Tunisian Crochet for Beginners: Master 12 Basic Stitches and Make Your First Project
Are you ready to dive into the wonderful world of Tunisian crochet? This Crochet Along (CAL) has been specially designed to introduce you to the fundamental techniques of Tunisian crochet. Over the course of this CAL, you’ll master 12 of the most common and essential stitches, creating beautiful 12″ squares with each new technique.
Each week, we’ll guide you through 3 different stitches, helping you build confidence and skill as you go. There will be photo and video tutorials to help get you through each square.
By the end of the CAL, you’ll have 12 stunning squares that can be joined together to form a gorgeous patchwork blanket. We’ll also provide you with creative ideas for joining the squares and adding a lovely border to complete your masterpiece.
This CAL is perfect for using up your yarn stash or those colorful scraps you’ve been saving. Not only will you learn a new and versatile crochet technique, but you’ll also have a beautiful blanket to keep, gift, or donate once you’re finished.
This CAL was originally released in 2021 with the green and blue version, but I have decided to re-work it in pinks, yellows, greens and maybe some browns too. So I am inviting you to work up one with me!
Join us on this exciting journey and transform your crochet skills with Tunisian crochet. Let’s get started!
HOW IT WORKS:
- Work through each of the squares listed below as they become available. Another square will be added to the post below each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. There are video tutorials to help you out too!
- I will show you what border I put around each square, then I will share how I joined the squares and the border.
NOTE
- If you cannot wait for the squares to be released and would like to get them all in one go a bundle is available for $6 using the button below. It includes all of the square patterns in both written and photo tutorials and links to the videos. This works out at only $0.46 per pattern!
ADDITIONAL HELP AND SUPPORT
If you would like additional help and support then please join our FB Community group by clicking the button below. Be sure to answer the 3 simple joining questions.
HAVE YOU JOINED MY MAILING LIST?
You can sign up to my Events and CALs email. This is different from our standard newsletter which you can sign up to by clicking the button below! The events and cals email is sent daily or whenever a pattern is released during an event that I host or participate in.
Materials List for the Learn to Tunisian Crochet CAL:
MATERIALS LIST:
Note: this list contains affiliate links at no extra cost to you!
For the Blue and Green Version I used:
Worsted/Aran/#4 weight yarn–Brava Worsted by Knit Picks in Cornflower, Tidepool, Alfalfa, and mint. I was able to get 2 squares out of each skein. As there are 12 squares, if you are using the same yarn, you will need 3 of each. I also used Brava Worsted Speckle in Tidal for borders and joining.
You can find Brava Worsted at WeCrochet it is 100% acrylic, worsted (#4 weight) and contains 218 yards per 100g skein. You can also machine wash and dry it.
For the Pink, Yellow and Green version I used:
Paintbox Simply Aran in shades 253, 221, and 224
I originally used a 6.5mm Tunisian hook from Furls. Please note that Furls they no longer sell tunisian crochet hooks. I also used one from Love To Crochet – a set I bought on Amazon.
For the pink and yellow version I am using a wooden set from Knit Pro found on Amazon.
Additionally, you will need:
FIRST THINGS FIRST…
If this is your first dip of the hook into Tunisian Crochet I have some blog posts that you will want to read. They help you to get to grips with some of the basics e.g. how patterns are written, the hooks, what a return pass is etc. I have broken them down into 3 bite sized blog posts.
Please do not get too overwhelmed with it all! Each square has a step by step video tutorial to help you work through each stitch pattern.
Introductions Part 1: To check out what to expect from a written Tunisian Crochet pattern and a little bit about Tunisian Crochet hooks click here.
Part 2: Click here to learn more about how Tunisian Crochet works, the stitch abbreviations yarn and hook sizing, some info about curling and, foundation rows, forward and return passes and edge stitches.
Intoduction Part 3: To learn more about how to identify bars, how to bind off, and some helpful hints and tips click here!
For a quick video guide introducting you to the basics of working Tunisian Crochet click the video below. This video covers most of the practicalities of what you need. However, you may miss out on a couple of tip and tricks and some extra information if you don’t read the blog posts above!
Once you have that under your belt, you can check back here and work through each square.
The Tunisian Crochet Squares:
If you are finding this Learn to Tunisian Crochet CAL after the event has started I do recommend that you work through these squares in order. It will help to build your confidence and make the learning these 12 Tunisian Crochet stitches easier!
Tunisian Simple Stitch (TSS)
This is the first and most basic stitch in Tunisian Crochet.
It is a straight forward stitch to learn and it is easy to identify any errors as you go. I really enjoy working this stitch.
As with all the squares, there is a video tutorial linked in the post if you prefer to learn that way.
Click the photo to go to the blog post.
Tunisian Knit Stitch (TKS)
The tunisian knit stitch is another easy stitch that you will need to know.
