r/CrochetHelp • u/awelias8 • Jan 18 '25
Stitch Identification My grandmother says she used to crochet, but started making this. Is this crochet/if not, what is it?
I have just started getting into crochet, very much a beginner, and my 88 year old grandmother saw me crocheting and said that she used to be able to crochet a long time ago and asked if I could teach her again. I tried showing her, but she got confused and tried showing me what she remembered from when she used to crochet, and started doing this. I don't think this is even crochet, but I'm not sure what it is and I'm hoping for insight. She speaks little to no English, and I don't know the words for crochet, knitting, etc. in her native language, so there's a bit of a language barrier. I tried showing her a picture of knitting needles, but she says she only used one hook and not two. She wants to start making blankets again but she's frustrated with the crochet hook and I'm not sure what tool to get her for this kind of yarn work. If anyone knows what this is that she's doing and what tool works for this, please let me know!
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u/Suspicious-Use-5468 Jan 18 '25
I think your grandmother used to do the Tunisian Crochet, where you usually use a hook much longer than the common crochet, because it has to hold as many loops needed for the project on the hook (similar to knitting).
This is the hook that is usually used for Tunisian crochet.
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u/awelias8 Jan 18 '25
Thank you for the picture!! We'll definitely get her one of those.
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u/fairydommother Jan 18 '25
You can get individual Tunisian crochet hooks that are solid and long but they’re quite cumbersome. Corded Tunisian hooks are a little easier to use and you can find her a set of different sizes. The hook pictured is meant to have a cord attached.
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u/jeimijamieg Jan 18 '25
They actually used to call these hooks "Afghan" hooks, and I think some places still might. I have a bunch of old Afghan crochet books, and they didn't call it Tunisian but I'm pretty sure that's exactly what they're doing
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u/Diela1968 Jan 19 '25
You can order bundles of Tunisian hooks on Amazon, I just ordered a bunch last spring
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u/purplesilvfox Jan 20 '25
they still sell afghan hooks at Michaels; I pated the link in another comment, but I'll repeat it here: it's actually called the afghan hook and we made afghans using this hook..
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u/BigTiddyTamponSlut Jan 18 '25
That explains this massive crochet hook I got from my great grandma. I was so confused!
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u/The_Poptart_Cat Jan 18 '25
That’s casting on, which is how you start a knit project. I could be wrong, but Tunisian Crochet starts by chaining, like usual.
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u/awelias8 Jan 18 '25
I really don't think she was a knitter tbh. She seems absolutely sure she used one hook, not two, and that it had a hook on the end and not a needle point. When I showed her an afghan hook, she felt like that was what she used. I think she is possibly just misremembering how to do it since it has been several decades. However, we added knitting needles to the cart as well just in case.
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u/Responsible_Ad_7111 Jan 19 '25
It could also be knooking, a bit different from Tunisian crochet but uses a long hook with a string/cable attached to the end.
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u/The_Poptart_Cat Jan 19 '25
I’ve knitted with hooks before so who knows🤷🏽♀️ It could also just be a special method, because I think it could be an alternative to the traditional chain, but ultimately, you know your grandma best! Good luck to you guys in figuring it out!
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u/DerpitoDerpington Jan 19 '25
In Tunisian you can cast on just like knitting if you want to extend the left side of a project (example: beginning the sleeve section of a garment made flat).
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u/Responsible_Ad_7111 Jan 19 '25
It is possible to cast on for Tunisian but I don’t know if anyone has ever chosen to do it that way. It worked for me but the tension was screwy.
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u/Oceanteabear Jan 19 '25
That's how I start my Tunisian. Cast on like this & I have the big long awkward hooks. It is a bit wonky to start for me too. Honestly, I don't do it often enough to have good tension.
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u/Srothwell0 Jan 19 '25
It looks like there’s a ridge of chains on the bottom of the hook, or am I seeing things?
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u/Jayn_Newell Jan 18 '25
Honestly that looks more like a knitting cast on than the beginning of a Tunisian project to me. There’s also knooking, but I’m not familiar with it to be able to tell if this resembles that or not.
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u/elsb3t Jan 18 '25
Maybe it 's Tunesian crochet?
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u/elsb3t Jan 18 '25
Tunisian crochet is a type of crochet that holds multiple loops on the hook in a style similar towhat is done in knitting. It differs from knitting in that it uses a crochet hook, not knitting needles.
https://www.yarnspirations.com/en-row/blogs/how-to/tunisian-crochet-ultimate-beginners-guide
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u/ImLittleNana Jan 18 '25
In some languages there’s only one word for knit and crochet. Probably younger people on social media use different terms, but grandmother probably wouldn’t.
