The Crochet Workbook
By James Walters and Sylvia Cosh
4.5/5
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About this ebook
More than 80 color photographs and 49 line drawings with captions illustrate everything from stitches to garment construction to finished products. A concluding section of practical information explains abbreviations and terms, and every chapter encourages the development of personal creativity and individual style.
James Walters
Dr James Walters is reader in film and television studies at the University of Birmingham. His books include: Alternative Worlds in Hollywood Cinema (Intellect and University of Chicago Press, 2008), Film Moments (with Tom Brown, British Film Institute, 2010), Fantasy Film (Bloomsbury, 2011), the BFI Television Classic The Thick of It (British Film Institute, 2016) and Television Performance (with Lucy Fife Donaldson, Palgrave Macmillan, 2019). Contact: Department of Film and Creative Writing, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2SD, UK.
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Reviews for The Crochet Workbook
6 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Creative genius! An all-time crochet classic. Highly recommendable for all crochet lovers out there!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I really liked this book for getting some basics on freeform crochet.
1 person found this helpful
Book preview
The Crochet Workbook - James Walters
1
What is crochet?
Traditional and modern crochet
As crochet is such a simple, almost obvious, craft, it is tempting to believe that its origins are as old as mankind. There is very little real evidence, however, that it goes back more than a few hundred years, when it seems to have been the work of nuns. In nineteenth-century Europe there was a vogue for lace, and crochet was found to be a suitable technique for quick and cheap copying of many of the established styles of needle and pillow lace. A cottage industry was started to satisfy demand. Eventually the fashions changed, and by the time of the First World War crochet had all but disappeared. Before then, particularly in Ireland, some extremely vital, original and amazing work had been created - much of which was characteristically freeform lace (69).
Nowadays, even when, from time to time, the fashion for fine lace returns, few people are prepared to sit and make it by hand - even in crochet. More often we go for thicker yarns to make crochet ‘knitwear’. Crochet is now one of the most instant and affordable ways of making distinctive and personal garments.
Crochet attracts some people because it gives them something to do with their hands. What starts as a hobby, however, can sometimes take over, become totally absorbing and even develop into a passion. Dedicated enthusiasts may undertake immensely time-consuming fine or large-scale work to cover tables, beds, walls or even windows (2).
As it requires no loom, wheel, or other heavy equipment, and is one of those crafts which works very well as patchwork, crochet is highly portable and convenient for people on the move. It is also wonderful for co-operative group projects in schools and other communities.
Some people treat crochet as an art, a medium of personal creativity and self-expression. They use it for yarn paintings, hangings and soft sculptures, but not for anything practical, except perhaps ‘wearable art’ (3). It is extraordinary that a craft offering such a rich range of possibilities is not more popular. When, however, the colourful butterfly finally breaks out of its antique lace cocoon, it dazzles with the splendour of its secret transformation (1a). More people are being drawn to take crochet up – now what will it become in their hands?
2 The design of this ‘window hanging’ was suggested by the shape, subtle patterns and natural colours of a moth’s closed wings. It was a challenge to fit this almost 5m (over 15 feet) high triangular window - particularly as the two ‘halves’ were far from symmetrical!
3 We find that the only way to obtain a full range of matching tones through a wide variety of yarns of different qualities and textures is to dye them ourselves
The hook
You can crochet with your fingers or, more usually, with a special hook. In the past, hooks have been made by hand out of wood or bone; nowadays they are professionally made in steel or plastic to a precise set of sizes (these are different in the USA and Europe - see p. 93).
Most serious enthusiasts will, sooner or later, need a good range of different sized hooks to match the different thicknesses of the yarns they like to work with. The most important thing about your hooks is that they should work well in your hands, and you should feel comfortable with them. Notice (4) that the tip of a good hook has a subtle profile and a beautiful shape (the mass-produced market leaders are generally excellent); do not waste time with simply or crudely fashioned hooks, however cheap they are, because they are frustrating to work with.
The yarn
Traditionally, crochet is associated with smooth, fine, cotton yarns in white, cream, beige and écru. The recent revolution in yarn design and return of practical interest in handspinning have, however, made available a wonderful profusion of colour and texture, to which modern crochet enthusiasts are drawn just as eagerly as the knitters and weavers for whom the yarns are primarily intended. Yarns of all kinds (6) are your raw material; if you love them and take great pleasure in holding them and working with them, you are in grave danger of becoming a crochetaholic!
If you are a beginner, start with a smooth yarn, which makes things easier. Just as soon as you can handle the basic movements, go for exotic and exciting yarns. These are the real joy of crochet today.
Your yarn hoard is your crochet palette. For rich and creative work, it is essential to build up an enormous collection of different colours and textures – even a simple project, with a limited range of colours, can require several tens of different samples. Eventually, you will be able to draw the nucleus of the yarns you are going to need for each new project from your stock. In the meantime, beg or buy even just a ball or a hank every time you happen to see something interesting (or irresistible!) and keep it sorted according to its colour family.
4 A hook with a subtle and beautiful shape works much better than a crudely made one
5 Crochet imposes no boundaries regarding age or sex! Jim Matthews shows James a crochet garden he has made
6