Five Things About Crochet

For beginning crocheters or for those who are interested in learning out wonderful craft, I have gathered a number of facts that might be helpful.

1. Unlike knitting, crochet can never be done on a machine!  All crochet is hand made.

2. One stick means crochet; two sticks mean’s knitting.  But, the one stick might look ‘funny’.  There are standard crochet hooks, longer hooks for specialty crochet like Tunisian, and cabled hooks for Tunisian and a couple other techniques.

3. Anything that will fit around a crochet hook can be used to crochet with.  So, yarn, thread, rope, macrame cord, twine, string, shoe laces, ribbon, you name it – you can crochet with it.

4. There is no difference between the yarn knitters use and what crocheters use – yarn and thread.  Go boldly into a yarn shop that you think caters only to knitters.  They may also think they cater only to knitters.  Nope!  Your money is green and your yarn lust will grow!  Shop at your local yarn shop (LYS) or at big box stores.

5. It take practice, but the learning curve is typically very brief.  I have taught a person how to chain and make single and double crochets one day and had her come back to me the next day with an entire hobo style bag completed.  You can too!

6.  Bonus!  You can crochet everything from mundane dishcloths to tres chic haute couture garments with your crochet hooks and the right yarn/thread.  There are patterns for all of these – in books, magazines, pamphlets, and online for money or for free.

7. Bonus #2!  You don’t have to follow the rules to be successful with crochet.  It helps to learn the rules – then break them.  That’s called freeform crochet, crochet designing, or creating design elements (mistakes).  They’re all ‘kosher’.  No fear!

Note:  That cool bracelet you see above can be found on Etsy.  It’s one you can learn to make yourself very quickly as it’s composed of single crochets or chains and simple beads.  Just an example of the kind of cool item a crocheter can learn to work up very quickly – and perhaps sell online.  Work it up in red, white, and blue for July 4!