Category: Beginner

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How do I stop Tunisian Crochet from CURLING?

a small piece of light green tunisian crochet held close to the camera. the fabric is curling into a tight spiral.

Oh my gosh, the CURL! It’s the bane of a Tunisian Crocheter’s day, isn’t it?
Curing the curl seems almost impossible, but never fear! I’m here to help.

I’ve gathered up a few of my favourite solutions to this perennial problem.
Let’s get right into it!

Firstly, WHY does Tunisian Crochet curl as enthusiastically as an overly-amorous octopus?

It’s all to do with the way Tunisian is constructed.

Much like stocking stitch in knitting, most of the yarn in a row of Tunisian Crochet is concentrated to the wrong side of the fabric – essentially, there’s lots of pressure on the back of a piece of Tunisian and the front hasn’t got the strength to push against it, so the fabric curls forward.

This is more noticable in some stitches – Tunisian Knit Stitch is a particularly emphatic curler – but there are ways to lessen this tendency, and methods you can employ from the very start of a project to help you avoid the dreaded curl.

1. Choose your hook wisely.

Since the problem lies in the density of the yarn on the back of your fabric, a good solution is to help it relax by loosening the fabric all over. The simplest way to do that is to go up a hook size or two.

two pieces of light green tunisian crochet on a faded wooden surface. The fabric on the right is tightly curled, the fabric on the left has a relaxed curl. Both pieces are still attached to crochet hooks
The fabric on the left was made with a 6 mm hook. The fabric on the right was made with a 4.5 mm hook.


If you’re a crocheter who’s new to Tunisian, you may be thinking: “Won’t that result in a project full of holes?!”
Luckily, the answer is “No”.

Think of Tunisian as a knit fabric made with a crochet hook. Knitting is more forgiving than crochet when it comes to changing needle size and thankfully, Tunisian shares this trait.

So going up a few hook sizes will give your Tunisian a chance to relax and the curl will all but disappear. Remember, though, this will also result in a BIGGER finished object, so if you’re following a pattern, be sure to pay close attention to the tension info first and foremost.

Check these projects out.
They all use lace-weight or fingering weight yarn, and a 5 mm hook or larger.

2. Make a tube.

Choose a project that solves the problem by seaming the first and last rows together. You can use any seaming technique you prefer for this. The very act of sticking the first and last rows together means the curl is totally eliminated.

a small piece of green tunisian crochet that it part-way seamed into a tube. The edges of the unseamed half are curling outwards.
By seaming the first and last row the curl can be eliminated completely.


After all, if your fabric is made into a tube, there’s nowhere for the curl to curl to, right?

These patterns all feature seams that stop the curl.

3. “Block” your project.

“If you want Tunisian to stay flat, block it til it squeaks!” a friend of mine once said, and while I agree with that in theory, I try to be a little more gentle with my own projects.

“Blocking” involves submerging your project in cold water until it’s fully saturated before removing it, gently rolling it up in a towel and pressing the water out of it. (I like to roll my shawls up in a giant beach towel before standing on them barefoot. It’s a moment full of triumph for me, like standing on the peak of a mountain!)

a small piece of green crochet is pinned to a black foam surface with white topped pins. a hand on the left steadies the mat while a hand on the right inserts the final pin.
Much like the washing instruction that says to “lay flat to dry, reshape while damp”, blocking allows some measure of control over the final shape you get from your crochet.


Then, the damp project is laid out to dry using a blocking mat (a yoga mat, a child’s giant foam jigsaw, or a handy spare mattress strewn with towels are all good alternatives) and pinned in place to dry. Once dry, the fabric will retain the shape is was pinned in, so if it was pinned flat, it’ll stay flat.

Bear in mind, this technique won’t work as efficiently with acrylic/acrylic blend yarns as they don’t relax in water in the same manner. Similarly, anything particularly high in soft and fluffy fibres, like angora or cashmere, will appear to block well – even after you remove the pins – but after a short time will relax back to its original shape.

