Lily Chin’s Two-Color Tunisian Crochet: Tips You Can’t Miss!

If you’ve been following our posts from Lily Chin on top-down raglan sweaters (essential measurements and graph paper secrets), you may have been inspired by her lovely Floret Crop Top. This top, and the other top-down raglan featured in Interweave Crochet Spring 2017, Kabila Sri Ponnusamy’s Citizen Pullover, both use Tunisian crochet in two colors. There’s a lot more to these sweaters than mastering fit, so Lily’s video on Two-Color Tunisian Crochet In-the-Round will help you master the rest of the skills you need. Here Lily explains many aspects of Tunisian crochet; combine these techniques together with her tips on fit, and you can make the perfect top-down raglan.

You may recall Dana and Susanna’s Tunisian debate in 10 Things I Hate about Tunisian Crochet. I’m sorry to say, I typically agree with Dana; Tunisian is not my favorite. However, I was so intrigued by the stitch pattern Lily Chin creates in her top-down raglan, the Floret Crop Top, I needed to learn how it was done so I spent an evening at home with Lily on my TV. Lily Chin’s video is perfect for any crocheters new to Tunisian. It might even inspire any Tunisian doubters out there—it’s definitely converted Dana and me.

Her video begins with basic stitches: Tunisian simple stitch, reverse Tunisian simple stitch, Tunisian knit stitch, and Tunisian purl stitch. Lily next demonstrates working them in the round, exploring all the necessary tools such as double-ended hooks. Then she explains her special color-changing technique that allows you to create color patterning simply by knowing where to insert your hook. Best part—no floats! (The Fair Isle, or stranded, technique can leave floats at the back of your work. Lily’s technique eliminates that pesky problem.)

Once you’ve had plenty of fun playing with colors, the video shares best methods for increasing and decreasing. If you want your Tunisian top-down raglans to fit perfectly, well-done increases and decreases must be mastered to ensure proper fit. The video concludes with secret tips and tricks for working from the center out in squares or in circles. Check out the awesome Tunisian colorwork hats and her fantastic square afghans worked from the center out.

The two-color top-down raglans in Interweave Crochet Spring 2017 inspired me to watch this video so I could learn this color-changing technique. I was apprehensive at first, but now I’m so excited and energized, I want to try the Citizen Pullover, the Floret Crop Top, and even design some two-color Tunisian crochet projects myself! This video, in combination with Lily Chin’s blog series, has me all set to get started. I can’t wait to grab a double-ended crochet hook and get going—yes, I bought some in three sizes after watching this video.

How about you? What colors will you use to play with two-color Tunisian in-the-round?

-Sara Dudek
Associate Editor, Interweave Crochet

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