Now that we have seen what tunisian crochet is and how to work it, lets go a step further!!
As you all know, we are running the PAX Shawl as TCAL over at the IndiaYarnCircle for this month, and we thought it would be a great help to break down certian stitches and techniques, and ease your understanding of Tunisian Crochet.
The Pax shawl is beautiful simple tunisian crochet pattern that uses a combination of regualr crochet and tunisian crochet techniques.
Source: @aiohobeni
One of the stitches used in the shawl is the Tunisian Linked stitch or the Uple stitch.
The linked stiches can be worked in any numbers as required. These are very simple stitches that are a perfect combination of regular crochet and tunisian crochet.
The linked stitch is basically a vertical stitch worked up to the length n number required and worked down again to link it to the foundation row.
You can build the linked sttiches to make them 1-uple, 2-uple, 3-uple, 4-uple, 5-uple and so on. These numbers are basically the no. of horizontal bars in the one stitch.
1-uple stitch with one horizontal bar3-uple stitch with 3 horizontal bars
2-uple stitch with two horizontal bars4-uple stitch with 4 horizontal bars
The working of the linked stitches is a little different, since we pull up loops in the horizontal bars and work verticaly to build the height of the stitches. Hence it better to turn work 90 degrees to make it easier.
Image showing the vertical length of the 5-uple stitch
Image with work turned 90 degree for working the horizontal bars
You can find a detailed video tutorial explaining the linked stitches below:
Hope this tutorial is helpful for understanding the tunisian linked stitches!!
Please feel free to leave your queries and comments below!
All images are copyright of IndiaYarnCircle and the respective makers, unless otherwise mentioned. You can read our disclaimer policy here.
What is Tunisian Crochet? Is it knitting? Is it crochet? Is it related to Tunisia? Well a little bit of the first two and there is no evidence of the connection with Tunisia. It used to be referred to as Shepherd’s knitting, Fool’s crochet or Idiot’s stitch. However, there is no evidence on why these three references came up.
So, what is Tunisian crochet? It’s a form of crochet where one starts like any other regular crochet work, with a starting chain. The next step resembles knitting where one picks up loops and places them on the hook. The similarity to knitting ends here😊. The final step to complete the stitch is to yarn over and pull through two loops at a time till you reach the start. There you have it, in a nutshell, Tunisian crochet.
It is always worked on the right side and yes there are techniques to work it in the round. More on that later.
One can use the regular crochet hook for Tunisian crochet provided the stitches required for the project are more than 20 and if they are not ergonomic hooks. As the stitches need to be placed on the hook an even hook with minimal or no thumb rest will work the best. There are plain crochet hooks available in different lengths without the thumb rest and a stopper at the end. This stopper is to prevent the stitches from falling off the hook. Then there are Tunisian hooks with cables attached at the end to help one have 100+ stitches on it. The type of hook needed will be dictated by the number of stitches that one needs to hold on the hook.
Source: IYCSource: IYC
Source: IYCSource: IYC
What you will not be able to use are these:
Source: IYC
Does Tunisian crochet use up more yarn?
In the 1970’s when Tunisian crochet made an entrance in the US crochet scene, it was primarily used to create dense blankets made with a tight gauge that gave a square mesh on which one worked cross-stitch embroidery. Hence there was this claim that Tunisian crochet used more yarn. But Modern Tunisian crochet, later than 2000, has incorporated many stitches and designers have successfully created Tunisian crochet projects that are not bulky.
Can a beginner learn Tunisian crochet?
Absolutely! Its simple enough to teach and easy to pick it up. As always one needs to be patient and just give it a try😊
Are there any books on Tunisian Crochet?
There are plenty of Tunisian crochet books available and a plenty of designers who have patterns for beginners.
Can one do color work with Tunisian crochet?
Yes! One square on the chart will refer to one stitch but one row will need two parts to complete it and they are known by Forward pass and Return Pass.
Tunisian crochet is quite easy to learn and it will definitely open many more possibilities once this skill is learnt.