You can probably see the mistake I made that I decided to just leave in. It happens, but this stitch is not particularly forgiving of mistakes.
So take your time, maintain a consistent tension and enjoy the process of this one!
Click the photo to go to the blog post.
Tunisian Purl Stitch (TPS)
The Tunisian Purl Stitch is another ‘must know’ for any tunisian crocheter. You will use it when it comes to working more intricate stitches and mix it with other stitches such as the tunisian simple stitch.
This one looks very like the knitted garter stitch and is a nice stitch to work up.
Click the photo to visit the tutorial.
Tunisian Full Stitch (TFS)
Oh my goodness! I thought that this stitch was so much fun – it worked up quickly and I love the texture.
It is a slightly thicker stitch than the previous stitches so far, but is well worth trying! (I was inspired to write another pattern using this stitch!)
Click the photo to go to the tutorial.
Tunisian Reverse Stitch (TRS)
The placement of your hook for this one is a little awkward to start – but you will get the hang of it really quickly!
This is a nice dense stitch with a pretty texture.
It is important to have a consistent tension for this one as it may be a little unforgiving. However, if you are working the blanket we should be able to correct most of that before assembly!
Click the photo to go to the blog post for this one.
Tunisian Honeycomb (or Seed) Stitch
Let’s start having some fun combining the stitches that we have already learned to create some gorgeous textures!
The honeycomb stitch is worked by alternating the simple (TSS) and the purl (TPS) stitches. It produces this beautiful texture that looks a little like honeycombs.
Click the pic to go to the blog post
Tunisian Crossed Stitch
I love the delicate and subtle texture that this stitch creates. And it’s not an overly dense texture so there is some movement to the fabric. (This actually quite surprised me!)
I found this one a fun one to crochet and didn’t;t have any issues keeping my tension consistent.
Click the photo to go to the blog post.
Tunisian Double Crochet Stitch (TDCS)
This stitch works up fast and has some lovely drape!
But don’t be alarmed if the gaps are a little larger than the normal double crochets we ordinarily use. The use of the bars seems to make this a little taller. But it is a fun make and uses very little yarn (approx 110 yards).
Click the photo to go to the blog post.
Tunisian Half Double Crochet Stitch (THDCS)
The THDCS is a little tougher on the wrists than the TDCS because you are adding so many stitches on the forward pass. But it is not a difficult stitch to work.
Remember to check out the modification to working the foundation row on this one too!
Click the photo to go to the blog post.
Tunisian Smock Stitch
I really enjoyed working up the smock stitch. It introduces a TSS2tog (it’s really not as difficult as it sounds!) and produces this gorgeous texture.
You might want to keep a pen and paper to hand to keep track of what row you are working on – I kept forgetting or was interrupted and it took my eyes about half of the square to get used to identifying which row I was working in the repeat.
Click the photo to go to the blog post.
Tunisian Basket Weave Stitch
This stitch uses the simple stitch and the purl stitch to create this subtle basket weave texture that we have all come to know and love!
With an easy to remember 4 row repeat and a stitch combination that works up quite quickly you will have square finished sooner than your thought.
Click the photo to go to the blog post.
Tunisian Wide Ribs Stitch
Combine the purl and the knit stitches from earlier in the CAL to create this gorgeous wide ribs texture!
I am really quite taken with this one – and have plans to create a blanket design using this stitch combination.
Alternating the stitches used in this one row repeat pattern makes it quite engrossing to work up.
Click the photo to go to the blog post.
Zig Zag Slip Stitch Join
When it comes to joining and bordering your blanket you can use any method you prefer!
For both versions of this CAL I used the zig zag slip stitch join. This one looks gorgeous and works up really quite fast! The only thing you have to be careful of is maintaining a consistent tension.
I have video, written and photo tutorials for this one.
Click the graphic to go to the blog post.
Border Ideas:
When it comes to the border for this one, the world is your oyster! You can use any border you want to!
In the original blanket back in 2021 we used a simple hdc border – you hdc in each st around making sure to work [2hdc, ch1, 2hdc] in each of the four corner spaces. We did this for 4 rounds.
But we have some great free border patterns and tutorials to add a bit more oomph to your border:
This border is so much fun to work up and adds a little something because of the wavy shape. You can work it in one colour or several of the colours that you used in your blanket to tie it all together.
Click the pic to check it out.
Create an edging that is as dense as some of the tunisian stitches with this front and back post option.
You can use any number of stitches for this one, but I like to go with an odd number on each side just so that I start and end each side with the same stitch.
Click the pic to check it out.
This camel stitch option is also a great one! It looks almost identical to the tunisian knit stitch so will tie in beautifully.
Click the pic to check it out.
Or why not try adding a border that you have loved from another project – maybe a pretty shell stitch, some filet crochet edging or make one up!
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