Tunisian Simple Stitch - TSS

Tunisian Crochet Basics -

• Tunisian crochet projects are made up of a Foundation Row, multiple Forward/Return Pass Rows and, in most cases, a Bind Off Row.
• Use a hook 2-3 times larger than the yarn band recommends.
• Always swatch for proper tension (personal recommendation due to the many variants with stitches/hooks/yarn)

A video tutorial is available from Moogly.com 

The simple stitch is the most popular of the Tunisian techniques. Also known as the Afghan Stitch or the Tunisian Basic Stitch. For many beginners, this stitch has severe curl due to over-tension. The nature of the stitch is to curl slightly to the front of the work as the stitches are worked in the vertical stitch on the front of the project. With the correct hook and looser tension, beautiful projects can be achieved. This stitch is also the go-to in making "Graphgans" (stitching a photo or graphic in a project).

Begin this & nearly all Tunisian projects with a Foundation Row:

Create a chain of any quantity.

(1) Insert your hook into the second chain from the hook.

(2) Yarn over and pull up a loop. Leave that loop on your hook.

Repeat steps 1&2 across the row. This is your "Forward Pass". Don't turn your work.

Yarn over and draw through one loop only. (Yarn over and draw through two loops.) Repeat () to the end. You should have one loop on your hook.

Those steps create your foundation row. You'll see your vertical bars across the row and proceed to make different types of stitches in the remaining rows of the work.

Tunisian Simple Stitch (TSS) is worked through the FRONT vertical bar.

Forward Pass - Skip the vertical bar directly beneath the loop currently on the hook, insert your hook from right to left (assuming that you are right-handed), so that the hook goes behind the next vertical bar of the foundation row(keeping the hook to the front of the work, not front-to-back).

Draw up a loop. Leave it on your hook. Repeat across the row to the last vertical bar before the left edge.

Last stitch of the forward pass - insert your hook under both vertical bars of the last stitch (it should look like a v on the outer edge of the work) and pull up a loop.

Return Pass - Yarn over and draw through one loop only. (Yarn over and draw through two loops.) Repeat () to the end. You should have one loop on your hook.

Continue making Forward & Return passes to your desired length.

Bind off row.

There are only a few times when the bind off isn’t necessary. It typically isn't needed for most lace designs since that would close up an otherwise lacy project.

Skip the vertical bar directly beneath the loop currently on the hook, insert your hook as you would for TSS.

Yarn over and pull up a loop. Continue pulling through the loop on the hook. You're only doing a slip stitch. Repeat across the row to the last stitch.

Last stitch - insert your hook under the both vertical bars of the last stitch (it should look like a v on the outer edge of the work) and finish the slip stitch. Chain 1, cut the yarn and pull through the loop to fasten off.

Have a Happy Day!

TexasPurl