Crochet guide
Tunisian crochet stitches
Most Tunisian crochet stitches differ in one thing, which is where the hook goes in on the forward pass. The simple, knit, purl, reverse and full stitches each pick up one loop for a stitch, and they share one return pass. This guide sets them side by side, then adds the taller stitches and a few named patterns.
On this page 14 parts
The parts of a stitch
This page does not teach the hook, the foundation row or the two passes of a row. They are in the guide to Tunisian crochet.
Every stitch is named for the strand the hook goes under, so it helps to know the strands.
- The front vertical bar. An upright strand on the front of the fabric. Each stitch has one.
- The back vertical bar. A second upright strand, just behind the first.
- The horizontal strands. The strands that run along the top of the stitches. The return pass makes them.
The stitches side by side
| Stitch | Short form | Where the hook goes on the forward pass | The fabric |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple stitch | Tss | Under the front vertical bar, from the side | A woven look |
| Knit stitch | Tks | Between its front bar and its back bar, out at the back | Like knitted stockinette (UK stocking stitch), and thicker |
| Purl stitch | Tps | Under the front vertical bar, with the yarn held in front | Bumpy, like knitted garter stitch |
| Reverse stitch | Trs | Under the back vertical bar, from behind the work | Bumpy and textured |
| Full stitch | Tfs | In the space between two stitches, under the horizontal strand | A woven look |
| Double crochet (UK treble crochet) | Tdc | Under a vertical bar, after a yarn over | A taller stitch |
Stitch names on this page are United States terms, with the United Kingdom name in brackets where it differs.
Each name is usually written with the word Tunisian in front: Tunisian simple stitch, Tunisian knit stitch. Patterns write the short forms in capitals, in small letters or in a mix, so Tss, tss and TSS all mean the simple stitch.
The return pass they share
The stitches in the table all end with the same return pass. The work is not turned. Wrap the yarn over the hook and draw it through one loop. Then yarn over and pull through two loops, and repeat that until one loop is left. Some patterns call the first move a chain 1. It is the same move.
Two more things hold for every stitch in the table.
- The first stitch. The loop left on the hook counts as the first stitch of the next row. The forward pass starts at the second stitch.
- The last stitch. At the end of a forward pass, the hook goes under both strands at the edge.
The simple stitch
The hook slides under the front vertical bar from the side. Yarn over and pull up a loop. This is the usual first stitch to learn, and it is also called afghan stitch. The fabric has a woven look.
The knit stitch
The hook goes between the front bar and the back bar of the stitch and comes out behind the fabric. Nothing else differs from the simple stitch. The fabric looks like knitted stockinette (stocking stitch in the United Kingdom), and it is thick and dense.
The purl stitch
Bring the yarn forward first, so that it lies in front of the fabric. Then slide the hook under the front vertical bar, as for the simple stitch, and pull up a loop. The fabric is bumpy, like the purl stitches of knitting, and it looks like knitted garter stitch.
The reverse stitch
This stitch is worked from behind. The hook goes under the back vertical bar and stays at the back of the work while the loop is pulled up. The fabric is bumpy and textured.
The full stitch
The hook does not go under a bar at all. It goes into the space between two stitches, under the horizontal strand. The fabric has a woven look.
The full stitch leans to one side if every row is worked the same way. To keep the edges straight, the rows are staggered: one row skips the first space, and the next row skips the last one.
Taller stitches
Tall stitches are begun as in ordinary crochet and stopped one step early, so that one loop stays on the hook.
- Tunisian double crochet. Yarn over, slide the hook under the vertical bar, then pull up a loop. Yarn over again and pull through two loops. One loop of the stitch is left on the hook. The row starts with a chain or two to reach the height of the stitch, and the return pass is worked as usual. It is a taller stitch than the others in the table.
- Extended stitches. An extended stitch is a short stitch with one chain worked on top of it. Pull up the loop as for the simple stitch, then chain 1. The same can be done on the knit, purl and other stitches.
Twisted stitches
In a twisted stitch, the vertical bar is turned on the hook before the loop is pulled up. The bar ends up twisted round the hook. There is more than one way to make the twist, so follow the pattern in hand.
Patterns made of two stitches
Honeycomb stitch alternates the simple stitch and the purl stitch across the row. On the next row the two change places, so that every simple stitch sits on a purl stitch and every purl stitch sits on a simple stitch. It repeats over two rows.
Lace, chevrons and ripples
Tunisian crochet is not always dense. Mesh and lace patterns make a light, open fabric.
Chevrons and ripples work as they do in ordinary crochet. Increases and decreases are set at regular places in each row, and they bend the rows into peaks and valleys.
Which stitches curl least
Tunisian fabric tends to curl toward the front. Some stitches curl much more than others.
- Most curl. The knit stitch. The simple stitch curls too.
- Less curl. The purl stitch.
- Little or none. The reverse stitch, extended stitches and honeycomb stitch.
A larger hook and blocking help with any stitch. The guide to Tunisian crochet says more about curling.
Where to go next
- Shaping and finishing Tunisian crochet covers increases, decreases and the last row.
- Changing colors in Tunisian crochet covers stripes and blocks of color.
- Entrelac crochet builds a fabric from small blocks of the simple stitch.
- For the look of knitting with an ordinary hook, see knit-look stitches.