Tunisian crochet: the long hook and the two passes

What you need

A Tunisian (afghan) hook: a long straight hook with a stopper at the end, or a hook with a flexible cable, so a whole row of loops fits. Use a hook one or two sizes larger than the yarn label suggests for ordinary crochet; Tunisian fabric is dense and curls if it is too tight.

A smooth, light-colored medium yarn shows the vertical bars you work into.

Forward pass and return pass

1. Foundation: chain the number of stitches you want. Keeping every loop on the hook, insert into the second chain from the hook, yarn over and pull up a loop; repeat in each chain to the end. The loop count equals the chain count.
2. Return pass: yarn over and pull through 1 loop. Then yarn over and pull through 2 loops, again and again, until 1 loop remains. Do not turn.
3. Next forward pass: skip the first vertical bar, then pick up a loop in each stitch across as your stitch says, ending in the last stitch at the edge.
4. Repeat the return pass. One forward and one return pass make one row.

Stop the curl

Tunisian simple stitch curls toward the front. A larger hook, blocking, a border of ordinary single crochet, or a few rows of Tunisian purl at the start all help. Keep loops loose on the forward pass.

Bind off

On the last row, instead of picking up loops, slip stitch in each vertical bar across, then fasten off.