It’s best to keep those fibres for projects that don’t need blocking to look their best.

Tunisian Lace benefits particularly from being blocked.
These patterns all feature lace eyelets that pop after blocking!

4. Learn to love the curl.

Tunisian crochet is a beautiful and versatile craft, and like its cousins – crochet and knitting – there are many things it does extremely well.

If you reframe its tendency to curl into an advantage, you may be able to include it in your next project as a positive feature.
How about a rolled sleeve on your next sweater?
Or a thick cozy brim on a wooly winter hat?
You could make yourself a crochet hook holder that’s just dying to roll up and protect all your precious tools from the elements!

Or how about this cheery little tea cozy with a gorgeous curly bottom?

a one-cup teapot sits in a white wooden surface. It has a peach/pink Tunisian Crochet tea cozy on it that is gathered at the top and rolled at the bottom.
As Easy as A… B… Tea!

No fabric characteristic is ever entirely negative – it’s all about what you do with it – so if your project would benefit from a cheery curl, why go to the trouble to getting rid of it at all?

Did you enjoy this tutorial? Tell me in the comments below!
And hey, tell your friends too!

— ALSO ON THE BLOG —

Free Tunisian Crochet and Traditional Crochet Shamrock Patterns
Colours by County
Crocheting left-handed

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What makes an EASY Tunisian Crochet GIFT idea?

a pile of spiral crochet face scrubbies, piled from dark (at the bottom) to light (at the top)


Looking for an easy Tunisian Crochet gift pattern? Look no further!


If you want to make a handmade gift, but you’re short of time AND yarn, then this nautical-themed, easy Tunisian Crochet gift pattern is just what you need.

Grab some left-over scraps, root out your trusty 5 mm (H) hook and let’s get started!

What Makes This a Good Gift?

Crochet scrubbies are an eco-friendly alternative to cotton circles/make-up removers.

They are infinitely re-usable so they reduce waste.

These scubbies have a soft side for gentle cleansing and a more textured side for stubborn make-up. They are machine washable, too. Each little scrubbie uses just 10 m of Cotton DK weight yarn.

Make them with a 5 mm (H) hook.
You’ll find the free pattern below.

An Easy Tunisian Crochet pattern to make on a budget. Brown, Tan, Stone and White spirals of Tunisian crochet lie together on a white surface.

They’re also very cute, and piled up high would make a great gift for a friend or welcoming touch in a guest bathroom.

If you’d like to make them to sell, please be sure to credit Aoibhe Ni as the designer on the label and add my web address (www.YarnTowers.com)

Right, so let’s get stuck in!

Tunisian Crochet Sea Shell Scrubbies

ESSENTIAL PATTERN INFO
Yarn Used: Paintbox Cotton DK (approx 10 m each)
Colours used: Coffee Bean, Soft Fudge, Vanilla Cream, Light Champagne

Hook: 5 mm crochet (H)
Even though this is a Tunisian Crochet pattern, a regular length hook is all you'll need)

Size: Across its widest point, each scrubbie is 9 cm / 3 1/2 in

Abbreviations:
ch        chain
ss        slip stitch
dc        double crochet
ch-4 loop chain 4 loop (the loop at the centre of the scrubbie)
- 5 sts   stitch count
YO        Yarn Over
st        stitch
[2 dc]    [] are used to identify all the stitches in an increase/cluster
**        repeat the instructions located between *asterisks* the number of times specified in pattern.

Note: This pattern is written using UK stitch terms.
For US users: UK dc = US sc   and   UK tr = US dc

To Begin:

Make 4 chains, then work 1 ss into the chain farthest from the hook to make a circle.
This circle will be the centre of your scrubbie.

Round 1.

Make 1 ch, then into the ch-4 loop work 3 dc,
(Place a lockable stitch marker in the 1st dc worked. It’ll come in handy later)

1 tr,
Note: The treble crochet stitch (US double crochet) you have just completed has a diagonal line of yarn on its surface. This is the Yarn Over you made at the beginning of the stitch.

