Cool Crochet.

Seems like an oxymoron to a lot of people, myself included at times. It’s rough for me to reconcile how exceptionally cool knit patterns often are with how uncool most crochet patterns are.

Luckily for me and many other crocheters out there crochet is having quite the resurgence and the designers out there are upping the ante.

I’d like to share some things that are on my queue or favorites list at Ravelry… to fill in the gaps in me actually not working on many projects right now.

Front of capelet...

Designer: Bernadette Ambergen

Pattern: Asymmetrical Capelet

This one actually looks pretty simple to make and it’s so pretty and feminine but modern at the same time. It would be an extra special touch for a crafty bride… I bet it would be no problem at all to dress it up with a shiny or metallic yarn and bead and a beautiful broach instead of a button.

The pattern is $5.00 or buy one already made from the designer’s Etsy store.

 

Layering Cardi by Elena Malo

Designer: Elena Malo

Pattern: Layering Cardi

This pattern was featured in the Jan/Feb 2009 Crochet Today! Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to figure out how to lay hands on back issues of this mag… so if anyone knows how, please leave me a note. I’m really interested in taking a crack at this one.

While I was cruising the project profiles for this cardi, I noticed that a few people made it with long sleeves or put more buttons on the yoke. Either way it’s a cool looking sweater and a big step up from Big Bow. 

 

...if only I were a pattern!

Designer: Madame Cam

Pattern: Supervillain

This is one of the coolest sweaters I’ve seen in a crochet pattern; it’s modern, edgy and retro-cool at the same time. This sweater was designed by a teenager (!) who is only really designing stuff for herself but it was too cool not to share in this post about cool crochet. She’s on Ravelry under madamecam and her Urban Armor design is killer. I think it would look better in a solid or better yet a tone on tone (say black velvet and silk) but the bones of an awesome freaking design are there. This young lady give me hope that crochet really can be as killer cool as knitting always seems to be. She could be crochet’s answer to a knitwear design giant like Wenlan Chia.

I hope that more designer’s come up with some really edgy, modern stuff for us crocheter’s because doily sweaters are not it.

Once you start…

I haven’t done any crafting of any kind in some time but at one time or another I’ve drawn, painted, crocheted, knitted (or attempted to anyway), made bead jewelry, made cards, and sewed. I stopped doing anything a few years ago. Just hung up my crafting ways and concentrated on nothing but work, work, work all the time.

The sad part of all that was that I had this pent up creative energy that I desperately wanted to do something with and I was effectively denying a part of my essential nature by laying aside my favorite pastimes. I spent the greater part of the last two years pretty much in an mode of complete creative misery. Then a few weeks ago a friend of mine sent me a message on Facebook, saying “I just learned how to crochet!” and something in me clicked over. I felt like a light bulb got switched on in a room that’s always been in my house but that I didn’t use because the rest of the family thought it was a waste of the space.

Because of that moment I decided to go all out in the opposite direction. Not just picking up one of my old pastimes but also inviting my friends and neighbors into the mix and actively looking for ways to extend that excitement and desire for conscious community. I started this blog, set up a Facebook Page, invited people, started looking for projects and materials, and signed for an invite to Ravelry.

I got my Ravelry invite today and I started surfing, not hoping for much, more because I didn’t know what to expect than any sense of it not being all it was cracked up to be. I haven’t been disappointed. I’ve pretty much been surfing the site since I logged on a few hours ago. There is a wealth of information on the site and it’s very encouraging to see that I’m not the only gung-ho creative type out there.

So, I’m looking at my project with a little bit less apprehension and a little more enthusiasm. I’m looking forward to the upcoming meeting that much more. I’m excited to try out and find new yarn and new patterns. Now that I’ve started… well, I’m not gonna stop.

Social Networking for YarnThings!

Ok, Darlings… ever wondered what life would be like if your favorite social networking site was peopled by nothing but knitters and crocheters?

Check out Ravelry. And try not to explode with joy!