Friday 27 October 2017

Tunisian Crochet Series

How to Count Rows in Tunisian Crochet

Tunisian crochet piece showed sideways

I'm now working on a Tunisian Crochet pattern that will be launched soon, and this tip just came to mind.
In Tunisian Crochet, it can be a little hard to count the rows when using certain stitches. But there's a simple solution, just turn your work sideways. ðŸ˜ƒ
I hope that you liked this small tip and that you come back for more. 
I will add some more Tunisian Crochet tutorials soon so that you are ready when my pattern comes out.

Thank you for stopping by and see you soon!🙋


Thursday 19 October 2017

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Winding Yarn Skeins - Childhood Memories

Two skeins of Malabrigo Worsted Verde Adriana and Chapel Stone

This post came from the fact that I recently wound some skeins of Malabrigo Worsted yarn. I couldn't but remember the hundreds of times I saw my grandmother doing the same task. Opening that kitchen drawer where she would put the skein around, grabbing the bench and...go! She had the habit of timing it, so that she could improve her score next time. :-D 

Tow balls of Malabrigo Worsted Yarn Verde Adriana and Chapel Stone

My basic knowledge of crochet comes from what she taught me. And, although the pieces I produce nowadays have nothing to do with her type work (lace crochet), a little bit of her is still there.
I wish many times that I could discuss my ideas with her, show her the wonders that one can find on the millions of websites available. (She would love the free patterns!) Since that is not possible, I'll carry on following this passion that she left in my heart, always trying to improve my technique, searching for new sources of inspiration, so that the next piece is an improvement on the last.


Thursday 12 October 2017

Tunisian Crochet Series

What is Tunisian Crochet?

Examples of tunisian crochet patterns: pillow, scarf, hat

Tunisian Crochet is a technique that combines knitting and crochet. It has characteristics from both, the needle used is similar to the knitting ones and the stitches are kept on it until the end of the row is reached. However, like in crochet, only one hook is used.

There are three basic stitches: the Tunisian Simple Stitch (TSS), the Tunisian Knit Stitch (TKS) and the Tunisian Purl Stitch (TPS). Most stitches are a combination or a variation of these three, therefore if you learn them you will able to accomplish many different projects. 

The rows are worked in a particular fashion, different from knitting or crochet. There's the forward pass, when the stitches are added to the hook, and the return pass, when the stitches are finished and taken off the hook. The work is never turned. It is possible to work flat or in the round, however, in this last case, a double ended hook is necessary so that both passes can be completed.

The fabric created is dense and less flexible than knit or crochet, so it's ideal for warmer garments/accessories like blankets, winter cardigans, scarves, etc. To make the fabric not so tight, a bigger hook than normal is used, for example, for a DK yarn a hook size 6mm (J-10 American) is recommended.    

Grey tunisian crochet piece in progress


Now that you know a little bit more about Tunisian Crochet, and hopefully have liked it, the image above is a sneak peek of the pattern I'm working on at the moment. So, come back often, because I will keep posting my progress. 😉 

Thanks for stopping by.

Credits for the post main image: 
Top right image - Purl Soho's Tunisian Crochet Pointy Pom Pom Hat (https://www.purlsoho.com/create/category/crochet/crochet-view-all/)
Bottom Left image - Ms Weaver's Winter Nocturne Shawl (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/winter-nocturne-shawl)