Tuesday, August 3, 2013
Work a chain to get to each space until you have
reached your end point. From here you just crochet as you would normally, crocheting
into each stitch and either crocheting into or around the chains. Don't restrict yourself to these materials –
I have seen work with holes drilled into driftwood allowing crocheted stitches to be attached.
I first “met” Jude Butterworth on the
Internet via Ravelry when I admired and bought one of her gorgeous shawl
patterns. Since that time she has been an active and very creative participant
in my Ravelry Fan group, Cro-Kween Designs. I admire Jude's beautiful free-form and other crochet work. From Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, she is one busy and
talented lady. I asked her to share some of her insights on alternative materials
for use in crochet.
Alternative
Materials: A Practical Guide
by
Jude Butterworth
When I was a university student, I had very
little money and used what little I did have for food and shelter. During that time I had such a strong urge to
crochet that I had to get inventive.
Whether by necessity, curiosity, or the desire to recycle detritus that
would otherwise end up in a landfill, many crocheters are experimenting with
materials that diverge from traditional yarns often found in the crocheter’s
basket.
As part of my brief guide to working with
these materials, I offer you these examples of what artists have done with
these alternate materials, The Fine Artof Crochet: Innovative Works From 20 Contemporary Artists by Gwen Blakley Kinsler. the International Freeform Crochet Group and the Crochet and Knit community, Ravelry. There are books and articles available for
more advanced help and an internet search will also point you to many
eye-opening ideas.
Let's take a quick look at unconventional
materials and remember, always pull up a big loop on your work if you set it
down, even for a minute, or it could start to unravel. This is especially true for slippery yarns.
Sewing thread is very fine. You can use a very small hook to achieve a
tiny version of more traditional crochet, but if you use a larger hook be aware
that you will have to keep a lot of control over your work to keep the tension
even and to prevent it all from unravelling.
 |
| Lake Street Steps by Betsy Tuttle |
Fishing line/mono-filament thread is
incredible slippery and yet the results are so rewarding. Don't expect your work to hold a firm shape
though. Using a smaller hook can give
you a tighter fabric with these materials so you will need to experiment a bit
to achieve the effect you desire.
 |
| Many of Dale Robert's Distorts use fishing line and other nautical materials |
Dental floss can be interesting to work
with. Some flosses tend to be sticky so
that can be a problem if you like to work quickly; it also makes it difficult
to unravel. Other are very slippery and
so pose the same problems as fishing line and mono-filament thread. Flosses can be flat and ribbon-like or round
like regular thread. Some are flavoured
and smell great as you work with them.
Wire can be used to produce amazing
projects. I have found it easiest to
work with a gauge between 26 and 40 as it is pliable enough to be crocheted
with quite easily. You don't have to pay
exorbitant prices for your experiments with wire; a trip to the hardware store
will show you an array of suitable wires at a good price. You can also use florists’ wire. But, a word of warning, wire is very hard on
your hook so use a metal hook that is not your favorite.
 |
| Detail: Very Mixed Media crochet art by Bonnie Meltzer |
Audio and cassette tape actually look fantastic
when crocheted. You might need to
experiment a bit with hook size as it isn't as pliable as traditional ribbon
yarn. If you pull too tightly, the tape
will stretch and might break. Some of
these tapes have a shiny side and a flat side which can lead to interesting
effects when crocheted.
 |
| Adrian Kershaw: From Video Tapes to Vessels, Boise City Dept of Arts & History, 2012 |
Plastic shopping bags can be cut into strips
to make 'plarn'.
 |
| Crochetqueen with Jerry Bleem: plarn flower garden: Oil Flowers |
Fabric, paper or leather strips can also be used in the same
way. There are many methods to cutting
these strips, but I like a more continuous length to work with so I cut the
strips according to width from alternating sides of my material being careful
not to cut all the way through to the other side, as shown in the diagram
below. The gray lines represent the cutting
lines.
Embellishments
such as beads, buttons, pop tab and vintage jewelry components can add a whole
new dimension to your work. I find it
best when adding embellishments to make a chain stitch after each addition to
secure it in place.
 |
| Animal Love by Donna Rosenthal: vintage jewelry & found objects |
Objects with
holes make good additions to the crochet work. Other objects that can easily be
drilled or punctured can be used as well.
If you crochet around a piece of leather or fabric, you need to pierce
it first, then insert the hook into this space and pull through a loop and make
one chain to secure it.
 |
| Susanna Bauer: Crochet around a leaf! |
Objects that
can be crocheted around entirely or encased in a bezel yield amazing results (bezel: a
grooved ring holding the glass or plastic cover of a watch face or other
instrument in position. To create a bezel you need to chain a length that will
fit snugly around your object. Join your
work and do some decrease rows until your object will fit without falling
through, then end off your yarn. The
next part is a little tricky as you need to position the object in your crochet
work, reattach the yarn to the starting chain and work decrease rows until your
object is held firmly within your stitches.
 |
| Cabochon in crocheted bezel with wire crochet by Gwen Blakley Kinsler |
If you have
always had a secret desire to create something unique with your crochet skills
but have been timid or afraid to 'fail', I would encourage you to take this
leap. You might surprise yourself and,
if you are unhappy with your results, just try again. After all, no one needs to see your
experiments but you, so the only thing to lose is a bit of material. Have fun creating!
To see Jude’s
crochet work, go to her Ravelry project page , her Etsy shop or read this article about her work .
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