annascraftsroom

[annascraftsroom]

That is the truth indeed.

One should always have at least 2 craft projects going. That way, when one of them is messed up and misbehaving, you can switch to another, and let the first one sit there and think about what it's done.

[annascraftsroom]

My lap blanket made out of Tunisian crochet stitch pattern samples is nearly done.

I only have the tiresome, and boring, work of weaving in ends left, and attempt some kind of blocking of the blanket.

It's wonky and I love it. All squares are the same number of stitches and rows, but the different patterns build height/width differently.

#tunisian crochet #crochet #stitch sampler blanket #lap blanket

[annascraftsroom]

This is so cool

I’m all scratched up and I can still taste spray paint in my mouth and my husband almost fell out of a tree BUT THE GHOST SCULPTURES ARE FINISHED!

They’re finally finished and I’m so happy with them!!

Some progress shots:

[annascraftsroom]

Just a test

Checking how the discord webhooks thing in labs work.

#tumblr labs funktion test

[annascraftsroom]

Square number 40 of my Tunisian stitch sampler blanket:

Found the pattern on a crochet page on Facebook, according to information seen on that page the creator is in Turkey.

The pattern has no name, and it is rather simple in execution and gives a rather nice structure. You basically purl *around* two stitches (front post crochet around two stitches), then put a simple stitch in the last of the two stitches you purled around.

To get the diagonal look you simply stagger the rows, so every other row you start with a simple stitch and every other you start with a front post purl over two stitches. Due to the fact it is a staggered pattern it can be work with any stitch number.

Something that has struck me after watching a few of these videos from Turkish creators is that they does not go up in hook size the same as many western creators almost always suggests.

Often they show that they are using a 3,5mm hook, which visually looks about right for the yarn weight.

Though they hardly ever tell what yarn they have, I saw one video where it was both showing the yarn label and telling the hook size used. Yarn said 2-4 mm when googling, the creator was using a 2,5 mm as that was what suited her, and said you could go up to 3,5 mm if that suited you better.

So it seem they rely more on what makes a good feel of fabric for your tension then just suggesting to go up in size blindly.

So why is it that almost all western creators I see posting about Tunisian crochet tell you to go up one or two sizes on the hook compared to what the yarn label says? Are we just generally not good at adapting the tension between regular crochet and Tunisian crochet? The later generally gains from having a loose tension, especially on the loops drawn on the forward pass.

#tunisian crochet #crochet #wip #testing a theory #crafts #thoughts about crochet hook size #hook size

[annascraftsroom]

That is a true statement.

[annascraftsroom]

Tunisian Crochet and hook size

I've noticed that a lot of tutorials suggest going with a larger hook then you would for normal crochet, or at least larger then the label says. One of the reasons for this is that it is supposedly going to help combat the curling many Tunisian crochet stitches is prone to.

Does it really help? I'd say not enough to warrant the suggestion to be followed blindly. The below image shows three samples of Tunisian Simple Stitch. The top one is done with a 4mm hook (which is the suggested on the yarn label), then the middle with a 5mm hook and the last with a 6mm hook. On the sample scale, they curl just the same.

What are the drawbacks on going with a larger hook?

One I see is that if you use a too large hook for the yarn, the right end stitches seem to get sloppier. See image below.

The bottom sample is the one done with a 6mm hook, the middle one with a 5mm hook and the top one is the 4mm hook. To me both the 4mm and 5mm looks decent, but the 6mm looks sloppy.

The left side edge is not as impacted by change of hook size as the right edge is.

The feel is of course also a bit different, the one using a 5mm hook feels thinner and less dense then the 4mm one. The difference in feel is not as noticeable between the 5mm and 6mm sample however.

So what does this mean, which would be the best option?

Well that depends on if you are a tight or loose crocheter, you should always sample and see what works best for you. For me I'm torn between the 4mm and 5mm sample, both works equally well.

None of the samples have been properly blocked so to determine which one to use I would need to do that as well as that would also impact how the finished piece behaves.

In this case, all samples are done with a cheap polyester yarn, using metal hooks.

#tunisian crochet #samples #testing a theory #showcasing a conclusion #crochet #craft #hobby

[annascraftsroom]

While I did my square with the "Diagonal rib lace" last week I did make a small mistake and had to rip back a few times, though since I liked the effect that mistake had, I'm now doing a square doing it that way.

Not sure what I should call this though, it is a kind of lacy pattern however.

White may not have been the best choice for being able to photograph and show though....

#tunisian crochet #stitch sampler blanket #crochet #new pattern from misstake #wip

[annascraftsroom]

Sitting on my boat, testing a theory by making swatches. Cheap polyester yarn.

The theory is to debunc the "known" fact that Tunisian crochet requires a larger hook size then recommended for regular crochet. My opinion is that it is not strictly necessary, and so far it looks like I'm right.

The reason for the common advice of using a hook 1-2 mm larger then suggested on the yarnlabel is that it helps combat curling which Tunisian crochet is prone to. It helps indeed, but in my opinion it is better to learn to tension and draw the loops high enough on the forward pass, this so the closing chain doesn't end up sloppy for being too loose, especially if you tend to crochet loosely anyways.

#tunisian crochet #crochet #crafts #theory #testing a theory

[annascraftsroom]

Square number 30 on my stich sampler blanket, according to where I found the pattern it is called "Diagonal rib lace". It has a nice feel to it, not overly thick and it does not curl as many tunisian crochet stitches does.

#crochet #wip #tunisian crochet #blanket #crafts

[annascraftsroom]

My longest running WIP. It was started a couple decades ago. A couple moves and relationship changes has made it not really fit the style of current home, which is partly why it is still a WIP.

#wip #cross stitch #embroidery

[annascraftsroom]

Reclaiming yarn. It was once a knitted skirt.

#reclaimed yarn #fiber art

[annascraftsroom]

Knitted on a Knittax knitting machine. A shawl/lap blanket. Cozy to have in the sofa at night.

#knittax #knitting machine #shawl/lap blanket #knitted #knit

[annascraftsroom]

One of my knitting machines. An old sock knitting machine made in Sweden, brand is "Favorit" (translates to favourite). I have yet to do any socks on it, but it is cleaned up and tested to be working

#knitting machine #knitting #old machine #sock knitting

[annascraftsroom]

In one of the other looms, another rug is taking shape. Simpler pattern.

#weaving #floor loom #rag rug

[annascraftsroom]

Just one project on the hooks is not enough, this is going to be a cocoon/shrug. It is a bit of a challenge with dark bouclé yarn though.

#tunisian crochet #crochet #wip #wearables #handcrafted

[annascraftsroom]

Tunisian crochet stitch sampler blanket in progress. I put the squares together as I go. The image shows the honeycomb stitch made with two different purls. The pink piece is regular purl, the beige is japanese purl. Difference lies in yarn over vs yarn under.

#crochet #tunisian crochet #wip