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LOVE IT – HATE IT – GOTTA HAVE IT……

September 26, 2007 by jd wolfe

Crochet. I love all the new books and magazines out there with great color pictures of wonderful crochet sweaters, doilies, totes, shrugs, etc. I even like it that there are patterns for Barbie and Ken, teddy bears, and skateboarders.

I hate that so many of those ‘new’ patterns we are buying are recycled reprobates rescued from the rubbish by virtue of new yarns and more modern color combinations.

eliz-hiddleson.jpg

Elizabeth Hiddleson catalog
I mean, you can’t really find better doilies than Elizabeth Hiddleson,

sylvia-cosh.jpg

better sweaters than Sylvia Kosh, better afghans than Jessie Abularach.

lily-chen.jpg

Lily Chen book

It’s great that Lily Chen,

melissa-leapman.jpg

Melissa Leapman, and others are all over those new yarns. But, where is the originality??

I guess we have to call cellphone

celphone-holder.jpg

cro-ipod-holder.jpg

and ipod holders ‘new’ because the aforementioned ‘classic’ crochet designers never saw such things during their heyday. Just like most of us have little need for hot water bottle holders and elbow length gloves. But, what else is new out there in crochet-land?

I suppose there is truly a finite number of items that can be created with stitches that rely solely on chains and single crochets (doubles, trebles, etc. just being extensions of those). So, new yarn fibers, natural or synthetic, and trendy color combinations are what pass for new, exciting, and fresh in our crochet world.

I admit that I do find new yarns and fresh color combinations to be inspirational. They get my hooks moving. But, I find that I wind up making the same patterns again and again, seldom finding a ‘new’ pattern that is actually stimulating. But, I continue to buy the books and magazines – because I must be a sucker for the slick photography!

So, what’s new in your crochet world? Am I missing something??

Fine Print – to find who made what in the pictures above, go to google.com, click on images, and enter the name of the item in the dialog box – for instance, ‘crochet ipod holder’, and you’ll find all of them. Couldn’t find an image of Jessie Abularach for some reason.

PS – So, what book do I crave now??? Even ‘tho I KNOW that I have other books that will contain a lot of the stitches in this book. But, I gotta have it!

complete-book-of-crochet-stitch-designs.GIF
THE COMPLETE BOOK OF CROCHET STITCH DESIGNS
by Linda Schapper

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Comments

  1. Sandra Perez says

    September 26, 2007 at 8:37 pm

    I could probably scan you an image of Jessie Abularach as I have a collection of her booklets.

  2. Deb Wolf says

    September 27, 2007 at 7:05 am

    I have a similar, but old book called “The Encyclopedia of Kitting and Crochet Sttich Patterns by Linda Mariano” I will never in this lifetime have enough time to do all these stitches. The book contains over 600 patterns-319 knitting and 352 crochet stitch patterns….Oh what a delema!!!

  3. pam says

    September 27, 2007 at 10:18 am

    I am fairly new to crochet, but that has not stopped me from dreaming up useful items to crochet. There are items that I would like to crochet but I have not found patterns for. Perhaps these are original ideas? First of all, I want to crochet a warm, sexy nightgown. I am imagining a bikini top (lots of cleavage) attached to a full back, long sleeves and a full length lacy skirt; all lined with cotton flannel (acrylic yarn makes my skin itch.)It gets cold here and being sensitive to the cold my DH won’t see an inch of skin until late spring unless I get creative. I would also like to crochet some tights (maybe to go with the nightgown?) Finally, I would like to crochet a sideways pullover for my son. The pullovers that I have crochet so far have very little sideways stretch, which seems to be characteristic of crochet, making them very difficult to put on. I am sure there are many new items that can be crocheted if we look into our own lives and figure out what’s missing. However, we must not forget the classics…there is a reason for them being classics: we never get bored with them!

    NOT SHOUTING HERE – JUST WANT TO DIFFERENTIATE MY COMMENTS FROM PAMS::

    PAM, I THINK YOU CAN FIND SOME OF THE PATTERNS YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ONLINE, AND FOR FREE, ESPECIALLY THE SIDE TO SIDE PULLOVER SWEATER.  GOOGLE THOSE TERMS AND SEE WHAT YOU COME UP WITH.  ANOTHER IDEA IS TO LOOK AT DEBBIE STOLLER’S THE HAPPY HOOKER, AVAILABLE IN BOOK STORES AND LIBRARIES.  IT’S A GREAT BOOK.  ANOTHER, OLDER BOOK THAT MIGHT HELP YOU IS THE ADVENTUROUS CROCHETER BY DELIA BROCK.  BROCK OFFERS INFORMATION ON CREATING GARMENTS WITH A MODULAR TECHNIQUE AS WELL AS OTHER USEFUL HINTS.

    jd

  4. deBBie says

    September 27, 2007 at 1:24 pm

    I agree with what you are saying! This is why I have let all of my crochet magazine subscriptions expire. There just hasn’t been anything that I couldn’t look at and say “I could make that without a pattern!”. The exception is the Crochet! Magazine has some new and interesting items, although the new yarns are helping with the newness. But all of the clothes seem to be designed for 16-20 year old SKINNY women to wear, not for 30-40 NOT-SO-SKINNY me.
    BTW…I have that Sylvia Cosh sweater book…LOVE it!
    Do you think that all of the availabe free patterns are making it harder to get crochet patterns published? What do you think the periodicals are looking for?
    love, deBBie
    http://www.debbittybears.com

  5. Shawnee Halligan says

    September 28, 2007 at 7:11 pm

    Hi JD – I’ve got you down in my Pay It Forward challenge. Come back and steal the text, image, whatever you like so you can post it on your site, too! Please email me with your contact info when you get a chance.
    Shawnee
    Ravelry: CrochetCupcake

Have you read?

