Artsy Crafty Library: Tunisian crochet

I have always been a crafter. Whether it was designing the puffy paint sweatshirt of my dreams as a child or wandering the aisles of the craft store looking for inspiration, I am drawn to create.

As an avid knitter and a sometimes crocheter, Tunisian crochet is the next craft on my list to conquer. Tunisian crochet, sometimes called Afghan crochet, is sort of a cross between crochet and knitting. It creates a thick, squishy fabric that makes nice washcloths, cowls and many other things.

What first piqued my interest was The Tunisian Crochet Handbook. I had heard of Tunisian crochet before, but didn’t really know much about it. The cover with the beautiful blanket sold me on it! Though I am notoriously good at going big on my first projects, I decided a smaller project to learn the stitches and technique might be a better course of action.

Beginning my new craft

I like practicing my stitches for a new type of project by making a dishcloth. Small projects allow you to practice and become comfortable with the new movements you’re asking your hands to do. In the end you have a useful dishcloth that makes a great gift for yourself or others! I’ve been working my way through practicing the forward pass and return pass rows.

My seven beautiful rows.

I’m really enjoying the fabric this technique creates, but it's not quick. While it takes me a couple hours to begin and finish a knitted dishcloth, I worked for more than an hour to get 7 rows of Tunisian crochet done. However, this is definitely a craft I plan to continue working to improve, which should increase my speed. Even if my speed doesn't increase much, the end product is worth the time.

Check out these fabulous library resources to get started with Tunisian crochet. Enjoy the process of teaching yourself something new.