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Slip Stitch Crochet / Bosnian Crochet / Shepherd's Knitting How often do you think about the humble slip stitch? We certainly use it a lot in virtually every project we crochet but did you know that working with just the slip stitch in various ways can produce lots of different textures!

Back in the day Scottish peasants used to use a special hook called a shepherd's hook, shaped like the one here, which I made today from some scrap wood (needs a lot of work!). The design allows smooth crocheting of slip stitches as it opens up the loop. It's this technique that is believed to have developed into crochet we know today. It's also known as Bosnian crochet, Pjoning or Shepherd's Knitting (and a few other names!), even though it's not technically knitting, it looks very much like it. Whether this ancient form of crochet originated in Scotland or Europe (or elsewhere) is still debated but it's such an interesting way to crochet.

In this video I introduce some basic techniques of how to work various textures in slip stitch crochet, both working in the round and working in rows can produce very different results. I hope you feel inspired!

An intriguing technique using two Tunisian Crochet hooks to make a textured fabric which is the same on both sides. It isn't knitting, it isn't crochet, it isn't Tunisian Crochet either. What it looks like is both casting on and casting off at the same time; you cast off one hook while casting on to the other hook.

This video was promised to the Facebook groups Knitting & Australian Handspinners & Knitters. It was first taught in 1989 (as far as we can find out) by Rosemary Fleming (deceased) of Hervey Bay QLD Australia.