Types of stitches
The basic Tunisian stitch is called the Tunisian Simple Stitch and is worked as follows
TSS
Row 1
Forward pass: Chain any number of stitches, Insert hook in the second chain from the hook into the back bump of the chain(This will give a neat edge when you are done), yarn over and pull up a loop, (insert hook into the back bump of the next chain, yarn over and pull up a loop) repeat ( ) till you reach the end of the chain. Do not turn. The number of loops on the hook must be equal to the number of chains made. The first loop on hook counts as one stitch always unless mentioned otherwise.
Return pass: Yarn over and pull through one loop on the hook, (yarn over and pull through 2 loops), repeat ( ) till you have just one loop on the hook! That’s it. The first row is done!
Row 2
Forward pass: Insert hook into the second vertical bar(right to left) , yarn over and pull up a loop, (insert hook into next vertical bar, yarn over and pull up loop) repeat ( ) till you reach the last stitch. For the last stitch insert the hook into the vertical bar and the loop behind it(this will give a firm edge) , yarn over and pull up a loop. Do not turn
Return Pass: worked same as row 1.
That’s it! Repeat row 2 to the height required.
Binding off or finishing off
Once the height is reached, finish off in the following manner
Insert hook into the second vertical bar, yarn over pull up a loop, yarn over pull through two loops, (insert hook into next vertical bar, yarn over , pull up a loop, yarn over pull through 2loops) repeat ( ) till the end of the row. Do not cut yarn.
The Tunisian simple stitch tends to curl, and the piece needs a simple single crochet border around it to help it to lay flat. So, after the last stitch is bound off, chain 1, sc in the same place, sc along the left border of the work till you reach the base chain, 3 sc in the corner, 1 sc in each chain (the opposite side of starting chain) till you reach the right corner, 3 sc in the corner, 1 sc in each edge stitch up the right side border till you reach the top right corner, 3 sc in the corner, on sc in each stitch on top of bound of row, end with 2 sc in the corner where the first sc is. Fasten off and weave in ends. Enjoy your first Tunisian crochet sample.
Don’t forget to check back for the second stitch which can help to reduce the curl significantly😊
You can watch our video tutorial for the tunisian crochet basics for better understanding:
Hope this quick guide helps you to learn and pick up tunisian Crochet! Also feel free to leave any queries and comments below!
All images are copyright of IndiaYarnCircle and the respective makers, unless otherwise mentioned. You can read our disclaimer policy here.
It feels like just yesterday that we started this CAL in collaboration with Anchor Crafts and we cannot believe that it has come to an end! We started off our CAL with the IYC members summer fashion show and picked out The JuJu scarf designed by Divya Bhat of @stringtierey as our project to make for the CAL with Anchor yarns.
Then began the frenzy to acquire yarns, dig into stashes and pick out various colour combinations for the scarf! Each step of the process was a great learning for us with a whole lot of fun!! We had lives, giveaways, quizes, polls and a quite a few events to make this journey joyous as a community!!
What an an amazing journey this has been working with all of you together as a community!! Right from day one of the CAL release till the end we all have come together, resolved doubts, faced technical issues and bit by bit progressed to complete our first project together!!
We had over 200 registrations for the CAL which is a huge number for us, and at the end of it we had over 60 of you guys who put in efforts and finished #theJuJuscarf. This kind of response has truly overwhelmed us and surely made us feel grateful.
Your support and love has surely made this, our first CAL, a big success for us!
Everyone single one of you has put in so much of hard work and effort into this CAL and now its time to reap the benefits! Not only did you guys get a certificate from Anhcor but you also geta chance to be featured into a special video to show off your #thejujuscarf !!!
Isn’t that amazing??
To show off all of your lovely makes, we have made a special video featuring all the participants makes and its a blast of colours for sure!!!
Missed the CAL?? Dont worry!!
We have a lot of events coming up on IndiaYarnCircle and would love it it you were a part of this community!!!
Follow us on Instagram to know all the latest events!
