Crochet Every Way Stitch Dictionary - Book Review

Crochet Every Way Stitch Dictionary

125 Essential Stitches to Crochet in Three Ways

Dora Ohrenstein

Paperback

9 ½ x 7 ¼”

287 pages

Publisher: Abrams (May, 2019)

There are two basic avenues to gain knowledge of any subject: (1) via study through books and/or the classroom; or (2) from direct experience. Both have their place, but when it comes to crochet, the former is almost impossible as there is scant formal written information on the subject, especially when compared to its’ big sister needlework art, knitting. Just to provide one cursory example, I pulled out a general textiles book from my personal library, written in 2005, and searched the index for knit and crochet entries. I was expecting a fair amount on the former, but was unsure whether crochet would have made the cut. I was surprised when, after mentally recording that more than three quarters of the 24 entries under “K” in the book were about knitting, the almost 2 pages of “C” entries contained exactly one about crochet – “crocheting.” And that lone entry in the textile wilderness was contained, tellingly for my current purposes, in a chapter entitled “Nonwovens and Other Methods of Fabric Construction,” and was grouped together with macramé, netting, and tatting, as alternative ways to create openwork fabrics. Of some note, this textiles book also included hairpin lace as its own method within this grouping, indicating it as a subset of crochet. I can only guess that the frame used to create hairpin lace was the reason it earned its own distinct entry separate from general crochet.

Enter Dora Ohrenstein.  She has been writing books on crochet and crochet design for the better part of the last decade, and the title that had, until now, the biggest impact on my designing career was her 2011 title Creating Crochet Fabric. Before it, I was not a fan of swatching, and initially I purchased the book for the design projects (and have made one, the Juliette Shawl, which project made the blog in this entry back in May, 2011). While the design projects drew me in, it was the brief, ending stitch dictionary and fabric creation that kept me coming back to it, again and again and again. Dora spent considerable time throughout the period when that book was first published attempting to get everyone – both designers and non-designers – to just swatch. Ohrenstein was trying, back then, to get everyone to learn to love the art and beauty of crochet fabric as much as she did through the means she knew best: direct personal experience with hook and yarn.

A swatch sampling from Crochet Every Way Stitch Dictionary

Fast forward to now, and Ohrenstein’s latest title, Crochet Every Way Stitch Dictionary, picks up rather elegantly, and with some innovation, where Creating Crochet Fabric left off. In keeping with my theme of how one gains knowledge, Dora’s opening words in this book provides her personal roadmap: “I taught myself to crochet as a twenty-one-year-old hippie while living on a houseboat in Amsterdam.” It doesn’t get any more hands-on than that. While she would leave crochet for a singing career in the intervening years between that hippie houseboat and now, creativity has never left Ohrenstein, and it shines brilliantly in this, her most recent entry, on the way to get everyone hooked (no pun intended) on the possibilities of crochet fabric. (Note: Dora has also completed an Artfully Voie de Vie Questionnaire here back in 2012.)

My version of Plump Posts, p. 126, worked in
Cascade 220 Superwash + a 5.00 mm hook

For designers and non-designers, swatching is the cornerstone of most any knit and/or crochet endeavor. For the maker, it yields vital information on gauge and fiber behavior with a particular stitch pattern, the lynch pin of whether a project will be successful. For designers, swatches are mini-fabric windows through which designs flow, morph, grow. Each attempt yields different informational fruit, all of which goes into the trifle that will become future fabric. We designers become the masters of the 4” fabric square, the going industry size for determining whether a design is, or isn’t, a potential publishing winner. The swatch is, of course, conventionally a means to a bigger design end and, most probably, was created in service to a design idea already formed.

What Ohrenstein wants us to recognize and internalize is that the swatch is a vehicle for stitch patterns that, in and of themselves, are a wealth of design information and inspiration. Exercising the swatching muscle can (and I might argue) should be one of the foundational design inspiration tools in any self-respecting designer’s tool kit – to be exercised at any point, whether or not with a particular design in mind. This book shows that how one manipulates a stitch pattern via increase and decrease can just as easily lead to other design inspiration. Stitch pattern increase and decrease is just as much an art as a skill.