How to Crochet the Suzette Stitch: An Easy Textured Crochet Stitch for Beginners

Learning a crochet stitch is much more satisfying when you have an actual project waiting at the end of it. The Suzette stitch is especially versatile because its dense, softly textured fabric works for everything from practical cotton washcloths to cosy scarves, hats and blankets.

Here are some Suzette stitch crochet patterns worth adding to your project list.

Suzette Stitch Baby Blanket

The free Suzette Stitch Baby Blanket pattern from Premier Yarns uses the stitch to create a softly textured crochet blanket with a subtle tweed-like appearance.

This would make a lovely handmade baby shower gift, particularly when worked in a washable baby yarn. The stitch creates more visual interest than plain single crochet without introducing large holes that may catch tiny fingers.

Easy Suzette Stitch Blanket

The Suzette Stitch Blanket pattern by Stitching Together is another approachable blanket project for crocheters who enjoy a relaxing stitch repeat.

This is the sort of project you can keep beside the sofa and work on a few rows at a time. Just keep an eye on those skipped stitches—television crochet is wonderful until an extra stitch quietly sneaks in three episodes earlier.

Casey Suzette Stitch Scarf

The free Casey Scarf crochet pattern uses the Suzette stitch through most of the design, producing a cosy scarf with a softly scalloped, zigzag-like texture.

It is a good first wearable project for beginners because scarves do not require complicated shaping. You can also adjust the length fairly easily or use a self-striping yarn and let the colour changes do the decorative work for you.

Quick Suzette Crochet Scarf

For another scarf option, try this free Suzette Stitch Scarf pattern from Hooked by Robin.

The designer includes written instructions and a video tutorial, making it helpful for visual learners who prefer watching the stitch placement before beginning. It is designed as a quick project and would make a practical last-minute handmade gift.

Suzette Colour Block Scarf

The free Suzette Colour Block Scarf pattern is a cheerful option for using several coordinating yarn colours.

Colour blocking also makes this a handy stash-busting crochet project. You can use leftover yarn from other makes, although it is worth choosing yarns of the same weight and similar fibre content so the sections behave themselves after washing.

Chunky Suzette Stitch Beanie

The free Chunky Suzette Stitch Beanie crochet pattern turns the textured stitch into a warm winter hat.

Chunky yarn helps the pattern work up quickly and makes the raised texture especially noticeable. This would be a useful project for craft stalls, charity donations or quick handmade Christmas gifts.

Hazel Textured Crochet Beanie

The free Hazel Beanie crochet pattern combines simple ribbing with the Suzette stitch.

The ribbed brim gives the hat a neat, finished appearance while the Suzette stitch adds texture to the main body. It looks more complicated than a basic crochet beanie but is still built from familiar beginner stitches.

Suzette Stitch Washcloth

For a small practice project, try the free Suzette Stitch Wash Cloth pattern from The Purple Poncho.

A washcloth is one of the best ways to practise a new crochet stitch because it is small, useful and not terribly demanding. Even if the first one is slightly wonky, it will still wash perfectly well.

Use a smooth cotton yarn so the cloth is absorbent and the stitch texture remains clearly visible.

Suzette Ridge Crochet Washcloth

The free Suzette Ridge Crochet Washcloth pattern adds another layer of texture to this familiar stitch combination.

Make several in coordinating colours and pair them with handmade soap for an easy spa-style gift. They are also useful little projects for testing unfamiliar cotton yarn before committing to a larger set.

Corner-to-Corner Suzette Stitch Washcloth

The free C2C Suzette Stitch Washcloth pattern gives the stitch a slightly different construction by working it from corner to corner.

This is a good next project after you have mastered ordinary flat rows. It lets you explore increasing and decreasing while still using the familiar Suzette stitch combination.

Suzette Stitch Afghan Square

The Suzette Stitch Afghan Square pattern turns the textured stitch into a smaller crochet block.

Afghan squares are useful for charity blankets, sampler blankets and portable crochet projects. You can make the squares individually, use up leftover yarn and join everything together once you have enough—although “enough” has been known to become a surprisingly flexible number in my craft room.

More Suzette Stitch Crochet Pattern Ideas

Once you are comfortable with the basic stitch, you can also use it to make:

  • Crochet mug cosies
  • Ear warmers and headbands
  • Fingerless gloves
  • Cushion covers
  • Tote bags
  • Baby rompers
  • Crochet cardigans
  • Lap blankets
  • Double-thick potholders

You can browse additional Suzette stitch crochet patterns on Etsy, including sweaters, baby blankets, beanies, mug cosies and accessories from independent crochet designers.

When choosing a pattern, check whether it uses US or UK crochet terminology. Also check whether it uses the traditional Suzette stitch—one single crochet and one double crochet worked into the same stitch—or a designer’s variation of it. That quick check can prevent a great deal of confused unraveling later.

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