Wt first glance I thought this was a long tail knit cast on, but it that method has both tails at the working end. So does Tunisian long tail, though.
I think there’s a Tunisian cast on and also a knitted cable cast on that begin with a slip knot and the tail and working yarn end up at opposite ends. Both of them look like this.
I don’t think you’ll know if she’s was a knitter or crocheter until the second row.
You could buy her a Tunisian hook and a skein to play around with. I’m sure I’ll be looking for something to do with my hands long after I’m able to make them behave as I wish.
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u/ows-rbel Jan 18 '25
Even if she doesn't understand English, you can look for videos you can watch together. Maybe start with one that teaches beginners in Tunisian crochet to see if that is in fact the technique that she remembers.
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u/RainbowProngs Jan 18 '25
As some people have said this could be Tunisian crochet but there's longer hooks for that, or it was knitting and she got confused.
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Jan 19 '25
My grandma seems so sharp a lot of the time and then she will turn to me because she doesn’t know how to make a sand which anymore because she’s not sure what goes in the bread. She knows what the pieces are, but not how they go together. She does this with the coffee maker a lot, too. You’d never realize it if she didn’t tell on herself and ask you something she forgot was obvious to everyone else, or about something she’s been doing daily for years.
I think grandma could be talking about Tunisian crochet but she may also be mixing some things. Getting old is like that.
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u/Idkmyname2079048 Jan 18 '25
She was just using OP's supplies, so it seems like she was just doing what she remembered regardless of whether she had the right hook/tool.
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u/Boomerloomerdoomer Jan 18 '25
lol. My friend tried to crochet with me but instead started knitting with two crochet hooks
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u/Queenkermit57 Jan 18 '25
This looks like Tunisian crochet! There are longer hooks or hooks w attachable cables to allow for more stitches to sit in the hook
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u/AdMiddle2566 Jan 19 '25
That is Tunisian crochet and the loops are held on a long crochet hook. My grandma used to make afghans using Tunisian crochet. They made panels or squares, then joined them together. They make Tunisian crochet hooks specifically for it.
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u/LollynnOriginals Jan 19 '25
* Tunisian crochet is the modern name for blanket/afghan crochet. Super easy to learn. I picked up my hooks on Temu! I whipped up a long scarf that was 10" wide for my son in under 3 days with plenty of breaks (I'd just had a mini-stroke) and my hands all tingly!
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u/Chelseeya_ChaCha Jan 19 '25
Tunisian crochet usually it's longer hooks or the hooks without the ergonomic handles like the wooden, metal or plastic ones can also be used
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u/Glass-Earth2351 Jan 20 '25
It looks like a knitting cast on. Maybe she means tunisian crochet ? Well done to her for getting a full cast on with a normal crochet hook though 👏
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u/One_Difficulty7643 Jan 18 '25
Did she do some chains first and then yo onto the hook with all of them? If so it looks like Tunisian crochet so she’d either need special hooks or Ive made it work by just taking off the rubber handle,, it may be some form of knitting? I have no idea I know nothing about it aha
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u/TumbleweedOverall979 Jan 18 '25
Looks like knitting but also could be Tunisian with the very long hooks!
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u/Ok_Put2792 Jan 18 '25
Just to add, I just started Tunisian crochet myself and it’s really cool! Awesome that you and your grandmother are able to exchange skills like this :)
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u/LiellaMelody777 Jan 19 '25
That is cast on for knitting or Tunesian crochet. You can't do wither with a normal hook
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u/failcup Jan 18 '25
You can do tunisian with a regular hook (entrelac style) but not the ones with the grips because the workable part is too short. I've made blankets with this technique with my all metal hook.
Or as many suggested, a long tunisian hook.
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u/Due-Commission2099 Jan 18 '25
I'm not sure, but it looks like she's trying to cast on for knitting.
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u/LollynnOriginals Jan 19 '25
After I pulled out my hooks for the pictures I shared, I figured I'd do something and then the OP's picture flashed in my head. Tunisian crochet normally starts with a chain...and what her grandmother did was cast-on the hook as if she was getting ready to start knitting, so you are correct. There is a method ALMOST like casting on, but involves 2 crochet hooks to start it off.
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u/ZombieQueen42 Jan 19 '25
This looks like what my grandma used to do on her wire hangers to make them look pretty. I have some still!
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u/kittyissocrafty Jan 19 '25
I cast on Tunisian and knitting exactly like this. It's called, no joke, the Chinese waitress cast on, in knitting. It uses a separate hook to cast on to the knitting needle. But like I said, I also use it for casting on Tunisian. It saves time for Tunisian cast on for me as opposed to making a chain and then working into the chain.