We hope you continue to show IndiaYarnCircle your Support, be a part of this community, and participate in all the future events to come! Let us know in the comments below what more do you want to learn, know from IYC!
Till then, keep… MAKING YARN CONNECTIONS!!!
All images are copyright of IndiaYarnCircle and the respective makers, unless otherwise mentioned. You can read our disclaimer policy here.
Week 4 is here and the final update of the scarf has been sent out on the email to all the participants.
We saw the progress of the scarf in decreasing every 2 clusters in week 2, then decreasing 1 cluster till the end on week 3 and now week 4 is all about finishing the scarf!
The most important part of week 4 is blocking the scarf and our designer Divya Bhat has included a video tutorial specially showing how to block The JuJu Scarf to make it the lacey light fabric that it is! Isnt that great?
The Crochet along has been extended till 15th August keeping in mind the current pandemic situation and the fact that a lot of you guys got your yarns quite late. More time to catch up and finish the cal!! Yayyyy!!!
So now its all about completing the last leg of the cal and flaunting your beautiful makes!! Do post your pictures on all social media, use the hashtag #thejujuscarf and tag us @indiayarn.circle, @anchor.crafts and @stringtierey . We would love to see all your makes and show it off to everyone!!
Leave us your questions and queries in comments below and join the facebook group to get in on all the details for this week!!!
Anyone who wants to indulge in yarncrafts would go to a kangan store or shop next door and pick up Anchor yarns and this is the impression Anchor has left in our minds. While Anchor leaves us with these distinct memories, they have been a go to brand for many of our yarn crafts ranging from embroidery, crochet, knitting , tatting, string art and many more forms of yarn crafts.
In this blog post we are going into a little detail about the yarns from Anchor.
YOU CAN ALSO WATCH OUR VIDEO EXPLAINING THE DIFFERENT ANCHOR YARNS
1. Anchor Stranded Cotton Skeins – Art4625
A spectrum that would compare a rainbow, Anchor stranded cotton skein is the most well-known premium hand embroidery thread all over the world. A superior 6-strand thread, made from the best Egyptian cotton is ideal for all forms of embroidery. Available in single and multicolor.
Ideal for – all types of hand embroidery – Free style & Counted thread embroidery
Key features –
Imported Egyptian cotton fiber
Long staple cotton – superior strength
Double Mercerized – Superior luster & strength
Extensive shade range
Packaging – 25, 8meter skeins to a box
2. Anchor Mercer Crochet Cotton – Art4054
Anchor Mercer Crochet cotton is available in two thicknesses – Ticket 20 & Ticket 40 (ticket 20 is thicker than ticket 40). Being mercerized, these threads are a little stiff and can be used very strikingly to give a lacy feel.
Ideal for – all types of Lace crafts like Crochet, Tatting, Knitting and Hairpin lace.
Key features –
Imported Egyptian cotton fiber
Long staple cotton – superior strength
Double Mercerized – Superior luster & strength
Packaging – 10, 20gram balls to a box
3. Anchor Mercer Pearl Cotton – Art4591
Anchor Mercer Pearl cotton, is a versatile soft thread with a pearly sheen on it. This gives your work an extra glossy effect.
Ideal for – all types of hand embroidery – Free style & Counted thread, and Lace crafts like Crochet & Knitting.
Key features –
Imported Egyptian cotton fiber
Long staple cotton – superior strength
Double Mercerized – Superior luster & strength
Packaging – 10, 10gram balls to a box
4. Anchor Mercer Knitting Cotton – Art4057
Anchor Mercer Knitting cotton, as the name implies is used for knitting, as well as Crochet and chunky Tatting. It is also used embroidery and soft toy making. Available in single and multicolor.
Ideal for – all types of Lace crafts like Knitting & Crochet. Also used for different kinds of hand embroidery – Free style & Counted thread
Key features –
Imported Egyptian cotton fiber
Long staple cotton – superior strength
Double Mercerized – Superior luster & strength
Packaging – 10, 50gram balls to a box
5. Anchor Mercer Knitting Cotton – Art4060
This is a versatile thread that is soft and lustrous. It is strong and flexible and used for Home furnishings apart from embroidery and lace crafts.
