimes I ended up with 7 stitches instead of 6. And the bottom row looks like it’s “shifted to the left.” I’ll start over tomorrow and post a photo then. Let’s see if it works out.

For now, good night! :-)

@ Monika

I took another look at my pattern—everything is correct. The border was the hardest part for me at first, too.
I took some more photos to show the border more clearly.

Thanks, Petra—I think you just solved the problem! I somehow overlooked the last edge stitch... I’ll try it again later.

Glad I could help :)

Yes, Petra, thank you too. I actually think that’s my problem, too.
As soon as I have time, I’ll start over.

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

Best wishes from Monika

Good evening, everyone,
I’ve finally got the photos of my pot holder, aka phone case, ready too. I think it still needs a little decoration. Other than that, I worked in a simple basic pattern and also started off crooked at first, then pulled the last loop right at the edge so that I could get back to my stitch count. That worked. Unfortunately, I didn’t have photos as good as the ones Petra posted. Many thanks for that, and I wish you all a lovely week.
Warm regards, Claudia
   

Well, Claudia, that turned out great! I still haven’t gotten around to it...
I wonder if I’ll manage to do it this year?

I think your results turned out great, getting started is always hard, and the most important thing is that you’re happy with it yourself and enjoy trying something new now and then.

Have a lovely rest of the week, greetings Petra

Yes, I think Claudia’s phone cases turned out really well too. I haven’t gotten around to looking into it yet either. I definitely won’t get to it today—I’ve got quite a few other things to do. But I’ll definitely keep at it.

Have a lovely day, everyone, and best regards!

Monika

@ Claudia

I like your case—it turned out beautifully.

I tried something out today. Thanks to Petra, I got the idea. It took a little longer, but I’m happy with the result.

Marion

@ Marion

I think the result is great too — is that a preferred scoreline in football or something?

Hi Petra,
Your guess is almost right. It has something to do with sports.
I’ll show you tomorrow what I’ve been working on—I’m not quite finished yet.

Marion

Well, I’m already excited :)

My first swatch is done.
It’s still a little wonky, but already better than my other attempts.
For some reason, I made a chain stitch at the beginning of each new row—which was, of course, wrong.
I’m going to try again with a slightly larger piece; I’ll share the results soon ;)
In any case, it works much better with the plastic needle.

@ Mel,

that looks good.
The thing with the starting chain stitch is just a habit when you’ve been doing regular crochet for years.

My little craft project is finished.
I was even able to crochet part of it using the Tunisian crochet technique, thanks to Petra’s idea.
It has something to do with my hobby, playing boules.
There’s a rule there: if one team loses the game 13–0, they have to kiss our “Fanny.”
So far, we haven’t had a “Fanny.”  But thanks to a CP author, I found a pretty suitable pattern here. So my problem was solved. I tweaked the pattern a bit—omitting some parts and adding others.

Here’s my result. Do you like it???

How cool is that? It’s great that there’s now a Fanny—I absolutely love this idea. It’s sure to add some fun when throwing the ball :)

Best regards, Petra

Oh, you’re all working so hard. I’ve only managed to make a test piece so far.


At first, I also forgot the edge stitch, but you get used to it quickly.
My son likes it better than knitting patterns. Now he’s changed his mind and would rather have a scarf made with Tunisian crochet than a knitted one.
Since he just got a new winter jacket from my parents for next year (my mom always buys two sizes larger just to be safe, so it’ll fit), we’re still looking for the right yarn. It has to match, after all.

Oh, and I have a question for the pros.
I have some yarn at home for size 9 needles. My son would love a hat and scarf made from it, since the yarn glows in the dark and he thinks that’s super cool.
Can I try this in Tunisian crochet too, or will it turn out so thick that it’s unwearable? I mean, would it be better to knit it instead?

I think with such thick yarn, it’ll turn out very stiff if you do Tunisian crochet with it. You’re better off knitting it. I’m also afraid it’ll curl up a lot.

Thanks for the quick reply. I was afraid of something like that.
He really wants it to be cozy—definitely not stiff.

Wow, you’ve all been so busy and crocheted such wonderful things! 
I’m still a long way from that. But at least today I managed to crochet my 6-stitch swatch, and it came out straight! I think it’ll work quite well now if I try it with a bigger piece.

I’ve noticed that I’m still not really getting on well with cotton. It always comes out very tight, even though I normally crochet loosely. That’s why I used softer yarn for my swatch, which worked very well.

