Over the last 12 years, I’ve worked in Tunisian crochet a lot. A Whole Lot. I’ve done lots of books and I’ve designed lots of Tunisian crochet pieces. In other words “I was Tunisian crochet before Tunisian crochet was cool.”
I’ve been a member of Ravelry for about three years. I frequent the forums. I see knitters who want to knit something that looks like crochet and I see crocheters who want to crochet something that looks like knit.
Well, I have something to say about all that! Guess what? Unlike what I read many years ago about Tunisian crochet being the red-headed stepchild of knitting and crochet, I see it is a bridge. It is the bridge everyone is looking for.
I can work in Tunisian crochet and produce a fabric that looks like knit and switch to a fabric that looks like crochet, all with one technique.
Leisure Arts recently let the proverbial cat out of the bag that I have a new book and it’s positively making me crazy to have to wait to tell you more about it. But, when you see this new book and the new work that follows it, you will know without a doubt that you must try Tunisian crochet if you haven’t already. I’ll be taking you to new heights in 2012 in Tunisian crochet that have never been seen before and you’re going to love every minute of it!
All the Tunisian crochet work in this post has been published and is currently available. But, just wait to see what I have in store for you in the coming months!
P.S. Some of the things I’m doing in my upcoming work in Tunisian crochet is going to knock your socks off. And, you won’t be able to find your socks for a month because they’re going to be knocked off so far from you.
I’m sure you’ve heard the internet buzz by now for this handy tool which has been made available by Leisure Arts. And, we’re now on Day 6 of The Knook Blog Tour, a full 13 days of hearing fun things about a knook.
What is a knook, you say? Well, it looks very much like a hook that you would use for Tunisian crochet. But, instead of a knob at the end, there is a little hole drilled there. This is where you will thread a pretty ribbon or cord. And, what do you do with it? You knit!
Yes, my friends, you knit. Actual two-needle knitting except that you do it with a hook. How does that grab you?
Now, I know that, even though I’ve been successfully teaching knitting to crocheters for years, there are still some of you out there who simply don’t like the two sticks. This is great news for you!
Imagine if you could actually knit a ribbing around the hem or neck of a sweater… with a hook. Now, imagine if you could do this just as easily as you would do Tunisian crochet. Yes, indeed. There are so many similarities that anyone knowing how to do Tunisian crochet should be able to pick up knooking very easily, quickly and painlessly.
Just like in Tunisian crochet, the key to success isn’t the actual pulling up of the loops. It’s where you place your hook in order to pull up those loops. The interesting thing is that some stitches are different between the two techniques. And, some stitches are the same.
Take, for instance, my video here of the Twisted Knit Stitch in Tunisian.
Now, have a look at the Knit Stitch in Knooking (provided by Leisure Arts).
Did you see the incredible similarities there? Of course, you won’t need a return pass for knooking. But, I’ll bet you can already start seeing the possibilities here.
Have you ever been working on a regular crochet or Tunisian crochet project and just wanted to seamlessly add a bit of knitting to it? How about going back and forth? How about some cute stretchy ribbing, then boom! Move right into a crochet lace stitch. Doesn’t that sound exciting?
Even someone comfortable with the two sticks will find a use for knooking. I foresee this handy tool going right into the project bag of freeformers too. The possibilities of just switching back and forth between all three techniques without worry of losing stitches and without worrying about moving stitches to a holder.
And, hey, what about those lifelines? How about a tool that creates a lovely lifeline right there, as you work?
I know you’re going to want to start learning this technique right away. So, where can you get your own knook? They have recently been released nationwide at Walmart, but very soon (I believe in October), you’ll be able to find them in other stores and, of course, the internet. Because we loves us some internet, don’t we?
When you have your knook kit, be sure to check out the nice videos (separated for both right- and left-handed) here.
And, that’s the end.
What’s that? Oh, you want prizes? Well, sure! I’ve got some prizes for you too! Don’t want to wait for your knook? How about a giveaway? And, let’s make it fun.
Please tell me your favorite summer time food in a comment below. And, don’t forget to leave your email address so that I can notify you if your name is drawn in the random drawing. There will be two winners and I’ll email you shortly after the blog tour for your mailing address so that your Knook kit can be shipped to you directly from Leisure Arts.
Please be sure to head over to the Leisure Arts blog where you’ll be connected to all 13 bloggers during the blog tour. Have fun!
Enjoy a buy 2 get 1 free sale at Kimane Designs. No coupon code is necessary. The deduction is automatic. Use as often as you like all summer long. All purchased patterns are available for your use immediately after payment. Enjoy and happy summer!
I really love this hat. I loved stitching it and I loved the finished project. Definitely keep an open mind and really follow those instructions because it’s not a heavily-used stitch and may be very new to you. It was difficult to write, but the end project is so very worth it!
The Charleston Cloche is made from the new Stitch Nation Washable Ewe and can be found at the Red Heart website here.