My Open Ovals swatches, p. 236, using
a fiber cocktail of Habu Textiles Silk
Mohair + Tahki Stacy Charles Luna
held together + a 4.25 mm hook

After introducing some perfunctory basics on stitch patterns and how they create designs, Dora lays out the book’s organization – stitch patterns in five flavors over six chapters from closed stitches to open, texture to lace, and that final crochet mainstay – ripple stitches. After thumbing through each section, I chose the first three stitch patterns that caught my eye to work up for this review.  My gut is consistent when it comes to the types of stitches I like – I chose one from the texture section, one from the classic lace section (and that’s my favorite section in the book, truth be told), and one from the ripple section because its increase was just so darned intriguing.

Working these swatches was not only a pleasure because each is charted (such a treat – work the chart and fini!), but also because I chose stash yarn for each, and for this textile fan pairing the right fiber with stitch pattern is always a fun exercise. Working some of the decreases on the first texture stitch swatch instantly gave me other ideas on what could be done along that particular edge. The lace swatches were the most satisfying, not the least because I chose to work them up in a mohair blend. The ripple increase swatch was, however, the most enlightening. I know I shall be going back to that swatch as well as that 

Tilted Ripple, p. 270, was by far the most fascinating
swatch worked. I used Drops Puna + a 4.25 mm hook.

section of the book (at the end, and the shortest) to further investigate.

While this is technically a stitch dictionary, I find the title slightly misleading. I do not find the stitch patterns themselves to be the star, but how we can learn to manipulate them. In that respect, this book is indeed innovative, because stitch repeats in whole cannot always be successfully increased and/or decreased. Ohrenstein, through her instruction for each increase and decrease, is giving us the underlying tools to successfully get any stitch pattern to do what we want it to.

It is a shame that we (at least in the U.S.) tend to look down our noses at craft (although this continues to change and evolve). Ohrenstein, with this latest title has, along with her title from 2011, created a one-two punch for anyone wanting to create crochet fabric, or learn more generally about fabric creation and manipulation. As crochet is seen more and more regularly on the fashion runway, it takes its place alongside knit fabrics as a potential design fabric staple in any house’s seasonal collection. Resultingly, I find both of these Ohrenstein titles should be useful not only to a general craft public (as each title is categorized by their respective publishers), but also relevant in any textile or design classroom setting. Then there would be, at minimum, three crochet entries in any thorough book on textiles.

If you love to create fabric (crochet or otherwise) as much as I do, and you’ve read this far (ha!), now comes the payoff: I had no idea Abrams would be sending me two copies. Therefore, I am so thrilled to be able to give a copy of Crochet Every Way Stitch Dictionary away to one lucky winner. All you need do is comment below on why you want a copy of this book, and what you hope to learn from it. I will be awarding the copy to a winner via random number generator from all comments received between now and the end of the day next Monday, June 17th. 

Good luck ... and happy swatching!

Wednesday, June 19th Update: Sorry I am a few days late in awarding a winner - but I gave the random integer generator a whirl just a few minutes ago, and it picked number 1 (and 5 was the alternate), so Missy of A Tree Hugger's Wife wins this awesome book! I will also be posting this on Instagram, so everyone can see it there as well. Thanks to everyone who read the review, and especially to those who took the time to leave a comment. I urge everyone to add this title to your crafty book shelf - you will not be disappointed.

How About a Little History This Melange Monday?

Hello everyone! Since it's (just another) melange Monday, and I'm discussing history while introducing some of the designs in Leather, Lace, Grit & Grace, I thought a republishing here of an article I wrote for CrochetInsider.com back in 2010 might be of interest. (Note: I didn't link to Dora Ohrenstein's site because it's been down for maintenance for a bit and didn't want to send you on a wild link chase. When it comes back up, I'll re-establish the link.).