I’m still thinking about what it could become, and then I’ll try it again with cotton.

It didn’t work for me with cotton yarn at first either. I then switched to ribbon yarn with a high cotton content and use two different colors (solid and patterned)—this has the advantage that no stitch gets missed.

....Hi everyone, it’s great to see all the designs. I think the little butt is cute. We’re definitely going to need that at this year’s World Championship too, right????☺????????.....I’m sure a lot of pot holders will be finished????. I just tried the crossed stitch, but it’s coming out really crooked—oh my, it takes a little getting used to.....but it’ll work out. And oh yeah, I want winter to go away—I want to work with thin yarn in bright colors. Have a nice evening, Claudia

Progress report on my larger crochet project:



It’s much straighter now, but I’m not quite happy with the outer edge yet.
I still have no idea what it’s going to be....

My husband suggested I join all my crochet and knitting swatches together into one big blanket....

Mel, that already looks great!
I’ve also finished a small test piece that’s 15 stitches wide—made of cotton. Here it is:



I don’t really like the right edge either. It’s a bit looser than the left one. But if I crochet around the edge later, it won’t be noticeable at all.

Since our mug warmers still have a Christmas design, I’m going to crochet one for spring out of this. 

Monika, that looks great! And turning it into a mug cozy is a fantastic idea! I’m still thinking about what to make with mine. I don’t have enough yarn for a scarf or loop. Maybe a little pouch or a cover for something....

I’m sure you could easily make a phone case out of it, too. Pot holders or a trivet would be another idea. You always need things like that.

Scraps are definitely great for making mug warmers. I’ll make them really simply and will be happy to show you the result at the end.

@ Monika and Mel

Your swatches really do look good.
Did you know that there are two types of edge stitches? One is loose, the other tighter.
For the loose one, you need to insert the hook under the vertical strand of the edge stitch, then yarn over to pick up the working yarn and place it on the hook as a loop. To be continued...

Here’s more:

The firm edge stitch works like this:

Don’t just insert the hook under the vertical thread—insert it to the right of the vertical thread and through to the back, so that you catch 2 threads.

At the end, always work a turning chain, then work 2 stitches together as usual.
Does that help?

Marion, that’s definitely good to know—thanks for the tip.
For me, though, the right side is looser—that is, where the row begins.
It’s fine at the end.

I don’t have any problems with the right side.
Then it can only be that your last return-pass stitch is too loose.

At the beginning of the row, I even pull this stitch up a little higher, and it works great. 

Don’t let it get you down—it was the same for me at the beginning.
Some really great pieces have already been created. I’m also working on a pot holder project right now—let’s see how that turns out!?!?

I think I just need a little practice, and then I’ll get the hang of it. :-)

How’s your Tunisian crochet coming along?

I’ve almost finished a wild pot holder.
I’ve also written a blog post on the basic Tunisian crochet stitch (my first one); I’ll have someone else take a look at it, and then I’ll post it.

Yeah, it’s going great. This won’t turn into a long-term UFO—I’ll finish it in the next few days. Then I’ll show you the mug warmer. It’s looking good already, I think.

@Petra

Your pot holder looks great. 

Petra, that looks amazing! It’s a real work of art—wow!
I think it’s great that you wrote a blog post about Tunisian crochet. You can really tell you’re a pro.

@Marion
@Monika

Thank you very much for the praise. It was quite a lot of work, too. I really like it as well, so I decided to make another one in pink and write a pattern. 

Have a lovely evening
Best regards, Petra 

Petra, your pot holder is amazing!

I’ve now turned 1 3/4 skeins of solid-color ribbon yarn and 1 3/4 skeins of gradient ribbon yarn into a pot holder that’s 25 cm wide and about 120 cm long...
I started by crocheting around the edge with gray using half double crochet stitches, and decided along the way to turn it into a bag.

That way, I can use up the remaining gray ribbon yarn (2 skeins) too. So I got to practice Tunisian crochet, use up some of my scraps, and end up with a new bag! 

Mel, you’re so hard at work! Wow, I’m not working on that many projects right now.
A bag—great! I’m curious to see what it looks like.

Tunisian crochet isn’t really my thing yet. 

So, I’ve finally finished a little UFO. My practice piece for Tunisian crochet is now a practical mug warmer, and it looks like this:



I’ll probably crochet a few more of these. But first, I have other things to do. 