Ideal for – all types of Lace crafts like Knitting, Crochet & Macramé. Also used for different kinds of hand embroidery – Free style & Counted thread
Key features –
Imported Egyptian cotton fiber
Long staple cotton – superior strength
Double Mercerized – Superior luster & strength
Packaging – 4, 50gram balls to a box
WHERE TO BUY –
Instore –
Options are umpteen , look around any craft supply stores and you are most definite to be offered anchor yarns
Don’t forget to ask for shade cards to pick the right colors for your project !
We hope that we were able to help you with deciding the right Anchor Yarn for your projects. Leave us a comment or note if you like to know more about Anchor Yarns.
All images are copyright of IndiaYarnCircle, unless otherwise mentioned. You can read our disclaimer policy here.
Anchor in collaboration with IndiaYarnCircle launches it’s 1st Crochet Along to make The JuJu Scarf designed by Divya Bhat of @Stringtierey.
Woohoooo!!!! Did you see our Summer Fashion show with Anchor in our Previous Post?? We were super glad to collaborate with Anchor to show off our Summer cotton makes and we are here to take it a step further!!!
We are super excited to finally annouce our 1st Crochet Along with Anchor – The Summer Fashion 2020 CAL!! Its our first Group activity in the IYC community and we cannot wait for all the interactions and exchanges of projects!
If you are still clueless on what a Crochet along is then do read our detailed post about it HERE.
The crochet along is hosted in the IndiaYarnCircle Facebook group and is a 4 week schedule starting from 13th July 2020 to 7th August 2020. The Instructions for the pattern will be updated every week of the CAL and notified by email to everyone who Registers for the CAL.
REGISTRATIONS FOR THE CAL HAVE BEEN CLOSED. THANK YOU FOR JOINING THE SUMMER FASHION CAL!! SEE YOU IN THE FACEBOOK GROUP!!
(Keep scrolling to the end to join the group!)
WEEK 1 – 13TH JULY 2020 TO 19TH JULY 2020
Week 1 is all about Registering for the cal and getting your materials! So dig into your Anchor stash, order your Anchor yarn, select your colours and beads (Yes the pattern has an option for adding beads too!!) and swatch your gauge! Show off your Choices in our IYC FB group and be ready to get go!!
WEEK 2 – 20TH JULY 2020 TO 26TH JULY 2020
Week 2 kicks off with the pattern instructions with a video tutorial for easy understanding. you can work all week and get back to us with your queries and doubts. We will be having a live Q&A session at the end of the week on our FB group to resolve all your issues and check out your progress!.
WEEK 3 – 27TH JULY 2020 TO 02nd AUGUST 2020
Week 3!! We have a GIVEAWAY scheduled for this week for the best picture! And its gonna be Epic!! We also go live at the end of the week to chit chat, show off and announce the winners of the giveaway!!
WEEK 4 – 02nd AUGUST 2020 TO 09TH AUGUST 2020
Week 4 is all about finishing!! We will give you tips and tricks for finishing you make and you can submit your final pictures to be a part of the CAL Video of participants!! The end of CAL marks your achievement and you will be rewarded with a digital Certificate from Anchor!!!
As Part of the Crochet Along you will be Required to follow the below rules:
Follow @Indiayarn.circle @anchor.crafts and @stringtierey on Instagram.
Join the IndiayarnCircle Facebook group.
Make The JuJu Scarf Pattern with Anchor Yarns only.
Share progress Pictures on the FB group to be eligible for giveaways.
Complete your make by 07th of August 2020, to be eligible to get a digital certificate for the CAL by Anchor Crafts India.
The Juju Scarf!
