Single Rib Crochet Square
This was a nice surprise as I've done this stitch before in other projects so I picked this stitch up very quickly. I think the first time I came across this stitch it took me a while to get used to and I kept forgetting if I was stitching in the back or in the front. This stitch uses front and back post trebble crochet (UK) or front and back post double crochet (US). I think these stitches are very useful to know, they have appeared in a few patterns I've followed.
The end square I was surprised with as the texture is very thick and soft, it's a nice texture to rub your hand along... Which may sound a little strange but it's an interesting texture. The stitch looks the same on both sides.
Afghan Stitch Square
This was the first time I have ever tried Tunisian crochet, to be honest I had no idea what it was before I gave this ago. Turns out it's like knitting but with a crochet hook.... I hate knitting but I gave it a go anyway, you know, live a little! So it also turns out there are specific hooks for Tunisian crochet which I didn't know until after I started. These hooks have a longer handle so that the project fits nicely on the hook and not like this:
Ok so here I waffle on a lot about my issues with this stitch feel free to skip this and start reading from this symbol '~'
Is started with an 8 inch chain to begin with (which is the size that Knit-a-square ask for) I completed the the first few rows of the Afghan stitch and they turned out to be a lot smaller than 8 inches. I started again with a longer chain this time (which only just about fit on my crochet hook as shown in the picture above) this again turned out not to be 8 inches long but I wasn't going to start again besides my hook wasn't long enough. I figured I'd make it up to the 8 inch square with a border at the end.
So onto the actual stitch. At first I found this stitch very interesting to do as it was completely different to anything I've done before. I didn't find it particularly hard and the only bit I found difficult (although frustrating is a more suitable word here) was making the hoops gradually move up the hook so that I could complete stitches. I guess if your used to knitting this wouldn't be as frustrating. Another thing I didn't like about this stitch was that even when I got the hang of it and was completing stitches quicker I felt like I was getting nowhere fast. The square took a long time to complete compared to 'normal' crochet and it wasn't even an 8 inch square. I was fed up by the end.
~ The Afghan stitch made quite a thin, flexible square with no gaps. The finished product loved to curl up on itself though which I didn't like very much. Maybe the Killing Yarn technique would help with this?
The stitch does look quite nice and neat, on the front:
However the back of the work doesn't looks so good, it looks quite lumpy but that is probably down to me being a newbie at this stitch. This side would definitely not look good on show in my opinion:
Even though I didn't particularly enjoy my first Tunisian crochet experience I am not going to give up on it just yet.
A Basic Square
This square I started as an example to teach my friend to crochet. It is just a square made with random rows of double crochet (UK)/single crochet (US) and treble crochet (UK)/double crochet (US). Nice and simple. These stitches both look practically the same on both sides.
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