So, without further ado, here's the first of two articles on the U.S. history of crochet:

RECLAIMING CROCHET - AND FINDING ITS AMERICAN HISTORY

The real history of crochet has yet to be discovered. In the United States, there is virtually no written history of crochet. Of the few books providing historical treatment of crochet, only one had a portion dedicated to American crochet history.

The Progressive Era, one of the most dramatic periods of American societal change, is particularly worthy of study. The beginning of the 20^th century was a significant time of social upheaval. Women were questioning and redefining their roles at home and in the workplace. This, in turn, placed the needle arts in a new perspective.

The Historical Background – The Progressive “Impulse”

Even before the 20^th century began, many in the United States believed in the need to deal with the problems – political, social, and moral – associated with the rise of urbanization and industrialization. This “impulse” toward reform took firm root during, roughly, 1900 – 1915, in what historians have termed the “Progressive Era.” No corner of American life was left untouched – from the way we processed beef, to the way we treated immigrants, to the number of hours in a workday, to the arrangement of domestic life.

The Colored Women’s League of 

Washington (D.C.) 1894

(Manuscript Division, Library of Congress)

The Progressive Era incited the birth of the women's movement. A mere century ago, women in most states did not have the right to vote, could not own property, were not welcomed in most professions (except those deemed traditionally “female”, such as teaching and social work) and held an extremely low profile in the public sphere. Women were thought to belong, virtually exclusively, in the domestic domain.

The changing social landscape, brought on my rapid industrialization, made many women question their public, as well as domestic, roles. The push for female suffrage dominated this period. Attempts were made to join the ranks of the professions – engineering, law, and medicine – and some were successful, others not. A critical percentage of women remained single (around 10% at the turn of the 20^th century), and for the majority of those that did marry, mechanization of many household chores, along with longer school hours for children, freed up much of their time. Finally, divorce was on the rise – by the end of 1915, approximately one in nine marriages (up from one in every twenty-one in the last decades of the 19^th century) ended in divorce.

All of this led to women taking a more public role in society – whether in clubs (cultural organizations where middle- and upper-class women gathered for intellectual pursuits), as activists, in settlement houses, or within government. 

Crochet in the US at the Turn of the 20^th Century

Most American needlecraft had declined dramatically during the middle of the 19^th century. There was, quite simply, a drastically reduced need to spin yarn and create fabric in such a time-consuming manner. At the turn of the 20^th century, crochet was not receiving much American public attention (although it had made inroads on the Paris fashion runway). As one example illustrates – the “crochet” entries in the Reader’s Guide to Periodic Literature between 1900 and 1904 – there were only five articles devoted solely to crochet during that entire period! Additionally, given crochet’s deep English roots and the fact that lace had all but been banned as an export to England during America’s founding, this country’s need to put distance between itself and the perceptions associated with English royalty may also have played a part in the lack of crochet’s 19^th century American presence.

This hat, published in The Delineator in 

January, 1912, included instructions on how 

to crochet the Venetian lace adornment.

However, as a new wave of immigrants came ashore via Ellis Island, they brought with them the “stuff” of their home countries – and needle arts were a part of that rich, immigrant experience. As women were in the midst of redefining their public and private roles, the ability to choose to create crocheted garments, accessories and home fashions played an ever-expanding role. It helped that materials were easier to obtain (the Sears Roebuck catalogue was an excellent source of wool for many), and the manufacture of crochet cotton was well underway by companies such as Coat’s and Clark Thread Company and Columbia Cottons. Additionally, continued American westward expansion not only was tailor-made for (at the time) crochet’s sturdier and more practical fabric, but aided in its popularity as an American art either to be engaged in during leisure time, or for additional income. Women no longer needed to be exclusively dependent on a husband’s income.

There was also a rise in the use of crochet (and knitting) for social change. Needlecraft programs were developed in many settlement houses as a way to provide an outlet for immigrant expression, and for middle-class women to come into contact with that expression. Home economics courses were developed and adopted as college doctrinal requirements. Many school girls took afternoon classes in knitting and crochet, with the hope that they would be able to earn a living through these skills. As in the 19th century, crocheted items were used to support charitable works of all kinds through church- or community-sponsored events.   

