Cross Stitch Afghans

You can crewel embroider on anything that you crochet or knit. Cross stitch afghans work best on the even grid produced by Tunisian crochet or single crochet.

Crochet an Afghan
Tunisian crochet uses a type of afghan stitch on a special afghan hook that is longer than a regular crochet hook with a hook on one end and a stop on the other like a knitting needle. Afghan hooks are available in various sizes depending on the weight of yarn, just like regular crochet hooks.

Here are some of my favorite books:

I'm really into the one on the right, 101 Easy Tunisian Stitches right now. Some of the crochet stitches under section 5 Pattern Stitches make interesting grids for embroidery.

Decorate It
To embroider, use yarn of the same weight as the handwork and a large eyed needle. A blunt needle works best for going between the yarn threads of the surface without piercing them and causing distortions. Look for patterns with a small width by height stitch count. These patterns will usually be chunky without much detail, but you can embellish details on with beads or buttons later.

Cross stitch on crochet is a nice way to add words and lettering to cross stitch afghans. If you know how to knit, try some knitting embellishment with the duplicate stitch. Large yarn is much easier to see and work with than tiny floss!