Monika, that looks lovely!

@Monika
I also think the woven look really stands out—it’s a cool idea. Maybe you’ll become a fan of Tunisian crochet after all :)

@Nadeleule
Gosh, I’m glad my cotton leftovers are dwindling—you're really working through your leftover yarn, and a practical bag comes out of it too.

By the way, my blog post “Basic Stitch: Tunisian Crochet” is now finished.

Dear Mel, dear Petra, thanks for the compliments. :-)
Yeah, I really like it, too.

I’m not sure yet if I’ll become a fan of Tunisian crochet. In any case, it’s fun and looks really good. I can practice with a second mug cozy. My husband wants one, too.

Let’s see what’s next. In any case, I’m already thrilled that I can do it now—thanks to you, Petra. :-)

By the way, your blog looks amazing! Huge compliment! I just had to write a comment right away.

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

Best wishes from Monika

Have a lovely day too, everyone, and keep at it.

@ Monika
Thank you very much for your kind words and your comment on the blog :)

@Monik

Your perseverance paid off. Your mug cozy turned out beautifully, especially with the decorations.

I’m really enjoying Tunisian crochet. I’m already looking forward to my next project, but I still need to figure out what to make.

My bag is finished now!
It’s 43 cm long (without the flap) and 35 cm wide. The strap is also crocheted in Tunisian crochet.


Mel, your bag looks great! Congratulations! You used up quite a bit of yarn from your stash there.

Thanks, Marion! :-)
Yeah, I’m having fun with it, too. I do have a few projects right now that are more urgent, though. I’ll definitely keep working on it. A mug warmer is still in the works. And who knows, maybe I’ll give a few of them away for Easter. You can always use those.

I’m going to crochet a little tissue pouch in Tunisian crochet. That should look great, too.

Have a wonderful evening, everyone!

Thank you, Monika! I was just thinking earlier that your Tempo pouches would look really cute in Tunisian crochet!

@Nadeleule
Your bag turned out really cool; I like it a lot.

@Monika 
I like the idea of the tissue pouches; I’m sure it will look great.

Have a lovely evening
Best regards, Petra 

@Petra 
Thank you very much!

@Mel

I like your bag too, great idea.

It’s nice that we’re using up our leftover yarn as we learn Tunisian crochet.

I’ve also dug out some leftovers and started a new project using different stitches.

Thank you, Marion!
Yes, my stash is dwindling fast, and it’s really fun. Do you already know what your next project will be? I like that yarn! I like green, but my husband absolutely doesn’t like it....

@Mel

I’m a fan of green, too. I’ve definitely had this yarn sitting in my closet for three years now. Since I decided not to buy any new yarn for a while, I came across this one again.
It’s going to be a sleeveless summer sweater. I got the stitch pattern (clustered lattice stitch) and the pattern from the book I bought especially for this last year.
I have to say, I’m really enjoying Tunisian crochet. 

Tunisian crochet has become my favorite type of crochet, but unfortunately I often can’t bring my ideas to life with this technique.

I’ve also decided not to buy any yarn for now and to reduce my stash, whether with Tunisian crochet or something else, we’ll see.

@Marion
I hope you have lots of fun with your summer sweater; I don’t know that bundled lattice pattern at all.

Best regards, Petra

I’m just having so much fun with this, so I’ve also started making pot holders on the side.

This is how far I’ve gotten so far.

Cool, I’m feeling the same way right now.

Best regards, Petra 

@Petra

I just realized that you can also make some things in Tunisian crochet. I actually wanted to try a flower described here on the blog. Halfway through, it occurred to me that there might be something else I could make.
This is what it turned into.

Marion, your bunny turned out great! I can’t really picture Tunisian crochet being done in rounds.

@ Marion

That clustered lattice pattern is absolutely cool—I haven’t gotten around to trying it yet (but I’ll definitely give it a go).
Is the bunny crocheted entirely in Tunisian crochet? I haven’t made a circle yet either. I’m currently working on my third “potholder.”

Best regards, Petra

Petra, only the ears are worked in Tunisian crochet, with short rows.

I haven’t tried making a circle yet.

But my pot holders are finished now, and my sweater is coming along too. I’m on my third skein of yarn. The bunny is lying on the sweater.

The pot holders. 

@Petra

So you have the book too? It’s so great.

