Happy Hooking: A Knitter Learns Some New Tricks, Part I
So I've been thinking about crochet. Like a lot of things, I got thinking about crochet because I got a good book recommendation from Julie. She'd just purchased a copy of Debbie Stoller's The Happy Hooker
I've been intrigued by crochet for a long time. Longer, actually, than I've been intrigued by knitting. When I was somewhere in my early double-digit years, my great aunt Verna taught me the basics of making a granny square. She didn't teach me everything, just enough so that I knew how to keep going around and around and around with my happy colored cheap acrylic yarn. This granny square became one of the biggest granny squares ever known to humanity. I just kept going and going and going, adding new skeins of yarn as I went. I kept going because I really had no idea how to stop and finish it off. I'd probably still be working on it today, except I have no idea where it went. At some point, it was just no longer in my life. And since I couldn't remember how to start another crochet project, and I was moving on to counted cross stitch, I never really got back to crochet.
And I wouldn't find my knitting muse until my mid-20's. For most knitters, crocheting is pretty much relegated to the provence of making pretty edgings on garmets. Slip stitch and single or double crochet are just about all I ever needed to do and those simple edging elements were explained in my big Vogue Knitting book. But putting that edging on my Handspun Spiral Rug really got me thinking about crochet again. I generally like doing those crocheted edgings on knitted garments: so fast, so simple and so easy to rip out and correct mistakes.
So it seemed like high time to give crochet another chance. I bought the book and decided that I was going to give myself some at home crocheting lessons, with the goal of actually creating a crocheted garment that I would enjoy wearing. Or at least some cool placemats for my table.
Here's the results of my first lesson: a sample swatch composed of single, half-double, double and triple crochet, separated by a slip stitch rows. The swatch is done in Sugar n' Cream a 100% cotton yarn that I picked up at JoAnn's for just such a learning experience. I did five rows of each stitch between the slip stitch dividers. Pretty amazing how the size of the stitch can change just by adding one more loop. It also has a big impact on the density of the fabric. The single crochet at the bottom creates a much denser fabric than the triple crochet at the top.
So far, I have to agree with Julie whole heartedly -- this book does really have good instructions. After my first "lesson" with the book, I feel like I am ready to create a whole army of dish cloths. And I'm very excited about the next steps: increasing, decreasing and crocheting in the round. Maybe I'll finally actually figure out how to bring a granny square to a natural and lovely completion.
I also learned to crochet with Debbie's book, aren't the instructions so nice and clear? I made a skullholder with mine, it's on my blog somewhere. Good job with your first crochet stitches, so nice and even!
Good for you. I don't enjoy crochet as much but there is nothing at all wrong with learning something just for the sake of learning it - even if you never use it again!
You do it, so I don't have to.
;-)
What a coincidence! I came to the same conclusion about learning how to crochet, earlier this week. Although from skimming Debbie Stoller's book, it does look easy to follow, I opted for classes at my LYS. I'm looking forward to learning another fiber art!
Good for you! My grandmother taught me to crochet when I was little, but knitting is the craft that caught my imagination. But still . . . there are times when crocheting is good--I admit I still prefer the look/feel/weight of a crocheted afghan to that of a knitted one, and I crocheted baby blankets for my niece and nephew way back when.
I haven't read through the instructions in the new book, but thought that her knitting instructions in Stitch and Bitch were just wonderful, and have recommended that book to just about every new knitter I know. She does excellent basic instructions, and I'm not surprised that the crochet ones are just as good.
(And, darn, I KNOW how it's spelled, but every time I type c-r-o-c-h-e my fingers automatically want to put a "y" at the end. Frustrating....silly fingers!)
I learned to crochet in HS (still can't knit), and was taught initially how to make a granny square. Like you, I just kept going, and going... It ended up big enough to cover a queensized bed and went to my sister. Since then I've learned to actually make small ones and stitch them together :p I generally just make afghans, though I've made a few scarves and a hat.
I learned to crochet when I was about 9 or 10. I also learned how to make a granny square... and it got bigger and bigger and bigger. About the time it was afghan-sized I learned how to end it. Thank goodness.
I learned to knit about the same time, but crocheted almost exclusively until just a couple of years ago, when I switched back to knitting almost exclusively. My last crochet project was a sampler afghan (go figure) with 72 different stitch patterns.
I think that got it out of my system. Now I knit.
If you do any of the other projects, be sure to check the errata. There's already pages worth :/
I admit it, I am a knitting snob. I used to crochet those insanely complicated doilies. This was actually fun for me before kids and my brains were sucked out from 4 pregnancies...Enjoy your journey and please come back to knitting soon. (We all need to stray occassionally!)
My grandmother taught me how to chain stitch...that's it. At least a granny square is...you know...a square. I chain stitched an entire ball of yarn.
Crocheting is pretty intriguing. I've been thinking about picking up the hook lately. Debbie Stoller will be here in Denver, I think next week. I might have to pick up that book, we'll see.
A time and a place for everything, I say! In general, I love knitting for socks and sweaters and such, but nothing can beat crochet for the gorgeous linens and laces. Have fun with the Happy Hooker!
Nothing can beat crochet for speed and versatility either!
One evening, just before the weekly knit group meeting, I got a request to make a chemo cap for delivery to a 10-year-old recipient the next day. By the time 2 hours had passed, I'd all but finished the cap, which consisted of single crochet in the round and a shell stitch insert. I made up the pattern as I went.
I started out crocheting as a kid. I made baby blankets for each of my own kids along with nieces and nephews, and friends' kids at church. I've always enjoyed it. I had tried knitting twice before and couldn't do it, as I was knitting WAY too tight. But about 1 1/2 years ago I finally got knitting right! I think you'll enjoy crocheting....it's nice to be able to do circles and squares with the laceweight yarns.
About 20 years ago, I crocheted a lot - mostly baby stuff. But for the life of me, I don't think I remember anything more than making a chain. Maybe if I sat down with a hook and some yarn it would come back to me. I inherited quite a few crocheted doilies and I do love those....
Such a coincidence! I just bought this book last night... I, too, am just interested in knowing more about crochet - the purple jacket/sweater looks really nice... a little ambitious right NOW, but for the future... :)