Have you every tried Tunisian Crochet? It is a wonderful technique that is a blend between knitting and crochet. Many of the Tunisian crochet stitches have their own unique look, while others look like knitting stitches.
In this course, we are going to learn the basics of Tunisian crochet. If you are joining us for the January Crochet Along, we will be learning this technique as a community. It is always fun to learn new things alongside others. To participate in the crochet along, just join the Our Crochet Journey Facebook group to be able to share photos of your work.
Tunisian Crochet Course – What to Expect
After taking several online courses, I have fallen in love with how they are organized and how well they teach. I have designed this tutorial to be structured like an online course. This means we will have several lessons that are intended to be viewed in order. We will build upon skills that we have learned in previous lessons.
Most lessons will have a written and video portion. You will need to review both to get the most out of the lesson. I will even have some suggested ‘homework’ to get you ready for the next lesson. After all, practice makes perfect.
Below I we will go over what materials and crochet skills you will need to complete this course. We will also talk about the types of Tunisian crochet hooks and see the schedule for the release of new lessons.
Tunisian Crochet Materials
For lessons 1-8, including 4 practice patterns, you will need the following materials. This post may contain affiliate links. For more information refer to my Terms and Conditions.
Size 6.5mm (Size K) Tunisian Crochet Hook 13 inches long – We will learn more about the types of Tunisian crochet hooks below.
324 yds of Worsted Weight Yarn in various colors (roughly 6 ozs) – I used Red Heart Super Saver for most of the patterns. Any worsted weight yarn with a good stretch will be fine. You will want a little extra for practicing your stitches.
108 yds of Worsted Weight Cotton Yarn – This is for the first practice pattern.
Yarn Needle and Scissors – We will use these to fasten off and weave in our ends.
Size 5mm (Size H) Crochet Hook – We will be using this to crochet a border around one of our practice patterns.
Pom Pom (Optional). We will be making a gathered at the top hat that can be left untopped or topped with a pom-pom.
NOTE: Some people are having a hard time finding a 6.5mm hook. Here is a link to another 6.5mm hook. You can also use the 7mm or 8mm hook in this set . We will be discussing how to adjust a pattern to be able to get the right size with a different hook.
It is also ok if the hook is a little shorter than 13 inches. A 10-inch hook should work fine, you will just squish your stitches onto the hook.
Types of Tunisian Crochet Hooks
Long Hooks
My favorite style of Tunisian crochet hooks is the long variety. They are basically a long crochet hook with a stopper on the end so your stitches do not fall off. They come in aluminum and wood. My favorite is the bamboo hooks by ChaioGoo.
I love using the long hooks, but the length of your hook will limit how wide of a project you can make. A 13-inch long Tunisian Crochet hook will be big enough for all the practice patterns but it will not be big enough for a blanket unless you join strips together. This is where cable hooks come in handy.
Cable Hooks
Cable Tunisian crochet hooks provide a way to work a wide project without having a super long stick to deal with. With a cable hook, we have a hook that is attached to a cord with a stopper on the end. Though I prefer working with the long hooks, I am teaching myself to use the cabled hooks, so one day I will be able to make larger projects like a shawl or blanket. The cable is flexible so you bunch up your work beside you.
I own the Love2Crochet Interchangeable Tunisian Crochet Set. With this set, I can modify my hook to meet my needs. I can choose the size hook I want to use and add to it the size cable I need. When adding a cable, remember that you can use a 48-inch cable to make a 60-inch blanket because you can bunch up the stitches to fit in that area. This set starts with a 6.5mm crochet hook and goes up in size, so it is great for worsted weight yarn and above.
Crochet Hooks
Yes, you can use a crochet hook to work Tunisian crochet stitches. You will need to use a hook that has a smooth handle. Like the long Tunisian hooks, you are limited on how wide you can make your project. If you have a 6.5mm smooth crochet hook, like the one in the photo above then you can use that to try the Tunisian crochet stitches and see how you like them, before acquiring a Tunisian crochet hook.
Double Ended Tunisian Crochet Hook
We will not be using this type of hook during this course, but I wanted to let you know about it. A double-ended Tunisian crochet hook is used to work Tunisian crochet in the round. It makes a really pretty project, but right now these types of hooks are not easy to find.
Need to Know Crochet Skills
Tunisian crochet is similar to crochet. You will want to make sure you are comfortable with making a simple slip knot, chain, single crochet, and slip stitch. These will be demonstrated in the video tutorials, but knowing them ahead of time will be helpful.
Tunisian Crochet Lessons
Below is a brief outline of the lessons. If you enjoy the Tunisian course, let me know and I will consider adding more lessons in the future. You may notice that there will be a lot of new lessons each week, so please bear with me if I fall behind and have to push back the schedule.
Week 1: The Basics
Lesson 1– January 5th -Tunisian Crochet Basics + Tunisian Simple Stitch
Lesson 2 – January 6th -Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Practice Pattern 1 – January 7th + Crocheting a Border around your Project
Week 2:
Lesson 3 – Tunisian Knit Stitch
Lesson 4– How to Change Colors in Tunisian Crochet
Practice Pattern 2 – Tunisian Crochet Hat
Week 3:
Lesson 5 – Understanding Gauge
Lesson 6 – Tunisian Full Stitch
Practice Pattern 3 – January 21st + Weaving in Your ends.
Week 4:
Lesson 7– How to Increase and Decrease
Lesson 8 – January 27th – New Tunisian Crochet Stitch
Practice Pattern – January 28th
So it will be a very busy January, but most of the lessons will be designed to be completed in about 10 minutes. So each day you will just learn a little something new and become a better Tunisian crocheter.
Make sure to join my newsletter to get an email reminder a couple times a week so you do not miss a lesson. Plus you get access to many crochet themed printables.
Let’s Be Friends
Want to know what I am making next? Follow me on Instagram @windingroadcrochet to see sneak peeks of what I am up to and to be notified of when I release new free patterns. You can also follow me on Pinterest and Facebook. Join our Facebook group Our Crochet Journey and be a part of our community. Share, photos, ask for help and be inspired all in one place!
Written pattern, tutorials, photos, graphs, and pdfs of the Tunisian Crochet Course free pattern are copyright Windingroadcrochet.com. Please do not reprint or repost this content as your own, but please feel free to share this link with others. You can find more information on sharing my work with others in the Terms and Conditions Page.
Would like to sign up for CAL. Where do I go for this?
There is no official sign-up for the crochet along. You just need to come back to the blog on the dates listed above. You can also sign up for the newsletter and I will include the links to the most recent lessons in the newsletter.
WalMart usually has the long aluminum 6.5mm in store here so that might be a good place for newbies to check.
My Walmart does not have them, but some will. It depends on the area. Joann’s has some but may or may not have the right size. I did see Hobby Lobby had the right size last time I was there. It has become quite popular and easier to get hooks.
So I’m new to crocheting and don’t have a lot of yarn yet. I purchased two skeins, one cotton and one acrylic. Will the one skein be enough (it has 400 yards) or will I need another to meet the requirements?
Yes, that should be enough. The materials list 324 yds of acrylic yarn and 108 yds of cotton and that is for the largest size of all the projects. You may choose to make the smaller sizes which will take less yarn.