@Marion

The sweater is sure to turn out great—the pot holders already are. I’ve ordered the book and am waiting for it to arrive:
Thanks for the tip :)

Best regards, Petra

Oh, you guys make such beautiful things. I’ve only gotten as far as trying it out myself.

My daughter finally wants her blanket, and I haven’t even finished half of it yet, so I really need to buckle down now.

But that doesn’t mean I won’t use my newly acquired knowledge to make something else in Tunisian crochet after I finish the blanket.

@Marion
The book has arrived, so now I can have fun trying out other patterns too ☺

@Everyone reading along
I’ve almost finished the pattern for my Tunisian crochet potholders, and once again I’m unsure about the photos.
So my question to you is: which photo would you choose as the featured image?

Design with 3 color variations


Design 2 with the original version



I’m curious to hear what you think.

Have a lovely weekend too

Petra, I think both are great—it’s a really tough decision.
The color variations are great because you can see the effect with other colors too.
However, it comes across better in the small preview image if you choose the second variation.
Either way, you’ll find the right one.

@PETRA

I'm glad you have the book. I'm excited to see what you'll create from it. I'm still working on my sweater, though I'm already on the second part; it looks good so far.

Your potholders are super pretty. I would choose the single motif; it's not quite as busy, and the head stands out better. 
Then the colorful pictures further down, but that's just my opinion.

I wish you a lovely weekend.
Marion

@Petra
I’m also leaning toward the single motif—it’s clear and expressive. Your pot holders look great!

Thank you very much for your replies—I think I’ll go with the single photo as well.

Best regards, Petra 

My summer sweater in Tunisian crochet was finished today.
The pattern was simple, and I’m very happy with the result.

You’ve crocheted yourself a lovely summer top—I really like it.

Best wishes, Petra 

Hi Marion, your sweater turned out beautifully. What kind of yarn did you crochet with?
You mentioned a book that Petra also bought. Could you give me more details about it? Thanks.
I’ve been so busy with UFOs and leftover yarn that I had to put Tunisian crochet on hold for now, but postponed isn’t the same as canceled (hopefully)—I really want to learn this technique!

@Christina

Thanks for the compliment. I used yarn from Gründl. It is a bit older, though, and probably no longer in their range. It’s a ribbon yarn, yardage 105 m per 50 g, for hook sizes 4–5, made of 75% virgin wool and 25% polyamide. I crocheted it with a size 6 hook.

The book I have is called: Tunisian crochet
ISBN 978-3-7724-6446-4
I hope this helps you. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a private message.

Thanks so much for the info—I’ll check out the book!

@Marion
I really like your summer top; it’s inspiring me to crochet a garment in Tunisian crochet too. The book has some great patterns that are suitable for that, so let’s see what I treat myself to :)

@Cristina
I bought the book Marion recommended too, and I think it’s absolutely great.

Keep having fun crocheting in reverse ☺

Regards, Petra

Due to its great success, the Tunisian crochet project is being extended.
Stay tuned—you’ve achieved something admirable. You can do even more.

Great, thanks! Because of all the ongoing activities, I haven’t had a chance to try out the new technique yet!
The forum gives me so many wonderful ideas and boosts of motivation that I wouldn’t want to do without it anymore. A heartfelt thank you to all of you!

Warm regards, Christina

Without all of you, not much would be possible here on the forum. :-)

That’s great to hear—it’s really fun, too.
Maybe a few more curious people will join us.

Best regards, Petra 

I think this is great—it’s really fun to share ideas here, and maybe even more crochet enthusiasts will get curious.

Best, Petra 

I feel the same way as Christina. I really enjoy the motivation here and working together. If I’m not here for a day, I immediately feel like something’s missing.

Have a good night, everyone (or a nice day—if you’re reading this in the morning).

Good morning
Monika, you’re right. I’ve started checking in here every day, too. There are always new ideas popping up—I can’t crochet fast enough to keep up.
Maybe we’ll spark the curiosity of a few more readers, and they’ll join in here, too.

Marion, it’s been a few days since I was here. Now I’m finally ready to crochet my second cup warmer and want to get started right away.

Yes, it would be great if a few more of you joined in. It’s definitely fun.

Have a wonderful evening, everyone!

Best regards
Monika

Hi Monika

It’s great that you want to keep crocheting. I’m currently making a blanket and trying out a few different patterns.

Your beautiful cape would definitely look great in Tunisian crochet too.