Decode Any Tunisian Crochet Pattern With This Handy Guide

By Toni Lipsey

tunisian crochet swatch

Tunisian crochet may be a combo of knitting and traditional crochet, but it has a whole glossary of terms and abbreviations all its own (or, at least, that glossary takes on slightly different meanings when applied here). Use this cheat sheet to follow your patterns until you get the lingo down.

Common Tunisian Crochet Terms You Need to Know

  • Bind off – typically the last row of a Tunisian crochet project, this forward pass compensates for the loops still on the hook and leaves a neat edge.
  • Chain (ch) – This is the same chain as for traditional crochet. It’s often used in Tunisian crochet to prepare the foundation row and immediately before a return pass.
  • Forward pass (fp) – A row of stitches that involves adding loops to the hook.
  • Foundation row – The first row of Tunisian crochet, where loops are picked up from a starting chain.
  • Horizontal / top bar – The length of yarn found between two vertical bars in a Tunisian crochet stitch, often used to make increases.
  • Return pass (rt) – A row of stitches that involves removing loops from the hook.
  • Right side (rs) – The front of the crochet fabric. In Tunisian crochet, the right side of the work is always facing you.
  • Slip stitch (sl st) – This is the same slip stitch that’s use in traditional crochet. It’s often used in Tunisian crochet as a bind off technique.
  • Vertical bar – The vertical length of yarn that indicates a Tunisian crochet stitch.
  • Wrong side (ws) – The back of crochet fabric.
  • Yarn over (yo) – This is the same yarn over that’s used in traditional crochet and can be used as an increase method or to complete a stitch.

    • Common Tunisian Stitch Abbreviations

  • Tunisian simple stitch – tss
  • Tunisian reverse stitch – trs
  • Tunisian knit stitch – tks
  • Tunisian purl stitch – tps
  • Tunisian extended stitch – tes
  • Tunisian double stitch – tds
  • Tunisian bobble stitch – tbs
  • Tunisian full stitch – tfs
  • Tunisian simple stitch 2 together – tss2tog
  • Tunisian simple stitch 3 together – tss3tog
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    6 Responses to “Decode Any Tunisian Crochet Pattern With This Handy Guide”

    1. Rita King

      What is the pull off stitch in tunisian crochet, it is a V symbol on the chart list.

      Reply
    2. Martha boyd

      I a beginner to tunisian. I’m trying a pattern that ND in the instructions what am I supposed to do?

      Reply
      • Martha boyd

        I a beginner to tunisian. I’m trying a pattern that nd in the instructions what am I supposed to do?

        Reply
    3. Melody Kerst

      I would like to know what it is talking about when they give you directions then in () they give more direction and then to do that to the end then knit the last stitch the last stitch I under stand but not the rest of it ie purl 4 knit 4 purl 4 ( knit 11 purl 2 knit 16) till you get to the last stitch

      Reply
      • Susan

        The last stitch is worked the same no matter the other stitches used in the design. For the last stitch, you will slip the hook through the v (2 bars) on the very end. Then you will yarn over, pull up a loop to move up, then being the return pass to complete the row. I hope this helps.

        Reply
      • Cathleen Yahn

        Did you ever find out what () means? I have it in a pattern and trying to figure it out as well.
        It says: 100l ()
        Then the next row; 1l 100v ()

        Reply