Tunisian

[crochetlady2012]

Good Afternoon,

   I have been crocheting for quite some time. I saw this thread & I got to thinking that maybe I should start working/learning some Tunisian. I have a book that has some beautiful Tunisian blankets to make that I have been wanting to make. I am just wondering are there projects out there that can be done w/ a regular crochet hook?

[Gingerbread Girl]

I'd imagine if it were something small, you could do it with a regular crochet hook. Most things though, you'll need to invest in some tunisian hooks. I don't do much with tunisian so I have just one tunisian hook. I considered my most commonly used yarn weight when choosing my tunisian hook and went with an H, and the only length I could find at the time was 32 inches (it's got a flexible cable on it so it doesn't take up a ton of space in storage) so I think that one ought to cover darn near anything I want to make lol. But really, because the loops stay on the hook till you do the return pass, you need to make sure you've got enough room to hold all the stitches for whatever you'll be making. 

[Aisles]

Due to the nature of Tunisian crochet ie you add stitches to your crochet hook in one pass then the return pass you take them off again.  It is very hard to do that with a normal crochet hook due to the flatten out bit on your normal crochet hook.  The stitches get caught on the flat bit.

 

Tunisian hooks are tubblers all the way along. You get them looking this:

 

A) like a long knitting needle with a crochet hook at one end and a stop/knob on the other end like on a knitting needle.  This is to stop your Tunisian stitching from falling off the end of the crochet hook

B) You get the even longer versions with a hook at both ends this allow you to make large blankets in one piece.

C) A set of hooks that connect to a long wire so you can make even larger blankets with or create Tunisian crochet in the round.

 

There are some smaller Tunisian hooks but they do not tend to be sold now a days I do have a couple but they are all plastic and orange.

[Granny Square]

You can do Tunisian entrelac with a regular hook, they are little interconnected squares, you have maybe 6 stitches on the hook at once. I don't use in-line hooks, and I haven't had a problem with the finger rest interfering; but the size of the hook might make a difference (the 'straight' area shrinks with bigger hooks. at least on my set)

 

This might be a good pattern to practice on

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tunisian-crochet-entrelac-dishcloth-variation-1