As I am working my way through the Tunisian Crotchet for Beginners course on Craftsy I am learning new stitches and a lot more besides.
I am picking up the terminology used, forward pass, reverse pass etc. You work on the right side of the work all the time so this means you work right to left and then left to right so no turning the work like in normal crochet. It is recommended to work with a larger Tunisian hook than you would when using a normal crochet hook, and to keep counting your stitches as this helps to pick up mistakes sooner rather than later.
I have moved onto learning the Full Stitch which I found simple to remember but takes a while to master.
On the forward pass (working right to left) you put your hook through the spaces that sit between each vertical bar and bring up a loop on the hook.
As I am staggering my stitches it makes a difference as to placement of the stitches I am picking up. So let's first explain that a completed row is when you work the forward then reverse pass (a row is now complete). So for each row I alternate whether I work in the first stitch space or the second stitch space when doing the forward pass. If I started in the first stitch space I skip the last stitch space but if I started in the second stitch space then I work the last stitch space. Regardless, I must always work the final stitch in the chain at the very end of the row before I do a chain stitch.
In this image I am about to work in the last space before I do the final stitch in the chain on the edge.
Once you have completed the forward pass you need to start the reverse pass with a chain stitch to give you height then you work the reverse pass which is a case of dropping off the stitches. I have illustrated this in a short video.
Having completed the reverse pass of dropping of the stitches I am now ready to begin a new row. In this next image I have worked in the first stitch space so I will skip the last one and then add the final stitch in the actual chain at the end of the row.
Notice how the work curls at the bottom. This is because unlike normal crochet where you turn the work, with Tunisian Crochet you don't. If I block the work afterward it will be fine.
I found on many occasion that my stitch placement was wrong or I didn't do enough stitches and ended up unpicking my work but in the end it came together nicely. It's advisable to do a stitch count before you do your reverse pass whilst getting used to the process.
My biggest challenge was getting a really tidy left edge so if you are struggling just check you have the right number of stitches and you are working that last one in the chain from the previous row.
Recap for staggering this stitch: At the end of the forward pass you either work a stitch into the last space or not depending on the row below and then you put a final stitch into the chain stitch created from the row below.
Having mastered the Tunisian Full Stitch here is the cowl that I have made. I made it long enough to fold in half so as to make a really lovely warm wrap around my neck.
Here are the lovely stitches. I used a Caron Cake yarn from Deramores and a size 6mm Tunisian hook. The work is just as nice on reverse side so it doesn't matter that the scarf shows the underside.
I am picking up the terminology used, forward pass, reverse pass etc. You work on the right side of the work all the time so this means you work right to left and then left to right so no turning the work like in normal crochet. It is recommended to work with a larger Tunisian hook than you would when using a normal crochet hook, and to keep counting your stitches as this helps to pick up mistakes sooner rather than later.
I have moved onto learning the Full Stitch which I found simple to remember but takes a while to master.
On the forward pass (working right to left) you put your hook through the spaces that sit between each vertical bar and bring up a loop on the hook.
As I am staggering my stitches it makes a difference as to placement of the stitches I am picking up. So let's first explain that a completed row is when you work the forward then reverse pass (a row is now complete). So for each row I alternate whether I work in the first stitch space or the second stitch space when doing the forward pass. If I started in the first stitch space I skip the last stitch space but if I started in the second stitch space then I work the last stitch space. Regardless, I must always work the final stitch in the chain at the very end of the row before I do a chain stitch.
In this image I am about to work in the last space before I do the final stitch in the chain on the edge.
Once you have completed the forward pass you need to start the reverse pass with a chain stitch to give you height then you work the reverse pass which is a case of dropping off the stitches. I have illustrated this in a short video.
Having completed the reverse pass of dropping of the stitches I am now ready to begin a new row. In this next image I have worked in the first stitch space so I will skip the last one and then add the final stitch in the actual chain at the end of the row.
Notice how the work curls at the bottom. This is because unlike normal crochet where you turn the work, with Tunisian Crochet you don't. If I block the work afterward it will be fine.
I found on many occasion that my stitch placement was wrong or I didn't do enough stitches and ended up unpicking my work but in the end it came together nicely. It's advisable to do a stitch count before you do your reverse pass whilst getting used to the process.
My biggest challenge was getting a really tidy left edge so if you are struggling just check you have the right number of stitches and you are working that last one in the chain from the previous row.
Having mastered the Tunisian Full Stitch here is the cowl that I have made. I made it long enough to fold in half so as to make a really lovely warm wrap around my neck.
Here are the lovely stitches. I used a Caron Cake yarn from Deramores and a size 6mm Tunisian hook. The work is just as nice on reverse side so it doesn't matter that the scarf shows the underside.