The JuJu scarf is a Lacey, Light weight, summery crochet triangular scarf which will be the perfect accessory to any outfit and style.The scarf pattern is availble in instructions for Fingering weight yarn as well as DK weight yarn. Its a free size super light scarf which requires only 575 yards / 150 gms of fingering weight AKC Art 4057 yarn with 3.5mm hook and 575 yards / 200 gms of DK weight Anchor 4ply Art.4060 yarn with 4.5mm hook size.
Most of us crafters have grown up using Anchor yarns starting at some point in our lives either mom’s engaging us in our summer holidays with a stitch kit’ or getting us to do those lovely flower embroideries.
Let us acknowledge that Anchor is an household brand name, however one thing that we would like to highlight is Anchor’s mission to keep all forms of yarn craft alive and their commitment to disseminate the craft to the new generation which perfectly blends with India Yarn Circle’s mission to Nurture Passion for all Yarn Crafts and Crafters by building a strong community encouraging crafters at different level to pick up the craft.
Anchor and IYC collaborated to embark on this journey to explore and show the possibilities of designing wearables. We deliberated on numerous ideas and everything was a possibility the list was unending. While crochet or knitting is most often associated with winterwear we wanted to break the myth to create wearables for Indian context be it the weather conditions, or traditional wear, or styling it up for everyday fashion.
“Summer Fashion” theme fitted as an apt pick to kick start the series. We makers rolled up our sleeves to directly dwell into the creative zones to design, create our Anchor summer outfit. It was a tremendous journey for us to explore in detail the possibilities of utilizing Anchor cotton yarn for different types of makes scarf, hats, blouse for saree, tops , dress , jewelry etc. (details of the makes to follow) .
The video is a tribute to all the designers in the community for bringing the best in every make, enduring spirit of designing for self-satisfaction, continuing to be spirited about yarn crafts.
We thank Anchor for giving us an opportunity for the collaboration and more importantly the creative freedom to showcase our work. We are most certain that the collaboration is just a small beginning in our joint effort to keeping the craft alive.
Enjoy the Anchor x IYC 2020 Summer Fashion show and let us know what you think!!
Do share with us your anchor makes and do drop a comment on any questions you have on Anchor yarn and we will be happy to respond!
I am joining a CAL, I saw someone post about KAL on Insta and it got us thinking – does everyone know about what a CAL is? Its often taken for granted that crafters know what it means, however we understood not many understand the same and nuances. In the past few days of going live we have had many ask us are you hosting a CAL and some asking what is a CAL and we believe it’s best to come together on even grounds as we embark on this journey of pursuing various yarn crafts.
What is a CAL?, What is a TCAL? What is a KAL? What is a SAL? What is a MAL? So many acronyms and very little information on what these stand for.
and there are more versions of this for various forms or arts and crafts.
Now that we know the acronym, lets get into details
Before that, do watch our video explaining all things cal for better understanding.
What do people do?
A group of people coming together to work on a project at the same time and pace with an objective of learning new technique , work on a new pattern, clarify doubts , share experiences, learn from each other and commit to finish along the group. This is team is often led by a designer of the pattern or a group can decide on a pattern / theme that be pursued together. In our experience joining a team often leads to connecting with people / community who have similar interests and leads to strengthening the passion to pursue yarn crafts even after the project
Who can Join?
A person with some experience of yarn craft can join the project. Some are targeted towards advanced designs and some for everyone can participate, no matter their skill level. It’s a good practice to always check the skill level that is required for the project before joining
How does it work?
The host or a group decides the pattern or a theme which will be made available to the participants on registration either by way of sharing a full pattern or partial based on progress, sometimes free.
The group can leverage various platforms to connect share and interact – e.g. either by way of closed groups on facebook, a blog platforms, instagram chats or whatsapp groups
Material list like recommended yarn, yarn weight, hooks, needles et, al are published, choice of color scheme is completely up to the designer unless and until specified.
Official start date and end dates are published for the participants to start and finish the project – usually enough time is provided considering that this would be a learning phase for many
Progress update – the host may seek for progress pictures, as a good practice no matter where you’re at, so be sure to share, receiveing constructive feedback always helps in improving!