The Designers

An example of design by Antonie Ehrlich. Published, 

with commentary, in Ladies’ Home Journal, July, 1912.

Very little attention, unfortunately, has been paid to early 20^th century crochet designers, although they were known in their time for their art, and many gained a loyal following.  Women such as Anne Champe Orr, Mary Card, Anna Wuerfle Brown, Antonie Ehrlich, Sophie T. La Croix, Helen Marvin, and Anna Valeire are only some of the designers who helped pave the crochet design path during the Progressive Era. These designers were proficient in many crochet techniques brought from other countries – Irish crochet, Australian crochet techniques, Venetian and French lace crochet – as well as other needle arts.

Antonie Ehrlich had many crochet designs published in magazines in the latter portion of the Progressive Era. In certain instances, since only written instruction was included in magazines (and, in many instances, it was incomplete) women needed to send money for complete instructions directly to Ehrlich.

Anne Champe Orr’s career began at Coat’s and Clark Thread Company; she eventually went on to publish her design pamphlets through her own publishing company, and charted patterns became one of her areas of expertise. She was a trailblazer not only as a designer, but also for her ability to provide employment for many others. She was also heavily involved in her Tennessee community in many charitable works.

A Mary Card design, published in Ladies’ Home 

Journal, October, 1911, under the heading 

“The New Australian Crochet.”

Another designer, Mary Card, has a particularly compelling story. Although not born in the United States but in Australia, Mary Card turned to designing and teaching crochet when she experienced deafness in adulthood. She published many designs in America, and devised a method of charting her crochet designs. Charting became a great Card teaching tool; it allowed her to not only pursue a career in which her disability would not be a hindrance, but to also reach a far greater student audience - she eventually made her charts larger to accommodate those with poor eyesight. Many who have crocheted a Mary Card design say they are some of the best examples of craftsmanship from the period.

Patterns and Sources

A Helen Marvin original design,

published in the March, 1913 Women's

Home Companion. It was suggested as

a good “Easter bazaar contribution.”

Crocheted dress collars, baby garments, hats, slippers and sweaters made up a large portion of the patterns for adults and children being designed during this period. Of some note were crocheted golf sweaters for women - as their involvement in the sport increased, so did the desire for patterns. Additionally, bedspreads, lace edgings for curtains, tablecloths, doilies and other home fashions were also very popular, as well as gorgeous crocheted handbags. In many instances, the genesis of today’s patterns for crocheted bags can be seen in the designs originating during the Progressive Era.

For many, magazines were a great source for crocheted patterns. The Delineator, Ladies’ Home Journal, Womens Home Companion, The Modern Priscilla, and  Harper’s Bazar were some of the many nationally published magazines that were great sources from which middle-class women gained not only current crochet trends and patterns, but also general information on personal and home fashion trends. Antonie Ehrlich was published in Ladies’ Home Journal; Helen Marvin was a frequent contributor to Women’s Home Companion.

Additionally, many of these publications produced and distributed individual designers’ pamphlets. Many of the designers mentioned above had individual publications devoted exclusively to their designs.

The lasting legacy of the Progressive Era is debated still by historians, including the legacy of women’s activism during the period. I keep coming back to some words from Kim Werker in one of the essays from Crochet Me, her 2007 book regarding why crochet, now:

            “My pet theory, though, is … the post-feminist theory of our lovely crafty

 revolution is that fiber arts are popular these days because we're reclaiming

 the “women’s work” from which our mothers fought so hard to break free.”

Given all that women had to fight for, and against, during the Progressive Era, I am convinced that many women back then would agree with Werker’s current statement. The history of crochet in America, as a choice, was one of the art’s hallmarks during the beginning of the 20^th Century. Reclaim on. 

Vote for Great Color and Design

Happy election day to everyone here in the U.S.! I cast my vote yesterday (love mail-in balloting); I also cast another vote several weeks ago when I pre-ordered the new Crochet Noro book. When I received it at the end of last week, I could hardly wait to sit and pour over it. I was not disappointed.

