What is the differance in Tunisian & Crochetnit?

[esmy27]

I am interested in learning the Tunisian Crochet (I've seen some cute baby afghan patterns), but have also seen something called Crochetnit?

 

Can anyone tell me what the difference between the two are and which is easier or faster?

 

Also, those who do Tunisian Crochet would you say it's as simple as crochet?

 

Esmeralda:)

[fuzzy ferret]

Esmerelda...I just bought my afghan hook saturday at hobby lobby and went to several different websites about tunisian crochet and I must say that I think (afghan stitch) is easy. But of course I am just learning the basic stitches. I've already made a couple of swatches testing how my guage is and everything, and i'm surprised how easily I picked up on this type of crocheting. I'm normally a slow learner.

 

But I'm not for sure what the difference between the two are.

 

I usually go here: http://www.anniesattic.com/crochet/content.html?type_id=S

 

when I need help on learning a new stitch. Maybe this might be of help to you?

 

 

Krystal

[mva5493]

Tunisian uses a long hook (looks kinda like a knitting needle, but has the hook on the end) the crochenit hook is double ended (also called cro-hook or crochet on the double). CrochetKim has done some wonderfully educational classes on her blog. (there is at least one thread about it here). I am still fairly new to crochet, but I had no problem doing the stitches and now am working on a coupe of dishclothes to practice.

[Crocus58]

Tunisian you work one side and do not turn your work. It is simple, but tedious for long projects (because you end up working each row twice). It makes a nice fabric with a drape close to knitting.

 

Crochenit I have no experience with . . .

[angieInCA]

Crochenit is done with a double ended hook with two different yarns or threads. I really just stared teaching myself this and have made some great dishcloths.

 

Tunisian is something I haven't tried yet.

[JCB]

Croknit is similar to Tunisian... they share some of the same stitches. The main difference is that Croknit uses two different balls of yarn, most often two different colors. The croknit hook has a crochet hook on each side. It produces a lovely, reversible fabric that is striped.

 

Kim Guzman has been offering free classes in the Tunisian and the Croknit stitches. The class earlier tonight covered switching colors in Tunsian knit, a skill needed to follow graph patterns. She has the transcripts from all her most recent classes on her blog, and they are pretty easy to follow.

 

I don't think they stitches are difficult for someone who already knows how to crochet.

 

Joan

[crochetkim]

Tunisian crochet is the term for any crochet in which you use a long-ish

hook. You open the stitches on one "pass", then you close them up on the second "pass." It's very similar to knitting, although thicker since it takes two passes in order to complete the row.

 

If you can do a single crochet, then you can do Tunisian crochet. Imagine a single crochet. You insert your hook and pull up a loop. Then, you pull through two loops on your hook. For basic Tunisian crochet, all you are doing is a single crochet in assembly-line fashion. You insert your hook and pull up a loop, but you do that all the way across. Then, you yarn over and pull through the loops, closing each stitch, one at a time.

 

Tunisian Crochet has several names: Tunisian Crochet, Afghan Stitch, Railway Knitting, Tricot, Tricot Crochet, Shepards Knitting, and many more. It has hundreds of stitch variations and combinations that make it a very versatile needlework style.

 

What Americans call "afghan stitch" is actually only one of many Tunisian stiches. It is now called the Tunisian Simple Stitch, but it is also known as: Basic Afghan Stitch, Simple Tricot, Royal Princess Stitch, and many more.

 

The Tunisian hook, also called afghan hook looks like a knitting needle with

the "knob" on one end, but a crochet hook on the other instead of a point. You can also get the same thing with a hook on each end, a double-ended afghan hook.

 

Now, for the hooks. Boye and Susan Bates both make them. There are regular afghan hooks and there are those with the extender cable. There are regular double-ended hooks and there are those with the cable.

 

In the 70s, Mary Middleton introduced "crochenit" which is double-ended

Tunisian using only a size M hook. At the same time, Boye and Susan Bates were using their double-ended hooks and the technique was called cro-hook or cro-knit, depending on who the publisher was.

 

In the 90s, crochet with the double-ended hook became widely known as

Crochet on the Double when many new patterns were introduced by Annie's Attic in this technique.

 

MoEZ is the name given the hooks made by Monte Grimm. They are both regular Tunisian hooks as well as double-ended hooks. Instead of a knob on the end of the Tunisian hooks, I believe he has dipped them in some type of rubber, color coding the rubber for the size of the hook. They make larger Tunisian hooks from about a size L and up.

 

Carolyn Christmas introduced her larger Tunisian hooks in the late 90s or

early 00s....never wrote that before. LOL They are Tunisian hooks in sizes L, M, N and P, I believe. These are called Easy Tunisian hooks.

 

For regular Tunisian, you work with one hook and you don't turn your work. For double-ended Tunisian (cro-hook, cro-knit, crochet on the double), you turn your work and you use two separate balls of yarn, one for each hook.

 

Now, if anyone is interested in learning Tunisian crochet, I encourage you to visit my blog. I have been teaching Tunisian (both with the one hook and the double-ended hook) online. And, the bonus is that I've saved the text to make it available in my blog. I've had several people let me know that they've had absolutely no problem learning from the text and they actually preferred it to learning in any other method they had previously tried. Of course, it's more fun to actually be in the class. But, this is closest to actually being there.

 

Now, if the baby afghans you were looking at happen to be Tunisian Baby Blankets by Annie's Attic.....those are my designs. So, if you have any specific problems or questions about those afghans, don't be shy. I try to answer all my emails within 24 hours.

[sakurasaku]

Kim THANK YOU SO MUCH for clarifying the confusing (to me) terms used in afghan stitch, tunisian crochet, crochetknit, double-ended crochet, etc., etc. I feel so much better now that I understand the differences and the history of different names and products.

