Tunisian Crochet Stitch

The Tunisian crochet stitch is known by several names: The Afghan stitch, Railroad Knitting, Hook, knitting, tricot crochet, shepherd’s knitting. Follow this step by step tutorial to learn the famous Tunisian crochet stitch.

Unless you have a traditional Tunisian crochet hook, which is a very long handled crochet hook, then Tunisian crochet is really only practical for making smaller items, such as wallets, headbands, belts, and other small items which don’t require more than a dozen stitches across the row. That’s because all the stitches stay on the hook, and any more than that, they will fall off the back end of the hook!

So, to begin Tunisian crochet, first chain as many stitches as your project requires.



Then work back down the chain, as though making the first half of a single crochet, but keeping that loop on the hook as you progress down the row. At the end of the row, you will have as many loops on your hook as your chain (minus 1 to accommodate the turn.)

 

So if you had a chain of 13 stitches, you will have 12 loops on the hook.

Now, do not turn the work,* yarn over, and pull through 2 loops. Repeat from * all across the row, until you have only one loop remaining on the hook.

   

Now, you proceed back down the row again, picking up a loop at each stitch. (Pass the hook through the stitch that looks like a knitting stitch, and pass right through to the other side. (2nd photo below.). Count the number of loops on the hook to maintain the correct number of stitches in each row. (It’s easy to miss the last stitch if you are not counting!)

 

Yarn over, and pull through to the front, keeping the loop on the hook.



Continue down the row.



4 rows of Tunisian stitch completed.



Tunisian stitch, viewed from the back side.




Read about Harrington's bio and her experience with crochet.