Where to begin? Well, let's start with the designs. There's a little something here for everyone - sweaters, accessories, interior design pieces, and jewelry. Each pattern is marked with a skill level: one box is easiest, four boxes for the seasoned crocheters out there. Personally, I find several of the designs deceptively simple, and for good reason - the yarn is the star here, so no need for intricate stitches (more on this below). There's also a lot of motif-based designs - a full quarter of the designs in the book are accomplished with motifs. I love a great motif, so I'm all for this. More involved patterns (including all of the motif-based designs) include charts as well as written instructions.

The collection also brings together most of the big names in crochet design - Robyn Chachula, Doris Chan, Lily Chin, Yoko Hatta, Linda Permann and Mary Beth Temple just to name a few. Of some note: a full 8 designs (just slightly more than a quarter of the collection) belong to Yoko Hatta. Incredible. Three of my absolute favorites include two from Hatta - the Boxy Cardigan and the Puff Stitch Cowl. I'm also partial to Lily Chin's Chevron Hat. Her great use of yarn and stitch makes the cap look like a piece of jewelry. I've also fallen hard for the Buttons & Flowers Shawl - what a great design concept for a shawl. Buttons at the center of each motif make customizing fit a breeze as well as ensuring it stays around the shoulders. Just genius. I even have loads of similar mother-of-pearl buttons. Hmmmmm.

 

But let's not stray too far from what we're all head-over-heels in love with: that great Noro color! This lushly styled and photographed collection is a feast for the eyes. With each flip of the page, you will have an intake of breath at the color explosion. The pieces run the gamut of color - from deep, earthy fall to bubble-gum-inspired to jewel-toned. No matter your color palette preference, there's something here for everyone. I really appreciate the wonderful layering of color in each photo. It really speaks to me as a painter (as well as a home cook). Layering is the name of the game, and the wonderful Noro colors are showcased to perfection.

I've had four skeins of Kureyon in the discontinued number 221 colorway (greens, purples and peach) just waiting for the right project. You know I broke out hook and Kureyon and in two days flat whipped up the Puff Stitch Cowl. Hatta's pattern calls for 6 skeins; I augmented my four with an unknown (but perfectly coordinated) aran weight yarn from Vivian over at Bits 'n Pieces and wound up with a lush cowl just 7" shorter than the original:

My version of the Puff Stitch Cowl, made
with 4 skeins Noro Kureyon (colorway 221) and
augmented with an aran-weight wool

 

This cowl is a simple 4-row repeating pattern, constructed flat and then seamed at the end. I wet-soaked in a small amount of hair conditioner and blocked prior to seaming and the yarns bloomed and softened nicely. I cannot tell you how much I love the color in this cowl.



The back of my Puff Stitch Cowl

If you haven't gotten the message yet - I love, love, love Noro yarns, and I am thrilled with this new Crochet Noro book. Run, don't walk, to your local bookstore and pick it up. I think it might sell out quickly. Sixth & Spring is on a crochet roll this year (with the special crochet edition of Vogue Knitting earlier in the year) and I couldn't be happier.

Er, well, I might be if they would invite me to submit a design or two ... but that's another story for another day.

On Music, Design as Self-Discovery, and Overrated Questions

It's always such a treat for me to publish answers to my Artfully Voie de Vie Questionnaire - designers are all so unique, that no matter how many times I ask a question, I always receive such varied and intriguing answers. And in this next installment, the same holds true: Dora Ohrenstein, who's been designing crochet garments and accessories for many years, provides insight as well as takes me to task on the question of crochet hook grip.  No matter; I am pleased and honored to present the latest installment in the Artfully Voie de Vie Questionnaire series with crochet designer Dora Ohrenstein.

Cover of Custom Crocheted Sweaters,
Ohrenstein's 2012 book

The Artfully Voie de Vie Questionnaire

with crochet designer Dora Ohrenstein

Can you tell us a little bit about your background before you started to design crochet garments and accessories? 