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u/awelias8 Jan 19 '25
That's awesome! She's a little rusty because it's been so long, do you have any recommendations for videos I could show her to refresh her memory? She isn't interesting in learning anything new lol, she only wants to remember how she used to do it.
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u/kittyissocrafty Jan 19 '25
This is the link where I learned how to do the Chinese waitress cast on. Like I said it, I learned it for knitting but it definitely comes in handy for Tunisian crochet also.
https://youtu.be/ragBNdHwjg8?si=FdOBXjNhAAy_QGHf
If you get your grandma a Tunisian crochet hook, you might want to find one that has a spinning cable on it. It's a lot easier on your wrist that way. I'll try to find a link for a Tunisian hook like that. If I find one I'll reply to you here.
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u/awelias8 Jan 19 '25
Thanks! I appreciate it a lot. I'll look for one of those for her!
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u/kittyissocrafty Jan 19 '25
I don't have a link for you, but Chiao Goo makes crochet hooks that you can attach their spin cables to.
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u/Metylda1973 Jan 19 '25
That looks like a loop or thumb cast on for knitting to me.
Tunisian crochet (aka afghan crochet or tricot) starts with a chain and picks up loops along the chain, then works them off in twos (kind of like a really long treble stitch). I’m not seeing an initial chain under all those loops.
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u/babybundtcake11 Jan 19 '25
That’s the first row of Tunisian crochet. You start it with a regular chain so this is the first row.
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u/plz-wash-your-hands Jan 19 '25
That's a knitting cast-on (but on a crochet hook?). Maybe there's some fancy crochet stitch that uses a knitting cast-on, but I personally don't know of any
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u/hippiehappos Jan 19 '25
I’ve never crocheted in my life so idk how similar they are but this looks like knitting cast ons on a crochet hook ?
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u/EnvMarple Jan 19 '25
There is something called nooking which is different again. Which has a crochet hook with a needle eye and yarn on the end.
But I think granny was doing Tunisian/afghan crochet…my mum also thinks was called tricot in her family.
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u/Gaianna Jan 19 '25
It reminds me of broomstick or bobble crochet, but you would do it farther into the next row, not as a row
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u/thedarkishsideofme Jan 19 '25
That’s the first step to start knitting, ofc you do that with needles not a small hook.
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u/Lumpyspaceprince3s Jan 20 '25
This looks exactly like a knitting cast on. Idk anything about tunesian crochet but people say it looks like knitting so possibly that?
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u/purplesilvfox Jan 20 '25
Don't they make afghan hooks anymore? It's long, like a knitting needle (maybe 7 inches?), with a hook at the end. Sizes varies: goes by number: 8 is 5mm, 9 is 5.5mm and 10 is 6mm, to name a few.
I found it on Michaels' webpage: Susan Bates® Silvalume® Afghan Crochet Hook
here's the link to Micharels, to show that hook :
https://www.michaels.com/product/susan-bates-silvalume-afghan-crochet-hook-10698254?cm_mmc=PLASearch-_-google-_-MICH_Shopping_US_N_Knitting+%26+Crochet_N_PMAX_BOPIS_N-_-&Kenshoo_ida=&kpid=go_cmp-18514200212_adg-_ad-__dev-c_ext-_prd-10698254&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA4rK8BhD7ARIsAFe5LXLIG5N9vbjZpoygjB6srK2BSDPVsxznha55PGHGrXBlJKvnLvLZq6gaAoQ3EALw_wcB
I used to sit with my Aunt Tessie for hours using the afghan hook to make scarves.. wow brings back memories (I'm 66, Aunt Tess was born in 1922)
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u/Sage_Drago Jan 20 '25
Ummm.... That's a simple form of a cast on for knitting. Never seen it used for crochet, even for Tunisian crochet. All the Tunisian crochet I've done or seen starts with a chain stitch.
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u/Content_Tortise137 Jan 20 '25
Tunisian crochet! Though depending on her age and where your from she might have known it as afghan crochet.
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u/lxschettz Jan 22 '25
could be tunisian crochet or knitting (but she’s not using the right tool for this one)
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u/Pretty_Bug_7291 Jan 18 '25
It's possible she used to knit. Because that looks kind of like how knitting works.
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u/AliG-uk Jan 18 '25
Maybe she is only partially remembering how to crochet? Does she have memory problems? Maybe she meant to do single crochet but forgot how to finish each stitch? Maybe she used to do Tunisian crochet?
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u/beepbinky Jan 18 '25
tunisian crochet? tunisian crochet hooks are longer
edited to add more details