2 Books Not to Overlook!

I really do not know where the last 12 months have gone!

Last year a few friends had new books hit the shelves, and there are some that it has taken me a while to getting around to reading, not because I wasn’t eager to dive into the pages, but simply because my time demands took me in other directions. So, it was really been nice to be able to finally get through 2 of them recently.

First, my son has made comments about how the world seems to be returning to hieroglyphics with the proliferation of emojis, then my friend Charles Voth came out with his first book…Emoji Crochet! This book is full of fun patterns, from home décor to wearables. You can make a throw or a pillow then move on to a hat or sweater. The really great thing in this book, in my opinion, is how many different techniques are used. You can learn so many different crochet techniques that I would recommend this book if not simply for that reason. Charles uses tapestry crochet techniques, applique techniques, color work, charting and written instructions to delve into putting faces on your work.

Charles also ensured that there is great detailed instructions of these techniques accompanied with illustrations. This is probably due to his profession as a technical editor, meaning he has a hand in many crochet patterns that are published by ensuring that the math works and the pattern written creates the item in the photo. In addition to being a technical editor he is also a college professor, so he understands how people learn, and this book definitely has this in mind.

It is hard to pick which project I like the most in this book, but I think the Not Too Blue for You Mittens top my list of first projects to complete. If you get the opportunity, check this book out, you will not be disappointed! (Check out other designs by Charles here and his classes here)

Another book I have been checking out is Bath Knits by my friend Mary Beth Temple. Now I will not even pretend that I am a knitter, I dabble, and know just enough to get myself in trouble, so this book has been perfect to help me practice the basics. There are plenty of ideas for pampering yourself in the bath, but in my beginner state I will focus on the great array of wash clothes. Like many of Mary Beth’s book this one is straight forward and lets you dive right into the projects while subtly learning a few new approaches.

Mary Beth has been an accomplished designer in both knit and crochet for a decade, and might be best known for her long running podcast Getting Loopy! Both her book and podcast are worth checking out.

Now that I have been able to at least read through these 2 books, now it is time to get my hooks and needles flying and work some of these projects! (Find more of Mary Beth’s designs here)

 

Crochet Insights through Knitting

ScannedImageI have found that I need to keep my mind engaged with something new, and creating small challenges for myself is the best way for me to feel fulfilled and whole. When I focus this on my work in crochet it has usually been that challenge of “what can I create with this one skein of yarn”, or “how can I put this together differently”. However, this last week I took myself outside my comfort zone, it may seem a little sacrilegious, but I picked up a book and have begun teaching myself the basics of knitting. I know some out there are silently cheering that they have “converted me” and some are sighing that “I’ve gone to the dark side”, but neither could be further from the truth…this is just about a mental expansion.

IMG_6258.1

The books I learned to crochet and knit with. The knitting book has seen better days, but the house rabbit didn’t finish it off!

I have been crocheting for so much of my life, that I don’t know if I have a memory before I picked up a hook, but knitting was never something that I tried. When I learned to crochet, it was from a book, a Step-by-Step guide book printed by Golden Press in 1967. At the time I received this book, in a box of other books from a family member, there was a knitting book from the same publication (I think there may have been a macrame as well as some paper dolls and coloring books, it was quite a little assortment). I never really paid the knitting book much attention, I know my sister picked it up at one point years later and learned the basics of knitting (although I think her heart is into needle felting and sewing at this time in history).
So the book was just “around”, well I picked it up this week and gave it a go. The smallest needles I have in the house were 10mm, as I usually only use one and that is for broomstick lace. Well I managed to find a pair, and began to cast on. I have heard horror stories from knitters about casting on, but working different techniques in crochet made this feel natural (at least if I did it correctly, but it looks good so far). I believe the cast on I did would be referred to as the “long tail cast on”, and then I proceeded to work the knitting and purling stitches.
I will admit, I have found this to be a little awkward, I am not quite sure how to hold the needles so that they fell comfortable to me, the needle that I am working loops off of just isn’t sure where it should be. I am constantly fearful that those little loops will jump off the needle and then I will have a mess. But I will admit, it has been a good mental exercise for me.

IMG_6260.1

My first 2 knitting trials, I might have a little room for improvement.

I decided to give knitting a try for a couple of reasons, for one I have been teaching more often at knitting groups interested in learning some crochet skills such as Tunisian. By understanding the process they are use to it makes it easier to explain. Another reason was to better understand my crochet. So what I have managed to learn in the last week: That loops of either working method really adds the “bounce” to the fabric. These loops (the primary work of all stitches in knitting, but the loops that are pulled through on the crochet hook) are the essence of the yarn itself. If you begin with a yarn that is “springy” or is “stiff”, the loops are the parts of the stitch that highlight this quality. Granted, drape of a fabric can be affected by the hook or needle size being used, but the yarn will always shine through and these loops is where it happens.
Understanding the relationship of the stitch process and the yarn nature really helps to define and appreciate the techniques and the end fabric. This is an enlightening adventure…I wonder where it might take me next….