Work hook into that Yarn Over, then YO and draw up a loop – 2 loops on hook.
work hook into ch-4 loop, YO and draw up a loop – 3 loops on hook.
*YO, draw through 2 loops* repeatedly until 1 loop remains on hook

Examine the st you have just completed.
There is a line half way down its length on the Right Side of your work (the “Right Side” is the side facing you).

Work hook into that line, YO and draw up a loop – 2 loops on hook.
Work hook into ch-4 loop, YO and draw up a loop – 3 loops on hook.
*YO, draw through 2 loops* repeatedly until 1 loop remains on hook

Making stitches with 2 lines


YO hook, then work hook into the line visible on previous st, YO and draw up a loop – 2 loops on hook.
work hook into ch-4 loop, YO and draw up a loop – 3 loops on hook.
*YO, draw through 2 loops* repeatedly until 1 loop remains on hook

**Work hook into the Yarn Over from the previous st, YO and draw up a loop – 2 loops on hook.
Then work hook into the line visible on previous st, YO and draw up a loop – 3 loops on hook.
Work hook into ch-4 loop, YO and draw up a loop – 4 loops on hook.
*YO, draw through 2 loops* repeatedly until 1 loop remains on hook** repeat this section one more time.

Making stitches with 3 lines


YO hook, then work hook into the nearest line on previous st, YO and draw up a loop – 3 loops on hook.
Then work hook into the next line down on previous st, YO and draw up a loop – 4 loops on hook.
work hook into ch-4 loop, YO and draw up a loop – 5 loops on hook.
*YO, draw through 2 loops* repeatedly until 1 loop remains on hook

**Work hook into the Yarn Over from the previous st, YO and draw up a loop – 2 loops on hook.
Work hook into the next line down on previous st, YO and draw up a loop – 3 loops on hook
Work hook into the next line down on previous st, YO and draw up a loop – 4 loops on hook
Work hook into ch-4 loop, YO and draw up a loop – 5 loops on hook.
*YO, draw through 2 loops* repeatedly until 1 loop remains on hook** repeat this section one more time.

Making stitches with 4 lines

YO hook, then work hook into the nearest line on previous st, YO and draw up a loop – 3 loops on hook.
Then work hook into the next line down on previous st, YO and draw up a loop – 4 loops on hook.
Work hook into the next line down on previous st, YO and draw up a loop – 5 loops on hook.
Work hook into ch-4 loop, YO and draw up a loop – 6 loops on hook.
*YO, draw through 2 loops* repeatedly until 1 loop remains on hook

**Work hook into the Yarn Over from the previous st, YO and draw up a loop – 2 loops on hook.
Then work hook into the next line down on previous st, YO and draw up a loop – 3 loops on hook
Work hook into the next line down on previous st, YO and draw up a loop – 4 loops on hook
Work hook into the next line down on previous st, YO and draw up a loop – 5 loops on hook
Work hook into ch-4 loop, YO and draw up a loop – 6 loops on hook.
*YO, draw through 2 loops* repeatedly until 1 loop remains on hook** repeat this section one more time.

Count Your Stitches

Counting Stitches (or Rows) in Tunisian Crochet is very similar to counting them in traditional crochet.
Look at the edge of your crochet until you see the tell-tale V-shape that crochet stitches usually have on their tops. Count those around the outer edge of your scrubbie.

Right now, your count should be 15.

Hands hold a growing half spiral of tan crochet over a white table top scattered with completed Tunisian crochet spirals
Round 1 complete.

Round 2.

Now, it is time to start increasing as we crochet.
Increasing will help keep the scrubbie flat and stop it from turning into a bowl shape.

