Trying Tunisian

Well it has been a very fun day hooky-wise for me. I have been experimenting with Tunisian crochet. My new set of Tunisian hooks haven't really got a look in though as I wanted to try entrelac crochet which apparently can be done on normal hooks.

So I found a pattern and cracked on with it this morning. Everything I have read about Tunisian crochet says you have to keep your tension very loose, a slight problem for me as I always have a very tight tension. I used a 5.5mm hook and aran weight yarn to do a trial run and deliberately kept my tension loose as I went along. The further I got into it, the harder it got, my tension was still too tight, especially using aran weight yarn.

I decided to go back to basics and just do a square swatch, no pattern or anything like that to worry about, just trying to master crocheting much looser than I am used to. It took some doing but by the 7th or 8th row I was getting the hang of it. 

I then remembered the fair-isle effect yarn that I made my baby ripple blankets in:

I really wanted to see how that would work up using this method of crocheting, it produces a nice effect I think, even if I was a bit heavy handed with the iron trying to stop it curling:

By this time I was getting very impatient to have another go at entralacing (is that a word?) so I cracked out some old trusty stylecraft special DK and made a start:

I am so pleased with how it is going, not too tight at all. It is a bit of a job remembering to hold the yarn slightly differently and using a bigger hook than I normally would for DK but it is reallly coming along beautifully. 

I don't know what it will be yet, maybe a cushion cover - because I haven't got enough cushion covers ;-) - For now I am just really enjoying the process of this style of crocheting. If you haven't had a go, I urge you to try, it is so satisfying flying back and forth along the rows. 

xxx