Bad Moofie … that was a trick question!

Actually, Tunisians aren’t usually ever Afghans, since Tunisia is on the African continent between Algeria and Libya, while Afghanistan is in Central Asia, somewhere between Iran and Pakistan.

I guess a Tunisian could become an Afghan if he wanted to … but that wouldn’t really have a lot to do with this post. What? You think I’m spinning a yarn? If you do, then you’re getting warm ….

… I’m crocheting some yarn … Tunisian Crocheting, to be precise. Tunisian Crochet, otherwise known as Afghan Crochet, isn’t quite the same the thing as either knitting, or regular crochet. I’ve been a knit-wit for most of my life, and picked up regular crochet as a teen. I was almost 40 before I found Tunisian Crochet and taught it to myself … and I’ve barely touched either knitting or regular crochet since.

Tunisian Crochet is a tight, sturdy weave, which lends itself well to Afghans (hence the name!) and other items which call for a dense material, like coats, purses, scarves … etc.

It’s done on a single needle, which has a hook at one end. The hooks come in different lengths and sizes, as do crochet hooks and knitting needles. You can also get needles that have hooks at both ends … which are used for creating double sided patterns, and fancy color changes.

I’ve been designing and creating Tunisian Afghans for years. I’ve made one for each of my kids, and I make one to give each grandbaby before he/she turns 1. I’ve just started on my new granddaughter’s afghan … and hope it will be done before her first birthday, next July.

I started a project in 2004 while I was here at camp. I’d never made one of those afghans for myself, and I really wanted one. I knew that I was about to have some surgery that was going to lay me up for a while, and I felt that it was a good time to begin a project. I designed the afghan, got the yarn, and got the first panel done. About then, a dear friend asked if I would make one for her Mom, so I set my project aside, and worked on hers instead. I started it when I was in the hospital having surgery, and finished it when she was in the hospital having surgery. With that one done, I’ve worked on mine some more, but now I’m going to put it aside again to make one for my new grandbaby.

I’ve included some photos of it below. It’s wrinkled, because it’s been in storage. Once it’s done, I’ll block it, and it will look a lot nicer.

Tunisian Crochet uses an elongated crochet hook, which sizes in the same way as regular crochet hooks. Unlike regular hooks, most Tunisian hooks are quite long - like 12 to 14 inches, however you can get shorter ones. All but the double ended needles which I mentioned above have a cap on the hookless end. See the photo below.

One row of Tunisian Crochet takes two passes, first from right to left as stitches are picked up, and then from left to right, as the newly picked-up stitches are crocheted. See the link below for some excellent instructions, complete with graphics.

I’ll take some shots of my grandbaby’s afghan when I get more of it done, and post about it. If anyone’s interested in information and tips on Tunisian Crochet, just drop me an email!

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