Crochet

Patterns, projects and techniques

CARLA DE BRUIJN – Crocheter Extraordinaire

by

Carla de Bruijn Orangutan

Carla de Bruijn Orangutan

A lot of us complain about crochet projects which require us to join a lot of motifs together.  I’m probably the loudest complainer.  You’ve read before where I have stated that I dismiss any pattern that begins with wording like “make 37 (or 337) of this motif…” I enjoy making those motifs, usually, and love the look of the projects pictured in a book or magazine, but I am completely thrown off by having to join all those motifs to achieve the finished project.

Not so, Carla de Bruijn!  Carla thrives on projects that are composed of hundreds of squares!  And, most of the design ideas come directly from her own head or from nature or other things she sees in the world around her.

Each afghan is large – about 80 inches by 80 inches (2m x 2m).  Working in this size gives Carla a lot of room to interpret her designs in crochet.  It also requires making a lot more squares than a typically sized afghan that is usually smaller than the size Carla makes.  Since Carla crochets nothing other than blankets, she has perfected her technique, perfectly adapting the images she sees in nature and from other sources around her into those numerous squares.  Each is certainly a labor of love as any realistic price tag would place them far out of the financial reach of most of us – no matter how aware we are of all the labor Carla puts into each piece.

Carla works mostly in cotton, occasionally mixing in some acrylic/cotton blends.  She’s been crocheting for 33 years and crochets only blankets/afghans.  Most of the times, the recipients of her hard work are friends and loved ones.  Like many of us, she finds the cost of materials and the amount of labor would not be returned were she to sell her creations.  Carla estimates that she spends about 300 hours crocheting each blanket that costs her about 200 Euros in materials.

To view more of Carla’s work, please visit her website:

http://www.carladebruijn.nl/

Please stay tuned for Part Two to be published soon.

Comments

  1. Another inspiration for me!! I don’t feel so bad now that I mostly crochet blankets and afghans … I often get the comment on why don’t I do something else, like a sweater, that you can use. Blankets and afghans are usable too!
    I’m half and half on motifs and joining – depending on the mood, I’ll crochet motifs forever, and in the end bag them all to be joined when the ‘joining’ mood hits me! There are times when I just want to join motifs and create the project.
    So if you need somebody to join motifs and squares, let me know!

Have you read?

Red Melt The Ice Slouch Beanie Crochet Pattern Review

Some crochet projects are made simply because we need a warm hat. Some are made because we need a quick gift, a stash-busting project, or something easy to work on while watching television. And then there are crochet projects that carry a message.

This Red Slouch Beanie Crochet Pattern PDF sits firmly in that last category.

Inspired by the Melt the ICE craftivism movement, this red crochet beanie is more than just a wearable winter accessory. It is a handmade political statement — soft, practical, visible, and rooted in the long tradition of protest through craft.

You can find the Red Slouch Beanie Crochet Pattern PDF here.

Crochet as Protest

Crafters have always had a way of saying things with their hands. Quilts have carried coded messages, embroidery has documented women’s lives, banners have marched through the streets, and yarn crafts have wrapped public spaces in colour and defiance.

This beanie belongs to that same creative lineage.

The phrase Melt the ICE gives this pattern its political edge. It connects the humble red crochet hat to conversations around immigration enforcement, detention, family separation, human rights, community care, and the role ordinary people can play in public protest.

And that is what makes this pattern interesting. It is not loud in the way a placard is loud, but it is visible. A red handmade hat catches the eye. It invites questions. It gives the maker a way to wear their values without needing to shout over anyone.

Sometimes craftivism works because it is disarming. People expect political protest to be hard-edged, but handmade work brings something different to the conversation. It says, “I cared enough to make this stitch by stitch.”

About the Pattern

The pattern itself is beginner-friendly and refreshingly straightforward. The hat is worked flat in rows, then seamed and gathered to create a relaxed slouch beanie shape. That makes it especially approachable for crocheters who are still building confidence with wearable projects.

Instead of needing to work in the round or fuss with crown shaping from the start, you are essentially making a rectangle and turning it into a hat. I love that kind of construction because it gives beginners a real sense of achievement. You are not just practising stitches — you end up with something wearable and meaningful.

The design uses a textured crochet fabric, giving the finished beanie a cozy, slightly chunky look. The slouchy shape keeps it casual and modern, while the bold red colour gives it that unmistakable activist feel.

Why Red Matters

The red yarn is not just a colour choice here. It is part of the visual language of the project.

Red is urgent. Red is warm. Red is visible in a crowd. It can suggest anger, love, warning, solidarity, courage, and care all at once. For a political crochet project, that matters.

A red slouch beanie can be worn to rallies, community events, mutual aid gatherings, craftivism meet-ups, or simply out in everyday life as a quiet statement of support. It is one of those pieces that can be as bold or as subtle as the wearer wants it to be.

Of course, you could make the pattern in any colour, but for the Melt the ICE inspiration, red feels intentional. It gives the hat its message before a single word is spoken.