How to Two-Color Tunisian Crochet in the Round
If you’ve ever been lucky enough to take a class with Lily Chin, you might have heard her explain how she discovered the incredible two-color Tunisian crochet technique after hours of experimenting and swatching. (If you haven’t had the chance to learn from Lily in person, try her video download on two-color Tunisian crochet for all her expert tips and tricks!)
What is two-color Tunisian?
Two-color Tunisian crochet is a method of creating colorwork in crochet. There are no floats in the colorwork; instead, the way the hook enters the stitch determines the color. A Tunisian crochet round consists of two passes: a right-side-facing forward pass, picking up stitches in the main color, and a wrong-side-facing pass to work off stitches from the opposite end of the hook in the second color. You will need a double-ended crochet hook.
What stitches and techniques do you need to know?
As you work the right-side pass, you need to know the Tunisian knit stitch and the reverse Tunisian simple stitch. Because you insert your hook in such different ways, the differences in how these stitches are worked will help create the color change.
Tunisian knit stitch (tks)
To work the Tunisian knit stitch, insert hook between next vertical bars under horizontal strands, yarn over with main color and pull up loop, leave loop on hook. The loop will be worked off later in the wrong-side pass.
Reverse Tunisian simple stitch (rtss)
To work the reverse Tunisian simple stitch, pick up loop in back vertical bar, yarn over with main color and pull up loop, leave loop on hook. The loop will be worked off later in the wrong-side pass.
Working the wrong-side pass
When you have accumulated enough stitches on your hook that it starts to feel crowded, flip your work so that the wrong side of the work is facing you and begin working with the opposite end of the hook. Yarn over with your second color and draw through 1 loop at the very beginning. Then continue with yarn over and draw through 2 loops until 3–4 stitches remain on the hook. Then flip your work back to have the right side of the work facing you, return to working with the original side of the hook, and continue working in the pattern established with tks and rtss to create the color patterning.
Tunisian knit stitch, reverse Tunisian simple stitch, and the return pass with the second color are the main principles you need to understand to work two-color Tunisian crochet. Try it out with the Urbane Hat and Cowl Set from Interweave Crochet Fall 2018! And don’t forget: If you still find this method confusing, you’ll love watching Lily Chin work her magic in her Two-Color Tunisian Crochet In-the-Round Video Download.
What will you make first with this impressive technique? Let us know in the comments below!
Happy Stitching!
Sara
(Featured Image: Urbane Hat and Cowl Set from Interweave Crochet Fall 2018. | Photo Credit: Harper Point Photography)
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