I was a professional singer for thirty years.  My biggest “claim to fame” is that I was the solo vocalist of the Philip Glass Ensemble for 10 years – great gig!  I also had my own touring production called Urban Diva which was presented in about a dozen US venues and in Europe, and became a solo recording. In addition, I’ve been teaching singing at the college level for the last 15 years

When was the moment you knew you wanted to become a crochet designer?

When Jean Leinhauser approached me  at a CGOA conference and said she wanted to buy the top I was wearing! 

Please describe your personal crochet design philosophy?

Several ideas are always present in my mind when designing: make something beautiful, using the best yarn and stitch for the project. The latter may sound simple, but often it’s not – I swatch A LOT with different yarns and stitches.  If it’s a garment: something versatile and really wearable. Too many crochet garments don’t really fit with today’s fashions, so I strive to make wearables that I can imagine being worn with jeans, or to work. I hope I achieved this in my recent book Custom Crocheted Sweaters!  In my designs, I want to suggest new ways of seeing certain stitches, or design elements, to introduce something special and different to crochet. I’m also always challenging myself to learn something new. 

Eleganza Raglan from
Custom Crocheted Sweaters

What is your greatest crochet (or design) memory?

It’s hard for me to pinpoint one, but I would say that some of my most pleasurable moments have been talking about crochet with my dear friend Vashti Braha.  I’ve had the privilege of visiting her in Florida and we’ve spent days in non-stop talk about crochet, designing, crochet history, the way it’s done in the US and abroad, and our dreams for crochet’s future.

If you could have dinner with any three designers, dead or alive, who would they be, and why?

Well, I have been incredibly lucky: I’ve had dinner with many of the designers I admire most! Doris Chan, Kristen Omdahl, Lisa Gentry, Teva Durham, Lily Chin. Mostly because we all attend TNNA. I’ve also spent time with non-US designers,  including the amazing Ukrainian designer Antonina Kuznetsova.  I visited her in Kiev in 2010, along with another wonderful crocheter Maire Treanor from Ireland.  We had a fantastic week together, and visited the offices of Duplet magazine, where we saw more incredible Ukrainian crochet.  Another marvelous designer I’ve met and spent several hours with is Yoko Hatta, one of Japan’s leading designers – her work has been featured a lot lately by the people at Vogue.  She is a knitter and crocheter, and her stuff is exquisite.

Lacy Tunic from the recent
Vogue Knitting Special Crochet issue.

Pencil or knife grip?

Knife.  But I think this topic is overrated.  What I wish would be more frequently discussed is tension, especially how to loosen it.  It’s a pity that many crocheters feel stuck with whatever tension they used when first starting to crochet.Tight tension is very limiting and can cause pain eventually.  What I advocate is flexible tension, and I don’t think it’s difficult to learn. For some reason it’s taboo to discuss the crochet hold as a technique -- rather, people want to be reassured that however they do it is fine.  But there are some ways of maneuvering that are a lot more efficient than others, and if we had clearer guidelines in our crochet world, perhaps more people would strive for it.

It’s your last object to design (or make). What is it, and what fiber do you use?

I’m currently working on two designs for publication, one with Malabrigo lace, one with Euroflax Kidlin, both yarns I love.

What trait do you most admire in designers?

My version of Ohrenstein's Juliette Shawl,
a design from one of her previous
books, Creating Crochet Fabric.

Originality. I also admire designers who have a strong signature to their style.

What trait do you most detest in designers?

I don’t think there’s anything where I would use such a strong word as detest, but  I do wonder at the number of designs which seem to be just another version of the latest trendy idea in crochet.  I guess people are just trying to sell patterns, and who can blame them, but for me, crochet is a pathway of discovery, not rehashing.  I guess this stems from my background in the arts – I have a permanent craving for creative challenges!

You are recommending a design gift in response to a friend’s inquiry. Other than your own designs (which, as everyone knows, are quite beautiful!), what would you recommend?