**Work hook into the nearest line on the previous st, YO and draw up a loop – 2 loops on hook.
Then work hook into the next line down on previous st, YO and draw up a loop – 3 loops on hook
Work hook into the next line down on previous st, YO and draw up a loop – 4 loops on hook
Work hook into the next line down on previous st, YO and draw up a loop – 5 loops on hook
Work hook into the first dc of Round 1 (It’s marked with a lockable stitch marker. Remove marker before continuing), YO and draw up a loop – 6 loops on hook.
*YO, draw through 2 loops* repeatedly until 1 loop remains on hook** three times in total

NOTE: This section tells you to work ALL THREE of the above repeats into the FIRST dc st of Round 1.
This means the second and third time you pick up a loop in the scrubbie fabric, you will be doing it in the same stitch space as the first repeat.

Once done, your first 3-stitch cluster will be complete.

Using the above instructions as a guide, make the same 3-st cluster in the next 5 stitch spaces along.

Count Your Stitches

Once all 6 of the 3-st clusters are in place, count around the outer edge of your scrubbie.
Some stitches from the Round 1 have been covered by the stitches we have worked in Round 2.
The covered stitches should not be counted in the total.

Right now, your count should be 27.

hands hold a spiral teardrop shaped piece of tan Tunisian crochet over a white table top scattered with completed Tunisian crochet spirals
Round 2 complete.

Finish off your Crochet Gift.

Edge:

For the last little section, we revert back to traditional crochet.

You may have noticed, the last Tunisian Crochet stitch you made is always a little loose and wobbly. We are going to fix that now by working some UK double crochet stitches (That’s a single crochet in the US) into the edge of our stitch to fill it out and give it some strength.

Adding Double Crochet Stitches to your Tunisian Crochet Fabric

Work hook into the nearest line on the previous st, YO and draw up a loop – 2 loops on hook.
YO and draw through 2 loops – 1 loop on hook.
That’s our first double crochet complete.

*Work hook into the next line on the previous st, YO and draw up a loop – 2 loops on hook.
YO and draw through 2 loops – 1 loop on hook* repeat this two more times

Count Your Stitches

Laid out behind your hook, on the edge of your Tunisian Crochet, you will see a line of V-shapes.
Count those. You should have 4 in total.


a red hook holds one loop of light brown yarn. The Tunisian Crochet face scrubbie is almost complete, with four single crochet stitches added to the last row of Tunisian Crochet.

Complete your Tunisian Crochet Gift

Work 1 dc into the corner that is directly in front of your hook.
(There is a hole right in that corner that was made by the last 4-st cluster you worked. That’s an ideal spot of use.)

Then, working around the outer curve of the shell, work *[2 dc], 1 dc* 13 times

single crochet stitches being added to the curving edge of a tan spiral of Tunisian Crochet
half way through the dc edge of the scrubbie.

Into the st on the very corner of shell, make [2 dc].
Then, Bind Off and sew in ends securely.

The outer edge of a spiral piece of crochet has been completly covered in single crochet stitches.
the last [2 dc] in place, ready to be bound off.

Did you enjoy this easy Tunisian Crochet gift pattern tutorial?
Tell me in the comments below!

And hey, tell your friends too!

— MORE TUNISIAN CROCHET GIFT IDEAS —

— ALSO ON THE BLOG —

Free Tunisian Crochet and Traditional Crochet Shamrock Patterns
Colours by County
Crocheting left-handed

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Is Tunisian Crochet faster than Regular Crochet?

two hamds hold a large ball of warm yellow yarn on top of a painted white wooden surface. In the right hand is a crochet hook



I’ve wondered for years if Tunisian Crochet is faster than regular crochet.
Which uses more yarn? Do they come out the same size?
I decided to find out once and for all.
Let’s get into it!

Say it with me; “A test is fair if everything about the things being tested is equal, except for one, measurable difference.”
My science teacher in school made us all memorise that little saying.

In layman’s terms it means that if you want to answer any of the above questions, you have to keep everything equal.
You have to use the same yarn, the same hook, do it on the same day, while sitting in the same chair, watching the same Netflix show, and use the same number of stitches for both swatches.

In this test, therefore, the only difference I’ve allowed is the one we’ll be measuring;
One swatch will be using regular, traditional crochet & the other will be composed of Tunisian Crochet.

