Following the Thread

What is it with the whole “Not you Grandmother’s crochet” thing?  I think just about every crochet magazine I’ve seen lately throws that line in somewhere between its pages.  Why?

Are potential crafters so juvenile and frivolous that they won’t crochet because grandma did it?  My grandma was the first person to teach me to crochet.  The red and white chevron blanket she crocheted for me still graces my bed.  Its how I keep her close to me when I sleep now that she is dead.

But Kitsch and retro is in.  How many “new” patterns are just rewrites of old ones.  I’ve seen projects online declared to be original and new that could have come straight out of an old crochet book from the 70’s called A New Look at Crochet. It’s funny, if you read that book it talks about the new fiber trends that are allowing crocheters to create new patterns totally unlike what their grandmothers could do.

Maybe it could be that new crocheters aren’t interested in making doilies, so they look at that form with contempt.  But to do so is to completely ignore the honorable history of crochet.  Crocheted lace helped people get through the Irish famine, and doilies really, are just an extension of that.  Besides those doily and lace patterns can be reworked in thicker yarns to create clothing and scarves. We do ourselves and our craft a disservice if we relegate anything not published the past few years as being uncool and beneath contempt.

And we dishonor our grandmothers as well.

I find crocheting very relaxing, but at the same time, it is also fun. I like things coming into shape in my fingers quickly, but I am not big on using other people’s patterns. I like a lot of patterns, but I rarely ever get around to making them.

I have been eyeing the idea of freeform crochet, also called scrumbling. In freeform you make smaller shapes and put them together into bigger shapes. I have never made the organic shapes that are common with scrumbling, but I often work with out any patterns at all, simply adjusting my stitches and counts as I go. This is usually how I make purses. However, these are done in one piece, crocheted in the round from the bottom up.

I guess I haven’t done any scrumbling because for some reason I am a little intimidated by the randomness of the shapes, the organic nature that they have. And I have seen some pretty scary looking color combinations.

Then there is the bullion stitch. I’m not sure I have even seen any bullion instructions in the crochet books I have, though I will look again because I’d like to be able to do that stitch.

In the world of regular crochet, I am starting a tank top and jacket. This June I am going to Mendocino for my birthday and I want a new outfit to wear. I am designing the tank top myself, I’m a size 18 and most patterns aren’t shaped quite right for me. Fingers crossed, I’ve never made a tank top before and I am a little worried. The jacket is actually a pattern from last year’s Interweave Crochet magazine. I’ll be working it in Lion brand Homespun Harvest. The tank will be made from black microspun yarn. If it works I’ll take a picture, if not, you’ll never hear about it again.

Hi. My name is Mindy, though in some circles I am called Agate, and I am a Crocheter. Although, technically, I do all kinds of needlework like embroidery, cross-stitch, and I’ve even knitted a little. I also like to design my own patterns, which sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t.

I thought I might like to start a blog and write my thoughts about crafting, show off my stuff and explore even more.

You see, for me, needlework is more than just a hobby, it’s a meditation in motion. It’s also a way to connect with the divine. Creation is an act of the Gods, and when I make something I am imitating that grander act. Also it is a way of paying homage to the deities that saw fit to create me.

Before you scratch your head too much, let me tell you a little more about myself. I am a Wiccan. For those that are not familiar with the term, I am part of a nature-based religion that pays reverence to a God and a Goddess. I am part of an offshoot that keeps its focus to the Goddess alone. When I am doing needlework, I feel closer to Goddess.

And closer to myself.

Most of my life has been spent either being what other people expected or pretending to be what they wanted. But when I craft, like crochet my current obsession, I am entirely myself. Every piece is a part of who I am, even when I am making it for someone else.

But it’s not all searching for myself.  I have discovered they joy that is amigurumi.  These are crocheted dolls that originated in Japan, and they do sort of remind me of anime characters.

So that’s me in a nutshell. Oh sure there is more, but if I told you now, what would I write later.