Tunisian Crochet, also called the Afghan stitch, is enjoying renewed popularity…and it isn’t just for afghans. Learn the basic Tunisian stitches, including knit and purl, two methods for working cross stitch designs on a Tunisian base and Tunisian Intarsia where you work color changes within the base fabric.

The Tunisian Intarsia Crochet is a crochet technique where in Tunisian stitches are used with two or more colors. It resembles knitting to a great extent. Take into consideration that Tunisian stitches are longer than wide. Tunisian crochet, also known as  Tricot Crochet, is a type of crochet that uses an elongated hook with a stopper on the handle end, called an Afghan hook. Intarsia means using multiple colors.

Intarsia crochet is very unique and different from other types of crochet. It is often referred to as the Tunisian Intarsia Crochet technique, named after a common knitting technique. In fact, intarsia does resemble knitting very closely, and it always uses two or more colors in the final design.

People who use the intarsia crochet technique usually use patterns to help them accomplish their desired effect. Patterns for intarsia crocheting are typically given as charts. These charts, which are read beginning from the lower left, often resemble pixilated cartoon drawings or computer graphics.

The pattern is worked from right to left. To work two squares in two different colors. First make a simple crochet chain using the two threads for the different colored boxes. Insert the hook into the the second chain from the hook, draw a loop and leave it on the hook. Change the color at the margin by twisting the thread to avoid holes.

To complete the stitch wind the yarn around the hook and draw it through two loops. Repeat until there is only one loop of current color left on the hook switch the color and finish in the same way. Repeat these two rows to form the afghan stitch.

“Chicken scratch” embroidery is a lacy-like embroidery technique worked on gingham. Chicken Scratch Embroidery is known by many other names including Chinese Pinwheel, Tic Tac Toe Embroidery, Hoover Star, Mountain Lace, Norwegian Embroidery, Amish Embroidery, Snowflake Embroidery, Depression Lace or Gingham Lace. Chicken Scratch Embroidery uses the Smyrna or Double Cross Stitch and other woven embroidery stitches and is often confused with the more complex embroidery style known as Teneriffe Lace because of the needleweaving employed in both techniques. Teneriff embroidery is much more complicated, with more involved needleweaving than Chicken Scratch. Chicken Scratch Embroidery is traditionally done on gingham fabric.

Although its origin is uncertain, it probably dates back to early America, and spread across America as the settlers moved westward. Hence, the many different names. A combination of simple embroidery stitches and a basic needleweaving stitch, when worked on gingham fabric, results in a beautiful lace effect that looks like it took hours to accomplish. When worked on the evenweaves, it takes on the appearance of an intricate blackwork. Whatever you may call it, we are delighted to help revive the easy method of making this layered lace work on gingham we call Chicken Scratch.

It involves only about three or four types of stitches – the running stitch, the cross stitch, the double cross stitch, and (if you want to consider it a separate stitch), the threaded running stitch.

FABRIC
Chicken Scratch is usually worked on gingham check in order to give it the lacy appearance which has made it so popular. Any of the woven or printed ginghams can be used for working Chicken Scratch. When working with most of the 1/8 inch and 1/16 inch ginghams, all that I have found are rectangles and not squares.

HOOP/FRAME
Work all of the design using a wooden scroll frame or a plastic embroidery hoop with the fabric pulled taut. (Be careful when stretching the fabric in the hoop, as the thinner cotton blends will distort if pulled too tightly and leave a hoop mark.)

NEEDLE
A #24 tapestry needle or a #7 or 8 crewel needle may be used.

FLOSS
DMC Article 117 six strand embroidery floss is used throughout, except where specified, but you may use Susan Bates floss, or Coats and Clark floss, or any thread that gives you the proper weight needed for the size check on which you are working.

Hardanger, or Hardangersom, is a form of whitework named after the area of Norway where it is found. This form of needlework involves counted thread stitches, drawn thread work and some pulled thread embroidery. It is worked on evenweave fabric of either cotton or linen with linen or pearl cotton threads. Though traditionally worked in white thread on white fabric, color has been used for many years now, both in the fabrics and threads.

Traditionally used for linens, caps, and especially aprons, the work was carried out on white fabrics as fine as 50 threads to the inch using white thread, but coarser fabrics and coloured threads are often used nowadays. Hardanger fabric thread consists of two strands which must never be split. Since knots are never used in Hardanger embroidery, begin each piece by leaving a three-inch tail of thread which will be drawn under the completed satin stitch blocks on the wrong side of the piece.

History:
While the history of Hardanger embroidery is not well documented, it was popular during the Renaissance period, when the use of linen for clothing increased. It spread its way to Italy, where lovely lace motifs of Punto Taglito and Punto Rialto were done. There it developed into the Punto Aria patterns of Venetian lace. Some motifs of Hardanger show an Assyrian and Egyptian influence which can be traced to the Vikings’ many sea forays far into the Mediterranean Sea. The eight-pointed star of Hardanger embroidery is also found in the embroidery of India and is a universal symbol.

Origin:
Hardanger embroidery is a delicate form of open needlework which originated in the Hardanger region of Norway hundreds of years ago. It gradually spread to other parts of Europe and then to the United States with the Scandinavian immigrants.

Fabric:
Hardanger embroidery is a form of counted-thread embroidery which must be worked on an even-weave fabric. Traditionally, the work was done on white linen with white thread; however, the fabric most commonly used today is an even-weave cotton with 22 threads per inch. This fabric, known appropriately as Hardanger fabric, is imported mostly from Europe, and comes in a variety of colors. Many other even-weave fabrics have recently become available and are also suitable for Hardanger embroidery.

Thread:
The thread used in Hardanger embroidery, pearl cotton, is available in many shades. Two sizes of thread are needed to complete the embroidery. The heavier work, including satin stitches, solid motifs and the buttonhole edge, is embroidered with pearl cotton, #5. The finer work, completed after the cutting and removal of some threads of the fabric, uses a single thread of size #8 pearl cotton.

Needles and equipment for Hardanger:

• The only supplies needed, in addition to even-weave fabric and pearl cotton thread, are tapestry needles. Tapestry needles are used for stitching this form of embroidery. Tapestry needles are important because they have blunt points and will not split the threads of the fabric as easily as sharp needles. You will need two sizes, one for each thread. Try a size 20 for the Pearl no 5, size 22 for the Pearl no 8, and a size 24 for Pearl 12.
• A good quality embroidery scissors. Very sharp, pointed embroidery scissors are necessary for cutting the threads cleanly, those with angled blades to make the cutwork easy to accomplish and neat in appearance.
• I find that the kloster blocks and surface stitching is easier to do if the fabric is secured in an embroidery hoop. I remove it before cutting the fabric threads, however. Like me, you may also find the needleweaving easier to do “in hand” rather than with the fabric in a hoop.
• A small pointed pair of tweezers may also come in handy for easing out the fabric threads after they are cut. Oh and a little container, in which to pop the cut threads, can help to keep your working area neat and tidy.