Hakking: an obsession
Hakking is an old craft technique which is coming into fashion again. It's a sort of blend between knitting and crochet and was, in ancient times, practiced in large areas of Europe. In Norway, hakking was especially widespread along the coast, and was used for making mittens, hats, cardigans, shawls, shirts, undergarments and blankets. Hakking is easy to learn and the work grows quickly! ---my translation of a description of a course offered by Solvor Hofsli author of Hakking: nytt liv for gammelt håndarbeid (: new life for an ancient craft) From another source I see that the technique is believed to be North-African in origin and came to Norway around the middle of the 1800's and was in regular use until the 1920's.

I was popping into various tourist traps in Oslo one day and came across a lady doing something to a mitten with a strange-looking crochet-hook without-the-bump-in-the-middle. I asked her what it was she was doing...I believe Sigurd translated for me... and she said it was called hakking and an old Norwegian craft. Of course, that was enough to make me immediately fascinated. She, rather rudely I might add, said No, I could not learn it, I would have to find an older person who would be willing to teach me. Well ! challenge? definitely. I came across the book mentioned above by Solvor Hofsli (can't find it anywhere online, sorry) and searched the yarn stores for a hook. (Interestingly the lady at the LYS said, "hakking? what's hakking?" I tried to assure here it was a Norwegian handicraft, but I'm not sure she believed some crazy American who burst into her store as she was trying to close...) After some amount of investigation, I learned that hakking also goes by the name of Afghan stitch and Tunisian crochet, and double ended hooks are available at Walmart suffering under the embarassing name of "Cro-Hook". (I found out recently that my very talented aunt Elizabeth already knew all about this. However, Sigurd's mother, whose own mother had made a lovely blanket using the technique, did not. I showed her the book and the hook and it helped us bond.) Something hakking-related is known as pjoning. I saw some very interesting mittens made this way at the Norwegian Folk Museum. When (if) I figure that out, I'll pass it on.

Point being, this is what I've found out there so far:

• basic afghan stitch tutorial plus increasing and decreasing
  
  
• hakking technique, in Norwegian, but with good illustrations
  
  
• the afghan stitch: hints and tips
  
  
• afghan stitch special techniques
  
  
• tunisian crochet stitch gallery
  
  
• and last but not least a pattern for a preemie sweater
  

If anyone knows of other online resources, I would love to know about it.