Ever since the pandemic lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, creative crafts have enjoyed a resurgence in popularity. Often associated with housewives’ pastimes and ’70s fashions, crochet and knitting had declined, especially during the ’80s and ’90s when cheap knitted garments became more widely available.
New Approach
As this decade progresses, it seems the trend is here to stay. Creative sites have been popping up offering beginners’ online courses and selling DIY packs such as crochet blanket kits containing patterns, wool, hooks and needles, perfect for those of us who don’t know one end of a crochet hook from the other. Still not sure? Check out the crochet blanket kits from Wool Couture and other sites like it, and see how you can create something stunning at a beginner’s level.
At the other end of the spectrum, crochet enthusiasts pride themselves on their own individual style. As the Guardian discovers, there’s no limit to their creativity, as they draw from dozens of different crochet techniques, some of which are listed below.
Amigurumi Crochet
You’ve probably seen those little yarn dolls – cute, detailed, meticulously accurate and made from tiny crochet knots. Originating from Japan, amigurumi comes from the words meaning ‘to crochet’ and ‘stuffed toy’.
Bead Crochet
This is where beads are strung onto the yarn before and during a crochet project.
Aran Crochet
Emulating the Celtic ribbed design found on Aran sweaters, this technique uses cable stitches to create textured designs.
Overlay Crochet
After creating your basic crochet weave, you add stitches on top of it to give it a raised texture. This opens up the scope for colourful, textured designs.
The Granny Square
This technique is what most people associate with crochet. The square is achieved by first making a circle from an even number of chain stitches and then adding rows in layers until you end up with a square.
Filet Crochet
Using chains and double crochet, this technique creates patterns of either filled-in or empty squares, which can be used to embed images and other items.
With practice, you could be producing your own unique crochet projects.
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