Crochet

Patterns, projects and techniques

More New Techniques

by

As promised, here are some more ideas for you to try.  Spice things up and crochet something different!  Start with one of these, maybe:

Freeform is a favorite technique of mine.  If you haven’t tried it, lose the rules and learn to go with the flow. Freeform takes full advantage of the versatility of crochet.  Anything we can wrap around a hook can be crocheted.  We can create a totally different look by using a surprising hook size with a standard yarn or thread.  Add rows of varying stitches.  Change yarn color and size.  Throw in some beads or charms.  Like I said, lose the rules.  Take advantage of the bits and pieces of yarn and thread you have in your stash to create a small or large ‘scrumble’.  Applique it to a sweater or jacket or put a pinback on it and pin it to your hat.  There’s no end to what you can do with your hooks if you give in to the spirit of this technique.  Like the sunburst below…..

Isn’t this a splendid sunburst?  It was created by a woman in Brisbane, Australia in freeform technique.  To explore this technique further, check into books and weblinks to Prudence Mapstone, Margaret Hubert and others.

freeform-sunburst-0309

http://www.freeformcrochet.com/designs.html

Another winning idea is Modular Crochet.  There is a great, but out of print book, that is a textbook for Modular Crochet (Design Crochet, edited by Mark Dittrick, Hawthorn Books, Inc., New
York, 1978, ISBN 0801520193 ).  But, once you understand the technique, you don’t really need a book.

Modular crochet (and knit) is a technique that is worth the time for any crocheter to learn.  It’s simple, geometric, and highly adaptive.  This site is a good place to start:

http://hookandi.blogspot.com/2006/01/modular-and-top-down-crochet-great.html

In a completely different vein, there is Rickrack crochet, combining the woven edging used by sewers called ‘rickrack’ and thread crochet, you can create Rickrack crochet.

Rickrack crochet is such a pretty technique.  It looks both vintage and current!  Pretty for inserts on garments and linens.  Try you hand at this with some scrap yarn and a package of rickrack and sew it to a hand towel to make a pretty gift.

http://primrosedesign.blogspot.com/2006/02/rickrack.html

http://primrosedesign.blogspot.com/2006/02/rickrack.html

About.com also has some good info on the rickrack technique:

http://crochet.about.com/library/weekly/aa090400.htm

Comments

  1. Thanks for the link! Just wanted to mention that, if you like the rickrack technique, look for vintage crochet pattern books at flea markets and antique malls. Books with patterns for edgings often have a few pages devoted solely to designs for encasing rickrack. There are lots of ways to do it, all really pretty. I just wish I knew how to crochet 🙂

  2. Hi JD,
    Just wanted to let you know that the crochet sunburst you show in the photo above was actually created by Barbara Hillery van Elsen from New York.

Have you read?

Christmas Tree Pot Holder Free Crochet Pattern

This free Christmas Tree Pot Holder is one of those classic holiday crochet projects that feels both decorative and useful at the same time. It has a lovely vintage handmade feel, with a tree shape worked in green crochet cotton and red detailing that gives it a festive finish. The pattern is presented as a practical kitchen project, but it also doubles as a cute seasonal decoration for anyone who likes to hang handmade pieces in the kitchen during Christmas.

What I like about this pattern is that it is not just a flat novelty shape. The design uses rows of double crochet with decreases to build the tree silhouette, and then red crochet is added to join the sections and create picot details, which helps give the finished piece a more decorative look. It also includes a covered ring at the top so it can be hung when not in use.

The materials list is refreshingly simple too. The project calls for green and red crochet cotton and a size 7 crochet hook, so it is a good stash-friendly make if you already keep cotton yarn on hand for kitchen crochet. Because it is made with cotton rather than soft acrylic, it has that more traditional pot-holder feel that suits the project well.

This would be a sweet little project to make for holiday gifting as well. I can easily see these being worked up as stocking stuffers, hostess gifts, or part of a handmade Christmas kitchen set. One of the comments on the post even mentions making them for stocking stuffers, which feels like exactly the right fit for a pattern like this.

Overall, this is a charming old-school Christmas crochet pattern with plenty of handmade appeal. If you love festive kitchen décor, practical holiday crochet, or just enjoy making seasonal projects that can be used year after year, this Christmas Tree Pot Holder is a fun one to bookmark.