Do’s and Don’ts in a CAL
Do’s
Try to use the recommended yarn weight and hook size
Follow the guidelines well enough to get the project right
If you finished your work early post the progress so others in the group can learn
When in doubt – participate, engage and interact with members to learn and refine
Do share your feedback on the CAL and finished products on your social media platforms to encourage the community
Don’ts
Don’t be in a rush to finish the project – stick to the schedule, CAL’s often work on a schedule
Don’t modify the pattern , Finish the project as per design of the CAL – Making your own versions can offend the designer
Avoid using offensive language or negative comments on others work
Stick to the schedule and don’t prompt the designer to share beyond schedule
Let the designer handle technical queries and concern
Don’t circulate the pattern freely unless its free for all. Remember designers put in a lot of effort to get one pattern out. As a community its our responsibility to protect interest of our designers
Finally – don’t forget to show of your finished work! Some modelled pictures will always be a huge encouragement for the designers to engage again and again!
Leave us your questions in the comment and we will respond soon.
What do you think is the most relevant topic after we learnt about yarns different types of yarn in our know your yarn series? we think most of you are waiting to indulge in picking yarn for the projects that have been waiting to see light of the day, besides we must tell you this topic is one of the popular demand on our social media platforms on where to pick yarns.
We have decided to start the “Yarnoholic Series” – A guide for all about yarns in India. We kick start the series with 5 cotton yarns available in India along with where to pick them, to help you go on a shopping spree!! And to help you understand these yarns better, we have created a Yarn Index .. So let’s indulge!
BUT!……Before you read ahead, get to know the types of cotton yarns available in India in our video below!
Commonly called as SilkIndian and well known for their silk yarns, their recent entry into range of cotton yarns has been quiet damaging on our pockets. Their yarn ranges from 100% mercerized cotton to cotton blends in viscose
YARN INDEX^
Popularity
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Availability
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Color Variety
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Color Fastness
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Price
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^ Index is on a scale of 5 ( 5 being highest and 1 being lowest) Yarn Index is an output of IYC analysis can vary from person to person
These lovely cotton yarns are sourced and retailed by a wonderful person Akanksha Kapoor Tandon, founder of The Crochet Bella and Me n Yarns. She is a crocheter by passion and an engineer by profession. White Rose is produced in India by Shiva International Group and they have a wide range of cotton from threads for fine crochet lace work to thick and soft 4 ply cotton yarn
YARN INDEX^
Popularity
***
Availability
***
Color Variety
***
Color Fastness
****
Price
***
^ Index is on a scale of 5 ( 5 being highest and 1 being lowest) Yarn Index is an output of IYC analysis can vary from person to person
So now that we have the first 5 cotton yarns available in India – do let us know how do these yarn fair on the yarn index and do list the names of yarn you would like to see on the list.
All images are copyright of IndiaYarnCircle, unless otherwise mentioned. You can read our disclaimer policy here.
India Yarn Circle is a voluntary group of makers, who have come together to create a community of people for yarn crafts. Our vision is to build a community of makers who interact, share, learn and evolve. Our ambition is to keep the craft alive, encourage people to take up all yarn crafts with ease.
Our Mission
Nuture Passion for all Yarn Crafts and Crafters !
Objective of India Yarn Circle
India Yarn Circle, has a vision to bring all makers from different facets of life closer building a strong community which laughs, cries, parties and cheers for each other. A place where makers support one another, interact, share experiences , learn and evolve. Creating this open bond and passion for yarn crafts is what builds valuable relationship and gives us a deeper sense of belonging.
We are a team of 12, with experience in various yarn crafts and varied skills. We are a power packed team with different professional backgrounds, however the passion for yarn crafts bind us together. You can check out their instagram profiles in the links below.
Divya, an architect by profession, showcases her love for yarn crafts by designing and creating projects in crochet, while exploring other crafts like knitting, macrame and string art.
India Yarn Circle 