Afghan / Tunisian crochet hook size in vintage pattern

[melannen]

So I have this 1947 book of American crochet patterns with a lot of really styling vintage women's jackets and cardigans that I need, but the one I want to make first* uses Afghan crochet (what's currently called Tunisian). I haven't done enough Afghan to be confident winging it and I don't know anyone in RL who does Afghan crochet, so I am relying on you, DW.

Specifically, the pattern calls for a "10-inch medium hook". That is the only hook sizing information it has.

The google is being unhelpful in terms of telling me what size 10-inch Afghan/Tunisian hook corresponds to a vintage pattern's "Medium."

The gauge is supposed to 6 stitches to the inch with 3-ply sport yarn (assuming sport weight was the same in 1947) if that helps?





*it's based on a WWII-era battle jacket redone as women's crochet businesswear and called The Warrior's Jacket so obvs I need it for work and I happen to have all this khaki cotton sport yarn sitting here...

Comments

[sef1029]

I haven't done Tunisian crochet in years, so take this with a grain of salt. As you probably know, in this form of crochet the work stays on the hook as you work. That's why the "10-inch" description is relevant.

It's a guessing game what a "medium" is in this historical context. You usually need a size or two larger in a Tunisian hook to get the same size stitches as a comparable traditional crochet hook. If you look at the table here (last line, under sport yarn),

http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/weight.html

you'll see it calls for traditional hooks in the 3.5-4.5 mm (E-G) range. So you'd probably want a Tunisian hook that is slightly larger than that and has at least a 10 inch shaft. But if you're just learning Tunisian, you probably want to get a set of sizes and experiment with gauge. Mine is never the size recommended in a pattern.

[sef1029]

Are you on Ravelry? i just checked for jackets made with Tunisian crochet and sport yarn, and they use 5.0-6.0 mm hooks for the main body of the jacket.

[melannen]

No, I'm not on Ravelry, under the idea that the last thing I need is to get *more* project ideas. :P

That's useful, about going up a few sizes for Tunisian, which explains why all my Tunisian hooks seem larger than I would expect for standard (I inherited three as part of a larger collection, so I started with those.) Getting the 10" length figured out was easy enough (every beginning Tunisian guide wants to explain that) but it was surprisingly hard to find much about the width sizing.

If I'm not sure I usually just experiment with swatches until I'm at the right gauge but I'm new enough at Tunisian that without something to check against I wasn't 100% confident I was getting the results I needed in the swatches, either!

[oakmouse]

Totally agree with this! I'd go with a Tunisian hook size H or I to start with, maaaybe even a J because my Tunisian stitches tend to run tight/small, and measure the gauge swatch carefully.

Also, a word to the wise: it's absolutely crucial to block Tunisian, because many of the stitches curl liek whoa and that can make unblocked pieecs almost impossible to work with. (See these scars? I came by them honestly...)

[melannen]

Thanks! That's very helpful. I might actually have the right size hook already, then, I was afraid mine would all be way too big for sport yarn.

And thanks for the warning about blocking. My swatches were curling but I thought that was just because I always make my starting chain too tight.

[tephra]

If it's curling a lot, like rolling up in a tube, going up a hook size or two will help. That's the main way I can tell my hook is too small for my yarn. It will always have a bit of curl until it's blocked, unless it's so loose it looks lacy, but it will roll like mad if it's too tight.

[oakmouse]

Nah, curling is the nature of the beast. One of the reasons why people tend to size up on Tunisian hooks is that that helps to minimize (not eliminate --- just minimize) the curl. I tried using a "proper" sized Tunisian hook once instead of upszing, and the fabric that I knitted? Literally rolled itself into a tube. I had to frog it and start again with a bigger hook.

And you're welcome!

[copracat]

My experience of Tunisian is take regular breaks. As a method it weighs much more on your shoulders than crochet.

[angelicjenn]

I was going to suggest a G/H size hook since that is mid-range and the standard hook size for that yarn would tend to be E.

I want to see a picture of the jacket! Good luck! :D