The New Tunisian Crochet

Chapter 3 Tools for Tunisian Crochet

Until recently, the only commercially available Tunisian hooks were made of aluminum and measured either 14" (35.5 cm) or 18" (45.5 cm) in length. As the technique has gained popularity though, a wide variety of newly styled and packaged Tunisian hooks are coming onto the market, each with its own features.

Remember that it’s quite possible to do Tunisian crochet with a standard hook, provided your piece is not very wide. Since the loops can be squeezed together on the hook, it’s not necessary for the width of the piece to be the same as the length of the hook. Of course, you’ll have to pay attention to loops falling off the end of the hook, but this can be managed by placing a rubber band or piece of putty on the end. Hooks with a uniform circumference along the shaft—that is, with no thumb rest—are best for this purpose.

There are two types of hooks made specifically for Tunisian crochet: long hooks, measuring between 9" (23 cm) and 18" (45.5 cm), and shorter hooks equipped with a long flexible cord. Tunisian hooks are generally made of aluminum, plastic, wood, or bamboo. Just as with standard hooks, the shape of Tunisian hooks varies, and most crocheters have a personal preference for one or another hook style. In general, Tunisian hooks are made with a pointier head, to aid in maneuvering under bars on the forward pass.

As in standard crochet, having a choice of hook sizes available to you is important. Because of the density of Tunisian crochet fabric, a hook at least two sizes larger than the standard hook you would choose for a particular yarn is recommended. If you purchase a set containing hooks in a variety of sizes, look for options that include sizes from 6.5 mm and up—larger Tunisian hooks can be harder to find but are particularly useful.

It’s also now possible to purchase a set of interchangeable hooks with cables. Cables are pliable strands of plastic with tips that can be attached to a hook on one end and a stopper on the other, to prevent stitches from falling off. The cable substitutes for the long rod of a Tunisian hook, and because they are very light in weight, can be much longer than any rod. This offers a great way to work on large-scale pieces like blankets or one-piece garments. The interchangeable hooks come in packaged sets with hooks in a variety of sizes and can be more economical than buying individual hooks in a range of sizes. Individual cabled hooks are also now coming onto the market. Cabled hooks are also particularly useful if you want to explore Tunisian crochet in the round, since they allow you to bend the cable and bring the first and last stitches of the row together to be joined.

When working with cabled hooks, the shaft of the hook is covered with loops as you work. In my initial attempts using cabled hooks I found this hard to adapt to, as I was used to grasping a firm rod made of wood or aluminum. After I used a cabled hook for a while, this no longer bothered me, and another advantage of cabled hooks became apparent: their lightness. Tunisian crochet can be tough on the hand and/or wrist muscles because of the repetitive motions on the return pass. When using cabled hooks, the very light weight of the cable minimizes the effort in the hand and makes it much easier to crochet for long periods.

Double-ended hooks, with a hook at each end of the rod or cable, are another fun tool for the Tunisian crocheter. The technique for using such hooks was popularized in the 1970s as Crochet on the Double and Crochenit. It’s a nice method for working in two colors and produces a reversible fabric. Double-ended hooks also make it possible to work in the round by picking up a few stitches at a time, then sliding the work to the other end and working them off. Because you can stop at any time to do a return pass, a long rod or cable is not necessary. Both the two-color and in-the-round techniques are used in the pattern for the Terra Hat and Mitts by Lily Chin (see page 100).

Other than hooks, there are no special tools or materials needed for Tunisian crochet. There is one other technique that’s important to master, though: I recommend that you prepare to block your work to conquer the curl at the edges (see Chapter 2 for more on combatting curl). Although curl can be minimized by working loosely, it’s often still there. When working with natural-fiber yarns, wet blocking is the most effective way of removing it completely: Soak your finished piece in water, gently squeeze out excess water, then pin it to a blocking board or mattress and let it dry completely before removing the pins. You can also wet only the edge that is curled; just be sure that its final dimensions match the rest of the finished piece. Very large pieces can be blocked in sections—no harm will come to a piece from multiple immersions in water. If you are new to wet blocking, work with smaller swatches first to gain comfort and experience. Different fibers react differently to water; some stretch out a great deal more than others, so always block your gauge swatch before beginning a project so you know how much growth to plan for. A blocking board inscribed with a grid of inches is a valuable tool and allows you to easily pin the piece to the exact size you want.