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TUNISIAN SIMPLE STITCH (TSS) TUTORIAL
aka Afghan Stitch
Tunisian Crochet (also known as Afghan Crochet) is worked in two passes, the forward pass and the return
pass, kind of like knitting! In the forward pass you will be working each stitch onto your hook without
removing them. You will then finish the stitches and remove them from the hook in the return pass.
In this tutorial you will be learning how to work the Tunisian Simple Stitch (abbreviated TSS). The TSS is
identified by a texture created by straight vertical bars.
Text and Images Copyright ©2014 by Bowtykes and Briana Olsen. All Rights Reserved.
Do not reproduce, distribute, or sell this pattern. Finished products may be sold.
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FOUNDATION ROW FORWARD PASS
Make a chain as long as you need. The number of chains you have will be the number of stitches. You will be
working into the back bumps of each chain. This will make the first row and the last row look more uniform.
back bumps
Insert hook into back bump of the second chain from the hook. Pull up a loop.
Continue to pull up a loop in each chain across. There should be as many loops on your hook as you had
chains. There were 21 chains in the example and there are 21 loops on the hook.
Text and Images Copyright ©2014 by Bowtykes and Briana Olsen. All Rights Reserved.
Do not reproduce, distribute, or sell this pattern. Finished products may be sold.
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FOUNDATION ROW RETURN PASS
Yarn over and pull through the first loop on the hook. This finishes the first Tunisian Simple Stitch (TSS). You
will always pull through only one loop for the first stitch on the return pass.
Yarn over and pull through TWO loops on the hook. This finishes the second TSS.
*yarn over, pull through two loops on hook* repeat from *to* until you have only one loop remaining on your
hook. First row complete!
Text and Images Copyright ©2014 by Bowtykes and Briana Olsen. All Rights Reserved.
Do not reproduce, distribute, or sell this pattern. Finished products may be sold.
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FORWARD PASS
Notice that you will have the same amount of vertical bars as you had chains. In this case we have 21. You will
be inserting your hook through the vertical bars. You will skip the first vertical bar on the right side edge. The
loop on your hook acts as the first stitch.
6 5 4 3 2 1
21 20
Insert your hook through the second vertical post.
Yarn over and pull through the vertical bar.
Text and Images Copyright ©2014 by Bowtykes and Briana Olsen. All Rights Reserved.
Do not reproduce, distribute, or sell this pattern. Finished products may be sold.
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Continue to pull up a loop in each vertical bar. Remember to pull up a loop in the last vertical bar as well. This
one will be on the very edge of your work. There should be as many loops on your hook as you have stitches.
There are two ways to pull up the last loop of the row. You can simply go through the last vertical bar OR you
can follow the directions below and it will make the left side of your work look like the right side (notice the
little U that was made on the right edge from the vertical bar and the yarn behind it – it looks like the top of a
normal crochet stitch only running along the side of your work).
Notice the ends of the row in this
picture. The first row was finished by
only inserting the hook through the
vertical bar.
4 3 2 1
The second, third, and fourth rows were
finished using the method below. Notice
how the ends of the rows now form
matching U’s like the other side of the
work.
Text and Images Copyright ©2014 by Bowtykes and Briana Olsen. All Rights Reserved.
Do not reproduce, distribute, or sell this pattern. Finished products may be sold.
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Find the U on the side of the work formed by the last stitch’s vertical bar and the yarn behind it.
Insert your hook through the U. You will insert behind both of the strands forming the U. Yarn over and pull up
a loop.
Text and Images Copyright ©2014 by Bowtykes and Briana Olsen. All Rights Reserved.
Do not reproduce, distribute, or sell this pattern. Finished products may be sold.
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RETURN PASS
Normally we would yarn over and pull through one loop on the hook to complete the last stitch of the row. To
make the U easier to see you can mark it with a stitch marker. To mark this stitch with a stitch marker you will
yarn over and insert the stitch marker through the first loop on your hook and the strand of yarn you just
yarned over with. Then pull through the first loop on your hook to complete the stitch.
Finish off the row by: *yarn over, pull through two loops on hook* repeat from *to* until you have only one
loop remaining on your hook.
FINISHING OFF
To finish off you will slip stitch across the top of the last row working through the vertical bars. Starting with
second vertical bar, *insert hook through vertical bar, yarn over, pull through both loops on hook.* repeat
*to* for every remaining vertical bar.
Text and Images Copyright ©2014 by Bowtykes and Briana Olsen. All Rights Reserved.
Do not reproduce, distribute, or sell this pattern. Finished products may be sold.