Thanks so much for the compliment Denise! I think crochet hats and scarves make great gifts, because they are so practical, easy to make, and not necessarily costly.  My recommendation is to ask the giftee what color they like, and to think about the styles they wear and how your gift will fit in with it. Maybe even show the person some pictures so they can show you what they like.

My sincere thank you to Dora for taking the time to answer my questionnaire. Both Custom Crocheted Sweaters and Creating Crochet Fabric are invaluable additions to any home library.

A Lovely Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. Friday

Well, I have another shawl to share with everyone on this gloriously sunny Friday in the Pacific Northwest.

The making of my Springtime Lilac Shawl was a spur-of-the-moment decision earlier this week. Yes, earlier this week.  I actually completed this shawl in four days. I do believe I’m now ready for Olympic track sprints.

I had the yarn in my stash, the book on my shelf, and the beads in my craft corner – what else does a crafty gal need? This pattern, the Juliette Shawl from Creating Crochet Fabric, is easy, yet interesting. Since I also completed it pretty much by utilizing only the charts (I did refer to the written instructions once or twice when I encountered a few small inconsistencies in the charting sequence), it was something of a mindless crochet. Reading charts as mindless crochet – go figure.

In any event, this early morning picture above might be somewhat dark, but it does capture the hint of attractive sheen in the Louisa Harding Merletto yarn. (I've provided a link to a retail site in the face of virtually no fiber information on Harding's own site.) It’s got a small amount of linen content, so

it’s also slightly fuzzy around the edges. I did find this yarn incredibly splitty when crocheting; this might not be the same when knitting.

All in all – a very quick, satisfying and pretty project with just a little added amethyst bling on the bottom. I’ll take it!

I hope everyone has had a satisfyingly crafty week. Definitely check back with Andrea's blog to see the results.

Not “Where are They Now?” but “What Did They Inspire?” (2KCBWDAY4)

There is no doubt that since 2009 I have been on a creative path. Fiber pursuits, painting, writing and photography have all played an integral part in my life these past few years. While I have crafted, and will continue to craft, items for charity, I’m not certain of their impact and, quite frankly, I like it that way. I believe in letting those knit and crochet items go freely, so that they can be and do whatever it is they were meant to be and do.

There has been a definite link between my fiber efforts and other disciplines. It started in 2009 when, after taking a Tunisian crochet course at Stitches West, I went back home and created a bed cover from my stash.

At the same time, I was exploring painting in a more disciplined manner, having picked up paint brushes for the first time in 2007. A direct result of the Tunisian bed cover I crafted were these two paintings (and there’s a third, a portion of which is visible in the bed cover pic, but I have no decent photo of it):

Those three paintings were a culmination of my individual study of blocks in acrylics, and would have never happened had the crochet inspiration not existed.

The second visual I created related to fiber was a banner and badge for a Ravelry group – the Knitter’s Coffee Swap. The group was looking for new visuals, and a member had a good idea but no artistic skills to execute it. I really liked the idea, sent her a message, one thing led to another, and we created the following together – her idea, my execution in acrylic on canvas, with words digitally added later:

While I haven’t been around the group’s page in a while, it was still being used the last time I checked.

Finally, I like history (and have taught 20^th Century U.S. history). I’ve written one article on the history of crochet in the U.S. at the turn of the century for Crochet Insider. I have recently finished another for Crochet Insider, due to be published by the end of the week (the editor/designer, Dora Ohrenstein, publishes quarterly so is pushing for April 1^st). Not only will the article spawn my first pattern (fingers and toes crossed!), but it also led me to create a few mixed media pieces, one of which is below:

Not only am I thrilled that Dora is committed to publishing these types of crochet articles, but doubly pleased that the artwork received a warm reception. I can’t know their future impact, but I send them out there much like the charity items, free (within the bounds of law!) to do and be whatever they will.

We are smack dab in the middle of the second annual Knitting and Crochet Blogging Week. What do you hope your fiber creations have inspired or will in future inspire? Definitely let me know in the comments section below and remember – only three days left of this wonderful, wild and woolly Internet madness!