A Powerful Tunisian Crochet Stitch to Love

Neck Lattice (1 skein!) 
photo ©2011 Vashti Braha

I'm giving away a full downloadable edition of the new Simply Crochet book! 

Neck Lattice photo ©2011 Interweave Press

If you don't know about the main stitch used for Neck Lattice (just published by Interweave Press), please read on. It's one of the two stitches that have liberated my Tunisian crocheting. (See "Breaking Out of Tunisian Ruts," issue #10 of my Crochet Inspirations newsletter for the other one.)

A Shakti Scarf (new design)
shows both sides of fabric

This amazing Tunisian stitch:

• Conserves yarn. Neck lattice uses ONE SKEIN. So do my other designs based on this stitch. 
• Loves every Tunisian crochet hook size.
• Loves a wide range of yarn weights, thicknesses, and textures.
• Is reversible: looks fabulous on both sides (not always the case with a Tunisian crochet stitch).
• Is fast to crochet (not always the case with a Tunisian crochet stitch).
• Singlehandedly creates a sheer, breezy, weightless Tunisian crochet lace. Not only that, it can be stretchy.

Have you ever used this stitch? Leave a comment on this blog post about it and you'll be entered to win the Simply Crochet e-book. 
You have until tomorrow, Fri. Dec. 9 at 10pm EST to enter. 

Prototype: 1-skein Neck Lattice in thicker yarn

Below is a gallery of the same Tunisian crochet stitch in different fibers, yarn weights, and degree of laciness over the years. (I know the photos are arranged weirdly in this post. It's just the way Blogger is sometimes.)





When Interweave Press published the new Simply Crochet book this month, I took stock of my design journey with this unique Tunisian crochet stitch. Neck Lattice, included in this book, was a pivotal discovery for me as a crocheter. 

Same Neck Lattice pattern and hook size, thicker yarn!

I released my early photos of it (including a prototype) this week, and I remembered the exhilaration of discovering its edge-as-you-go latticework. And, the wonder of using the yarn that book editor Robyn Chachula chose for me to use--it's the red alpaca one in most of the photos here. 

I had only used fingering weight yarn (sock yarn) for it until she sent me this lace weight yarn. I worried at first, but then I loved seeing the design take shape from only one skein. It grew quickly because I used a big Tunisian crochet hook.

Early swatching

For all its power, this Tunisian stitch doesn't seem to be one of the basic stitches one learns after the Tunisian Simple Stitch (Tss), even though it's easy to do! Oddly, it has no standard name or description. I've seen it called Extended Knit Stitch, Corded Stitch, Tunisian Knit Single Crochet, Tunisian Shaker Stitch, and "Tunisian Knit Stitch with a chain-1."

A Shakti Scarf (new design)

Here are my other experiments with this stitch over the past year or so. 
NOTE: several of these are "Shakti Scarves," which are all versions of the same Tunisian Shakti design. 

A Shakti Scarf (new design)

Update:
Tunisian Shakti Scarves crochet superpattern is now available in my DesigningVashti pattern shop, and Ravelry store. 

A Shakti Scarf (new design)

Stitch experiment

Islander Wrap

A Shakti Scarf (new design)

A Shakti Scarf (new design)