 

I just placed an order for your Tunisian Baby Blankets book. I also bought the large Tunisian cable hooks and an afghan pattern booklet at only 99 cents each from Annie's Attic. I will soon have to find smaller Tunisian hooks so I can make the baby blankets. I'm so excited to get started! :hook:hook

[esmy27]

Thank you to Kim and all the other ladies for your help. It really makes a difference to be able to ask someone. I will drop in on your blog for those instructions Kim.

 

Thanks Again.

[Etrnlife]

Tunisian crochet is a long one ended hook. Crochet'n Knit is also called cro-hook. This is a double ended hook technique. The differences are in the fact that you work two colors in cro-hook and you slide your work down to the other end of the hook. Both work on the principle of picking up loops in step-one and working them off in step-two of every row.

[mva5493]

[

. I also bought the large Tunisian cable hooks and an afghan pattern booklet at only 99 cents each from Annie's Attic.

 

I ordered that book too, as well as a dozen and one tunisian dishclothes and tunisian baby afghans, all for .99. I just got them the day before thanksgiving, and am trying to finish up current wips before stating something new. It was just over a week to get the order using standard shipping.

[CrochetJC]

One more thing that I did not see mentioned - the Tunisian knit-crochet can also be used as a grid to add cross-stitch patterns or pictures to. To me, that would be one great advantage of that stitch. I have not tried to do Tunisian yet and have not tackled all the color changes that would be required of adding a picture pattern. It is on a "way in the future" list.

[juliegoller]

I have tried crochet-knit but was frustrated I am definitly going to try again when i finish the afghan i started. the tunisian baby blankets sound great! julie goller

[darski]

This may not matter to everyone but I was reminded recently when using the afghan hook/joining that it gets very heavy with all the stitches on the one long hook. My wrists were not happy.

 

it would be nice if they came up with afghan circulars.

[cgd]

I've tried both and made small projects with both, dishcloths, hotpads etc. I made a hat in Tunisian simple stitch that turned out nice. I've wanted to make afghans using either one, but I can't get the cable-extended hooks to cooperate--the cable curls too much. I've tried hot water, but the curl won't leave the cable and the resulting angles just KILL my wrists. If I'm going to do these, I'll have to do them in strips using regular 14-inch hooks, I suppose. Don't see any other way around it.

[crochetkim]

I've tried both and made small projects with both, dishcloths, hotpads etc. I made a hat in Tunisian simple stitch that turned out nice. I've wanted to make afghans using either one, but I can't get the cable-extended hooks to cooperate--the cable curls too much. I've tried hot water, but the curl won't leave the cable and the resulting angles just KILL my wrists. If I'm going to do these, I'll have to do them in strips using regular 14-inch hooks, I suppose. Don't see any other way around it.

 

I also have a hard time with the afghan hooks with the cable attached. In fact, we've just been talking about that very thing on another group recently. Some people have no problem with them at all. But, for me, it didn't work. The cable kept flapping around and the weight of it constantly twisted the hook.

 

The best purchases I ever made were for the Crochet on the Double Swivel hooks. Because of the extra hook on the end, it's long enough that I'm able to tuck it into the cushion of the chair so it doesn't flop around. And, that swivel keeps the hook itself from twisting every time I make a stitch. It's been a lifesaver for me!

[Midds]

Wow! You all did an excellent job at explaining this in writing! I only have one thing that I could add that nobody has mentioned yet. I do both methods and really like them both. The thing that I like the best about the crochet on the double method is that the project you are making ends up being reversible for the most part. An afghan that I did in a plum and aran color with bobbles appears to be more plum on the one side and more aran on the other. A really nice effect. It is like making 2 afghans, really only having made one.

 

If you are looking for a really great reference book about Tunisian crochet I recommend going to http://www.chezcrochet.com/ I bought her book and love it. Good Luck!

[MeMe]

i guess everyone has pretty much explained it already...but from my experience...crohook (croknit) uses a double ended hook with a strand of yarn on each end and it is turned when working...this does end up with a reversible effect...tunisian is worked with a long crochet hook with a knob of some sorts on one end and with one strand of yarn and it is not turned when working

[cgd]

I also have a hard time with the afghan hooks with the cable attached. In fact, we've just been talking about that very thing on another group recently. Some people have no problem with them at all. But, for me, it didn't work. The cable kept flapping around and the weight of it constantly twisted the hook.

 

The best purchases I ever made were for the Crochet on the Double Swivel hooks. Because of the extra hook on the end, it's long enough that I'm able to tuck it into the cushion of the chair so it doesn't flop around. And, that swivel keeps the hook itself from twisting every time I make a stitch. It's been a lifesaver for me!

 

Who sells these Crochet on the Double Swivel hooks?

[crochetkim]

Who sells these Crochet on the Double Swivel hooks?

 

These hooks were sold by Annie's Attic starting in about 2002, I believe. They have since been sold out and discontinued. They were the best thing invented for Tunisian crochet, in my opinion. I've written to Annie's Attic to see whether they would bring them back. I just recently received the email address of the person who invented the hooks and I guess I better get on the ball and write to her to see if she knows whether the hooks will ever be manufactured again.

 

In the meantime, there is a site in Australia still selling the hooks. I guess the popularity of Tunisian crochet has just now hit Australia, so they still have them. And, I've seen them on eBay as well. There are other cabled cro-hooks available. It's just that these have the swivel and have made a world of difference for me.

[cgd]

That explains why I couldn't find them on AA's website! I'll look for them on the Australian site and see what I can find. Thanks for the info.