I’ll be using a 5 mm hook for each swatch, and Aran weight wool/Acrylic blend yarn.
Each swatch will have 15 stitches across, and will be 15 rows tall.

two hands hold a swatch of traditional crochet in yellow yarn against a painted white wooden surface

This is my Traditional, regular crochet swatch.

It took precisely 13 minutes to complete which – if you want to get technical – means each stitch took me an average of 3.4 seconds to make.
It used a total of 6 grams of yarn
and it measures 10 cm across x 9.5 cm tall.

Sooo close to being a perfect square! So close!

two hands hold a swatch of Tunisian crochet in yellow yarn against a painted white wooden surface

And this is my Tunisian crochet swatch.

This little lady took a smidge longer to finish, clocking in at 14 minutes, 30 seconds.
With the exact same stitch count as the regular crochet swatch, that means each stitch took me on average 3.8 seconds to make.
It used a total of 7 grams of yarn, and it measures 11 cm across x 11 cm tall.

A perfect square, well done, Tunisian!


So, in essence, the difference in speed is negligible.

A Tunisian Simple Stitch stitch takes .4 seconds longer to make than a traditional double crochet stitch (US single crochet), but that slightly slower speed could very well be eliminated and reversed if I had chosen to crochet the 255 stitches in the Tunisian swatch on a bigger hook. I found the 5 mm hook a little too small.

Tunisian is a denser fabric, so it’s no surprise that it used a little more yarn, but not nearly as much as I had assumed it would, which was an awesome surprise. The square also came out a little bigger, so when measuring by area, they pretty much work out equal.
So if Tunisian’s reputation as a yarn hog is what’s putting you off, it might be time for a rethink.

hands hold two swatches in yellow yarn against a painted white wooden surface


Both swatches turned out to be square (though, this Tunisian fan is pleased to see Tunisian come out bang on!)
The fact that both techniques have stitches that are as tall as they are wide makes them infinitely suitable to colourwork and charting using graph paper – and far more versatile than stocking stitch in knitting, which has stitches markedly taller than they are wide.

My conclusion, therefore is that between Tunisian and Regular crochet, the differences in yarn use and time taken are negligible, so feel free to choose the technique that YOU prefer and that’s right for the project you have in mind safe in the knowledge that it’ll all work out well in the end.

Did you enjoy this tutorial? Tell me in the comments below!
And hey, tell your friends too!

— PATTERNS THAT INCLUDE TUNISIAN AND REGULAR CROCHET —

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How to make a SLIP KNOT

The yarn that was pinched between index and middle finger has been drawn through the crossed strands to make a loop.

The SLIP KNOT! It’s a rare crochet or knitting project that doesn’t begin with this versatile little knot. In this photo tutorial, I’m going to show you step by step how to make one.

Let’s get right into it!

two hands holding up a strand of white yarn. The tail end of the yarn is on the left side
  • Hold the end of your yarn in one hand, and the ball end in the other.
two hands holding up a strand of white yarn. The strands are crossed, with the tail on top.
  • Fold yarn over itself so that the tail is on top.
the index finger and middle finger of the right hand have been poked upward through a loop made by the crossed strands of yarn
  • Poke two fingers through from underneath your yarn loop.
the ball end of the yarn has been groipped between the index and middle fingers of the right hand.
  • Take hold of the ball end of your yarn with your fingers.
The yarn that was pinched between index and middle finger has been drawn through the crossed strands to make a loop.
  • Pull the yarn in your fingers through the loop, making a second loop.
The ball and tail end of the yarn are being held in the left hand while tension is put on the new loop, tightening the crossed strands into a knot.
  • Gather up the tail & the ball end in one hand, and keep hold of the second loop in the other.
a black hook has replaced the fingers in the loop.
  • Remove fingers and replace them with a hook or needle.
The left hand is pulling the ball end of the yarn, which tightens the loop on a black crochet hook held in the right hand.
  • Pulling the ball end will tighten the loop on your hook/needle.
  • Make sure the loop is snug, but not too tight before you begin to crochet/knit.