Tunisian crochet can be baffling because it has a crochet hook (the familiar part) but the stitches are all kept on the hook (the different part).

There are two basic stitches in Tunisian Crochet. Learn how to do one of them below.

Foundation Row (also known as “Casting On”)

Working in back bump of each chain, insert hook from front to back through second chain from the hook. Yarn over and pull up a loop through the chain. Leave the loop on the hook. Insert hook in back bump of the next chain. Yarn over and pull up a loop through the chain. Continue across the chain. The number of loops on the hook will be the same as the number of chains you started with.

Foundation Row (1): Insert hook from front to back in back bump of each chain. Yarn over and pull up a loop.

Foundation Row (2): Continue across the chain

Standard Return

Yarn over; pull through 1 loop on hook to make a chain stitch. Yarn over and pull through 2 loops on the hook, repeating for each stitch across. The last loop remains on the hook.

Standard Return (1): Pull through 1 loop on hook to make a chain stitch.

Standard Return (2): Pull through 2 loops on hook.

Tunisian Reverse Stitch (trs) Forward Pass

Tunisian Reverse Stitch is worked under the back vertical bar.

Skip the first vertical bar.

Insert hook under next back vertical bar, pull up a loop and leave it on the hook.

Continue to the last stitch.

TRS (1): Insert hook under next back vertical bar