Calming the Curl
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Calming the Curl
For those Tunisian crocheters out there, you know how hard it is to keep your work from curling up. That's because the backside of items crocheted using the Tunisian technique has more yarn in it, that's just the way it is. But, there are ways to lessen or prevent the curl. First, you can try using a larger hook than that recommended in the pattern; in fact, you might even want to go up 2 or 3 sizes. This adjustment will not totally eliminate the curl, but it will help minimize it. You also might want to start your project by crocheting your first row into the underside bar of each chain of the chain row instead of into each chain itself.
Otherwise, you might want to vary the types of stitches you use in your project in order to get more yarn to gather on the front side of the item. For example, you might want to use the purl stitch for your first row, or you might want to start and end your project with a few rows of the Tunisian Reverse stitch (see separate tip on this stitch).
Finally, using good blocking techniques will help a lot too (see separate tips for blocking instructions). For some great Tunisian crochet projects, check out Kim Guzman's blog at kimguzman.wordpress.com
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