I am a knitter and, to me, knitting is second nature. I knit without looking, I knit whilst reading and, when I’m really tired but I just have to finish one more row, I knit with my eyes closed. And I know that this looks like magic to non-knitters but, to me, knitting is easy.
The real magic is crochet. Crochet is knitting’s mysterious twin… It amazes me, it baffles me! I tried to teach myself to crochet once — I managed a little strip of fabric (that with the addition of some knitted flowers became quite a nice choker), but I quickly realised that it’s crocheters who make the real magic happen. Here are three patterns that really inspire me to pick up a hook and try my hand at crochet again.
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Tusculum Cowl by Robyn Chachula
Here is a crochet at its most spellbinding. I love the drama of Robyn Chachula‘s unusual cowl, the way the chain-stitched edging forms a striking cobweb that can be worn gathered up around the neck or draped dramatically across the body. I’d love to see this done in SpaceCadet’s Astrid yarn in a rich, deep colourway such as Desert Wine to bring a dash of glamour to a new winter coat.
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Sonata Shawl by Sharon Silverman
Sharon Silverman conjured up something truly special when she designed this spectacular shawl. The magic is in the changing stitch pattern that creates distinct bands of lacy texture from top to bottom. Worked in lace weight yarn, this would look fresh and light in SpaceCadet’s Luna Laceweight in Old Money, or darkly dramatic in Luna Laceweight in Plum Wine.
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Fan Stitch Hat by Brittany Tyler
The magic of Brittany Tyler‘s charming little hat in is the way it gathers up the colours of varigated yarns and distributes them in little pools across the crocheted fabric. Quirky and sweet with a flower detail, it would bring out the striking colours of SpaceCadet’s Astrid yarn in Sleep Deep or look cute as a button in Sailor’s Warning.
Ohh! I absolutely love the colours of that hat!
To crochet so beautifully one must have inspiration from the spinner and dyes as well… those colors seem to have rained down from the skys themselves… CHEERS SPACE CADET..!!! it appears your fingers have been blessed by Rapunzel herself.
The cowl is breathtaking and definitely makes me want to learn how to crochet! I, too, love seeing the new posts from spacecadet in my inbox. Thanks.
I had to laugh when I read your comment. I learned to crochet as a teen and thought the magic was in knitting. Now that I do both, I realize that the magic is when the pattern, yarn, and knitter just “click.”
I’ve had gorgeous yarn that just died in a bad pattern choice. I’ve had a great yarn/pattern combo that I HATED (thank goodness everyone else has birthdays,’ right?)
Ohhhhhh but that sweet spot…when it all works out…….sheer bliss.
Thanks for taking the time to blog…I love seeing the “New Post from SpaceCadet” in my inbox.
Love, Ang
Having learned to crochet as a very young child at about the same time I learned to knit, I find them both to be somewhat automatic. The patterns you showcased are indeed quite nice1