How to Crochet the Tunisian Knit Stitch

Welcome back to our exciting crochet along! In this installment, we’ll dive into the fascinating world of the Tunisian knit stitch, one of the essential techniques in Tunisian Crochet. This is the second stitch we are learning in the Learn Tunisian Series here at Sunflower Cottage Crochet.

Known for its unique texture and knit-like appearance, the Tunisian knit stitch (TKS) is a versatile and beautiful addition to your crochet repertoire.

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just beginning your journey with Tunisian Crochet, mastering the TKS will open up a whole new array of creative possibilities for your projects.

So, grab your hooks and yarn, and let’s get started on this wonderful stitch together!

A note about this stitch: it’s going to curl!  A lot!  You aren’t doing anything wrong, it’s just going to curl a lot.  This is what blocking is for!

Before we start, did you check out the introductory blog post to this CAL? There you will find all of the materials you need, some links to some great introductory blog posts explaining many of the terms and showing you the foundations you need to know before you pick up your hook and yarn.

Below, I will show you step-by-step how to work the Tunisian Knit Stitch (TKS for short!). There are both photo and video tutorials linked.

Materials List:

Note: this list contains affiliate links at no extra cost to you!

You can use any weight yarn and an appropriately sized hook for this project, as you’ll work your foundation row until it reaches the desired length. I chose to use #4 weight (aran) yarn for my blankets because it works up quickly, I have plenty of it in my stash, and it’s a common choice among crocheters.

For the green version, I used Brava Worsted by Knit Picks, which you can find at WeCrochet here.

For the pink version of this square, I used approximately 130 yards of Paintbox Simply Aran in shade 253.

Both yarns are machine washable and dryable, making them practical choices for blankets.

I used a 6.5mm Tunisian hook for the green version and a 6mm Tunisian hook for the yellow version. Remember, you can use whatever hook size is appropriate for the yarn you’re using.

WHERE TO GET THE PDF PATTERN

This pattern is currently only available in the e-book of all 12 square patterns plus the joining and border instructions for one unbelievably low price!

PREFER VIDEO TUTORIALS?

If you prefer I have both a right and left handed video tutorial on my Youtube Channel to help you through the tunisian knit stitch.

GETTING STARTED – THE THEORY

 It is up to you whether you work a gauge swatch first. For the CAL, you only need to work up a 12″ x 12″ square so personally I did not gauge swatch this one.

If like me, you want to fly by the seat of your pants it will be worth double checking after a handful of rows that your square is going to be 12″ wide. Sometimes while working tunisian stitches you can find that your starting chain can change its size a wee bit as your work gets larger. However, after 3 rows it will be safe to double check your width.

Foundation row

To get started, chain any number of stitches. There is no multiple for this stitch, so any number will work!

With the chain done, we will now work the foundation row:

Forward Pass: insert hook into 2nd chain from the hook and pull up a loop, *insert your hook into the next chain and pull up a loop; repeat from * to the last chain.

Return Pass: chain 1 (yo and pull through 1 loop), *yo, pull through the next 2 loops; rep from * to end, you will only have 1 loop left on your hook.

The Tunisian knit stitch

Forward Pass (F): insert your hook between the next vertical bar and out the back, yo and pull up a loop; repeat to end, completing an edge stitch as follows: insert hook into two side loops, pull up a loop.

Return Pass (R) : ch1, *yo, pull thru 2 loops; repeat from * to end, until you have only 1 loop left.

Picture Tutorial

For the picture tutorial, I am skipping the foundation row and going straight to the Knit Stitch part.

 

To work off your gathered loops, you simply need to do a “normal return”.  This is explained in my first post, Introduction to Tunisian.  You can click that title to go to the post to be reminded how to do this.

THE 12″ TUNISIAN SIMPLE STITCH SQUARE PATTERN:

Foundation row:

Chain any number of stitches until you reach 12” – this stitch has no stitch multiples so you can use any number of stitches to reach your 12″. As a reference using a 6mm hook and 4 weight yarn I chained 50.
Complete a foundation row as instructed in the introductory blog post here.

Row 1

F: insert hook from front to back between the two vertical bars (or between the “legs” of one stitch) and under the Return Row (top bar) to pull up a loop.

R: Normal return pass (ch1, *yo, pull thru 2 loops until you have only 1 loop left).

Row 2: repeat row 1 (both F and R instructions) until your square measures 12”.

Bind off: You can do this with a 6.5mm regular crochet hook if you prefer—with the starting loop on your hook: insert hook as we have been for the TKS, yo, pull thru all loops on the hook.  You are slip stitching all the way down this row.

Insert hook as to work a TKS, yo, pull thru all loops on the hook.  Repeat this process until you reach the left edge stitch: insert hook thru two loops on the left edge, yo, pull thru all loops.  

FO.  Weave in ends.

FO. Weave in ends.

DON’T FORGET TO TAG ME IN YOUR TUNISIAN CROCHET TUNISIAN SIMPLE STITCH MAKES ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM!

 Learn Tunisian Series Links