My all time favorite yarn technique is Tunisian crochet. It’s called crochet because there are some basics that resemble crochet and it uses a crochet hook. The technique is growing in popularity and there are many good resources to get you started with this amazing stitch but there is one thing that seems to be lacking in all the tutorials I’ve come across and that is how to make a seamless tube in Tunisian crochet.  I figured out this technique quite some time back and would like to share it with you all.

What you’ll need is a double ended crochet hook and some yarn. With Tunisian, you need a hook about 2 sizes larger than the recommended crochet hook. That way, your piece doesn’t turn out too stiff with little to no drape. For this project, I used a worsted weight yarn (specifically cascade 220) and a size J hook.

First, make a base chain like you would for standard crochet. Now, making sure you don’t twist the chain, join the first chain to the chain on your hook. The chain on your hook will be your first vertical bar.

 

Now proceed to pick up stitches along the back ridge of your chains until you are about half way done or your hook is fully loaded with stitches, whichever comes first.

Now, push all your halfway finished stitches to the other end of your hook and turn the hook around. Now your first stitch should be back at the beginning.  Here’s a short little video clip on what this looks like: flipping your work

To finish these stitches, take the other end of your yarn (yarn #2) from your ball (or another skein of yarn) and place the end over your hook and pull it through the first stitch.

With yarn #2 still, yarn over from front to back and pull through two stitches (the first chain from yarn #2 and the next stitch from the first yarn). Continue with the front to back yarn over and pull through two stitches until you have two stitches left on your hook. Push to the other end and flip your hook around.
 

Continue picking up stitches, flipping, pulling off stitches, and flipping again.

When you get the beginning of your round, insert your hook from the left to the right under the first bar, yarn over and pull up one stitch. Go to the next vertical bar, insert hook from left to right, yarn over and pull up. Continue till you need to flip and unload your stitches.
 

When you want to bind off, start at the beginning of your rounds, pick up your first two stitches as normal. Pull the second stitch through the first stitch to bind the first stitch off. Pick up the next stitch and pull through the second stitch to bind the second stitch off. Unload the remaining stitches that need to be finished by yarn #2. Break yarn #2 and pull through the last stitch. Continue binding off until you get to the last stitch.

Pick up the chain from binding off the first stitch, yarn over and pull through the first stitch and the last. Break yarn and pull through. Weave in ends.