Monday, 13 February 2017

A Touch of Tricot

People often think that tricot (or Tunisian crochet) means only this …

Crocheted 'afghan stitch' also known as tricot or Tunisian simple stitch in horizontal bands of colour from top to bottom: purple, pink, orange and yellow. The stitch creates a square grid pattern.
Afghan/Entrelac/Tunisian Simple Stitch in rainbow stripes of purple, pink, orange and yellow.
when tricot can actually be all this …


A section of a yellow sampler strip of 20 different tricot stitches arranged horizontally.
A sampler strip of twenty different tricot stitches in lemon yellow.
… and this …


A lavender (purple) sampler strip of 8 different tricot stitch patterns arranged horizontally.
A sampler strip of tricot lace stitches in lavender.


… and more!



While the simple stitch grid pattern combines beautifully with cross stitch (embroidery), there are many other applications for the crochet technique known as 'tricot' or 'Tunisian crochet'.

Tricot fabric can be thick and solid for warm blankets and coats, or light and lacy for garments and shawls.

Tricot samples on display at
Maker Faire Adelaide 2016.
My friend Cheryl is knitting
in the foreground.
As discussed in an earlier blog entry, tricot shares characteristics of both crochet and knitting. Combine the benefits of two crafts to make unique and beautiful items that could not be made with just crochet or knitting alone.


These samples were made hastily for Maker Faire Adelaide (2016).  They have not been washed or blocked just in case I want to undo them and re-use the yarn in future.  To avoid waste and to make it easier to re-use the acrylic yarn from my stash, each sample was part of a continuous strip from one ball of yarn.

Two sampler strips of tricot stitches, arranged vertically on a royal blue polar fleece blanket. The yellow strip on the left has 20 different textured tricot stitch patterns. The lavender strip on the right has eight different lacy tricot stitch patterns. The strips have paper tags attached on their right-hand edges to signify the names of each stitch pattern. The tags are joined by thin threads of yellow sewing thread.
Samples Labelled for Maker Faire
I chose yellow because textures are easier to see when made in a solid, light colour, and I just kept adding new stitch patterns to the strip until the yarn ran out.  It was my only ball of yellow acrylic so it is highly likely that I will want to undo it and use it for something else.  

 I chose purple for the lacy samples because it was light enough to show stitch definition and still contrast with the blue background of the display.  The lacy sample still has a large ball of yarn attached to it because I wasn't ready to cut the yarn at all!

You may also notice that the strips are not exactly straight at the sides. That's because some stitch patterns required different numbers of stitch multiples across each row and other patterns create a marked bias in the fabric. 

 I will introduce you to the individual stitch patterns soon!


What are your experiences with tricot (Tunisian crochet):
good, bad or indifferent?
I'd love to know if you have tried it and what you think.
Questions are also welcome.

Related Links on Lupey Loops


"Tricot with a Double-ended Hook (Tunisian Crochet)", 22 October 2016: https://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2016/10/tricot-with-double-ended-hook-tunisian.html

"Lupey Loops at Maker Faire Adelaide 2016", 1 December 2016: https://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2016/12/lupey-loops-at-maker-faire-adelaide-2016.html 
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11 comments:

  1. Breathing Life13/02/2017, 17:45

    I haven't tried it but after reading this and seeing your samplers I will definitely add it to my to-do list. Beautiful work.

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    1. Jodiebodie14/02/2017, 16:55

      Thank you for the compliment, Mary-Anne.
      Triot ought to be on the 'have a go' list for all knitters and crocheters. It is like knitting with a crochet hook, or crocheting onto a knitting needle! I find it intellectually stimulating whichever way I look at it. :-)

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  2. mamasmercantile14/02/2017, 00:53

    Wow, that was such a wide variety of stiches. It was joy to see those samplers.

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    1. Jodiebodie14/02/2017, 17:01

      Yes, and there are more stitches too but I ran out of time to create examples of them all before the Maker Faire.

      I am always on the lookout for new tricot patterns because there was hardly any information available when I first learned about it. Back in the early 2000s when I was looking for resources, all I could find was one book; just one; and it was from the library and out of print.

      Nowadays, I am so thrilled to see so many tricot books have been published since. If only I could have them ALL on my bookshelf for future reference. It is still ridiculously hard to source the hooks through mainstream craft shops in Australia, leaving no option but to order them in from overseas or make them myself.

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  3. Meredith14/02/2017, 01:59

    Wow,it really is so beautiful. Well done.

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    1. Jodiebodie14/02/2017, 17:03

      Thank you, Meredith. I love the rainbow colours and evenness of the rainbow stripes but I also love the lacy patterns in the lavender sample. These samples haven't been washed or blocked. I can't wait to make a more formal project using these stitches so I can block them and see how the lace looks once its opened up a bit more.

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  4. catdownunder14/02/2017, 07:52

    Did I tell you there is a new section for the Show? It says "Knitting and Crochet" - only two classes and one of them is "Tricot - any article". The other is for free form.

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    1. Jodiebodie14/02/2017, 17:05

      Now you have got me thinking, Cat! What can I make from tricot this year? Any categories for broomstick lace?

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  5. Sara - Villa Emilia17/02/2017, 22:56

    So very beautiful!
    You are so skillful! I wish I had more free time. I would love to learn to make this kind of textures. I love knitting and can do a little bit crocheting. Only little, but enough to know crocheting can be even more addictive than knitting. :)
    Thank you for the interesting post. Have a great weekend! xx

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    1. Jodiebodie18/02/2017, 01:35

      Thank you for visiting, Sara. I wish I had more free time too! i would love to knit socks and I like the stretch of knitted ribbing. I like how tricot gets me thinking in terms of rows because it will help me to understand knitting better.
      Tricot has a forward pass and a return pass for each row. The return pass is so quick to do that it makes one eager to start another row! That is how tricot becomes addictive. When I learn a new stitch pattern, it makes me want to learn more!

      If I can sit outside with my hooks and the birds for company, I will be happy. Do you like knitting with nature? I hope to get to know you better.

      Wishing a great weekend to you too!

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  6. digitizing services31/08/2024, 03:01

    wonderful job.

    ReplyDelete

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