Tunisian Crochet
Tunisian crochet goes by many names: shepherd's knitting, afghan crochet, and tricot crochet.
This method of creating works of art from a ball of yarn is technically
crochet because it uses the hook and not two needles. However, although
the tools used resemble those used in ordinary crochet, the method of construction and the look of the finished work seem to indicate otherwise.
When making a simple crochet such as a chain stitch or single crochet, there will generally be only one or two loops of yarn around the hook at any given time. There will always be at least one, but it's rare to have more than two. When knitting, the needles often have several loops
around them for an extended period of time. If the loops slid from the
end of a knitting needle, the entire work could come unraveled.
Tunisian crochet uses a hook that resembles a standard crochet hook. However, it is usually much bigger and has a stopper on the end opposite from the hook.
This is because when creating something using Tunisian crochet, the
artist will often have several loops around the hook, similar to
knitting. The increased size of the hook accommodates multiple loops,
and the stopper prevents the loops from sliding off when the artist
stops during the process.
Afghans made by Tunisian crocheting
often do not look crocheted or knitted. Crocheted work is generally one
"layer" of yarn thick, and the design comes from different patterns of
holes. Tunisian crochet often looks woven at first glance, but upon
closer inspection proves to be made of only one piece of yarn.
