The first thing I ever learned to do with yarn was crochet. My great-grandmother taught my cousin and me to make crochet chains, but somehow we never go to the next stage in crochet, when you work into a stitch. As a student at university, keen to figure out what I had never learned, I found a book on crochet and taught myself to single chain. I was never the most avid of crocheters, but it seemed that every winter, when the rain would start* I would catch the crochet-bug again. I mostly made coasters or placemats - I liked the round shapes. Once I decided to be bold and made a doggy jumper out of granny squares, but I never got around to attaching all of the squares and the poor pup never got the jacket.
So, the crochet started the yarn love, but I set it down when I went to Edinburgh. The next time I was to pick up any yarn, it was for knitting, and that held my interest for quite some time.
So, the crochet started the yarn love, but I set it down when I went to Edinburgh. The next time I was to pick up any yarn, it was for knitting, and that held my interest for quite some time.
Crochet has a very different look to it from knitting. I think knitting really suits clothing, especially jumpers and cardigans. I have seen many, many brilliant patterns for crocheted jackets, tops, skirts, and socks, but knitted stockinette stitch is always going to be the "classic" look. It somehow manages to stay in the background, so that garment shaping and colorwork can be highlighted. Crochet is the more bold of the two. The fabric it produces can be quite thick and dense, so it is inherently suited for different uses.
But crocheting is brilliant for making shapes, circles, openwork - it does all of these things beautifully. So, being able to crochet means I can open up my style even more.
But crocheting is brilliant for making shapes, circles, openwork - it does all of these things beautifully. So, being able to crochet means I can open up my style even more.
And now that I've started crocheting again, it seems I still like those round shapes.
* Oh California - aren't you cute, with your rainy "season" instead of "all-the-time."
* Oh California - aren't you cute, with your rainy "season" instead of "all-the-time."