Crochet on the Runway for Fall 2009: The Links

Here are links that relate to last night's fashion crochet podcast.

(You can download it if you missed it; also scroll down to Comments, esp. if you are Eleanor in FL!)

The dress pictured here is by Wasson for RVCA and is a great example of the inky black crocheted lace looks for Fall 2009 (source): 

Check out Aquascutum's black Irish crochet lace stockings here. Another designer featuring black crochet lace textures for fall is A 

Detacher, and for 2009 Spring and Resort collections, see Just Cavalli and Diane von Furstenberg. You can find photos of these and many more crochet looks in this slideshow --Catherine Malandrino, Ports 1961, Nanette Lepore, Douglas Hannant, and more.

I also mentioned seeing freeform knit and crochet on the runway for 2009. I found both the more solid, classic scrumbling look (see Rodarte miniskirts) as well as in-your-face freeform crochet lace, for example Kenzo (Spring collection, see dress also; photo source). 

Very exciting! Of course I instantly thought of Myra Wood's new book--you're ahead of the runway designers, Myra! Maybe you inspired them or their contract crocheters?

I'm also swooning over Sonia Rykiel's deep-v black and white diagonal gown with colorwork virtuosity, and Alberta Feretti's pewter skirt of crocheted pineapples worn over the beautiful silver satin dress. (Silver/gray is my favorite neutral.) The traditional pineapple stitch pattern looks modern and chic; same with the examples of classic Irish crochet lace draped all over, sometimes in huge swaths reminding me of crochet's 

heyday with Queen Victoria. That's Aquascutum's coat you see here. Here's a classic gold crochet motif cardi with fresh styling by Dries van Noten. Don't miss Douglas Hannant's Spring '09 traditional yet over-the-top dress.

I mentioned PPQ's geometric crochet motif epaulets, but neglected to mention the accompanying ruffled crochet shorts!(same pic)

Last but not least, I tried to describe the unusual must-see crochet-covered ring embellishments that On Aura Tout Vu used on sunglasses and clothing. You just need to see for yourself. This blog seems to be the original source for the photos that I saw on other blogs.

Tunisian Panels: The Marco Jacket

This one's fresh off the hook because I wanted to wear it to the Portland CGOA conference two weeks ago. It's really 4 experiments in one!

1. I used an obscure stash yarn that worked out great for tunisian crochet. It's Austermann Marco Stretch in "Winterberry" (a warm heathered rose). I've never used a bulky wool with a lot of lycra in it for a sweater so I didn't know what kind of drape I could expect, and whether I'd even be able to block it to my measurements. (Not much info on the 'net from users of this yarn, not even in Ravelry.)

2. The yarn is discontinued so I had a finite amount: would 10 skeins be enough for a jacket? To be on the safe side I went with cropped and shaped sleeves, cropped length, and minimal collar and front overlap. The yarn seemed sporty to me so I pictured a zip-front hoodie style, and would add pockets and a hood with leftover yarn. It ended up reminiscent of a boxy Chanel jacket style when I edged it. That's Yvette trying it on backstage after the conference fashion show.

3. The yarn was like felted spaghetti to work with and looked lumpy in every crochet swatch I tried except tunisian simple stitch (tss). The tunisian fabric came out stretchy, smooth, and soft & spongy enough for my kitten! I was not in the mood for long or cabled tunisian hooks, so....panels, right? I haven't seen many sweaters done this way lately. Making the panels was great fun, but how did I want to join them? I decided to make the seams a decorative element, so more swatching! (But check out ARNie's join-as-you-go tutorial) Correction added 9/30: See ARNie's comment on this entry; this link is part of Cindy's Crochet Pages. Great job Cindy! Thank you.

4. The last experiment concerned shaping. I wanted to do it all--tapered set-in sleeves, back neck drop, shoulder slope, waist. I knew it would help streamline the yarn's bouncy bulk, but this amount of shaping and shortrowing in tunisian was new to me. Using a 12mm hook and big yarn made it fun because some shaping was accomplished with merely adding or subtracting a few jumbo stitches.

I'm very pleased with the results, although I wish the yarn blocked better. There's a pic of me wearing it on Margaret's blog--scroll down to the 2nd photo. At the conference people especially liked the contrasting stitch textures, and some thought the seams were cables :-)

I would definitely construct a garment with tunisian panels again. I created a way to make "panel maps" in Garment Designer, which should simplify writing the pattern for many sizes. (Here's a hazy pic of the map I worked from.)

I had about 1 ball's worth of yarn left over. I paid $3.19/ball for this yarn about 4 years ago at http://www.elann.com/, so not bad for a $30 sweater, huh?

The Ins and Outs of INTERMESHING

I took Margaret Hubert's class on Intermeshing at the CGOA regional conference held in Portland, Oregon last week. Intermeshing is like crocheting two separate pieces of fabric, usually simple filet (chain 1, double crochet in the next double crochet), but you are interweaving them as you work a row of one piece and then the other, so it's a whole new way of experiencing filet crochet. The possible variations are infinite!

Although I had learned how to do this intriguing technique months ago thanks to Bonnie Pierce's downloads (scroll halfway down) and James Walters' excellent material generously made available via the internet, intermeshing is a type of crochet that is also exciting in a class setting. When I saw that Margaret was offering this class, I knew I had to be there.

I brought enough yarn for two very different swatches: one is that new Glow in the Dark yarn (white) by Bernat paired with a ball of blue discontinued Debbie Bliss yarn; my son loves how brightly the Bernat yarn glows in the dark, so I plan to turn this swatch into a small pillow that doubles as a nightlight. This yarn glows all night long! It glows brighter and less green than my camera captured here.

Margaret's class project was a simple bag and that's what I'll turn my second swatch into, so I brought colors for me: a deep rich red chenille (discontinued Reynolds Paris) paired with charcoal Lion Brand Cotton Ease. (see first photo, above.)

Intermeshing requires a certain kind of focus at first. I find that after awhile I can get into a comfortable rhythm, but until then, the logic of it is tricky for me--especially the beginning and ending of rows. Can you spot all the errors? Keep in mind that the edge is meant to end with a solid vertical bar of blue....

Below is my first swatch from months ago, in size 10 threads, turned into a wrist cuff. I was curious how it would look to pair a variegated thread (Manuela) with a solid neutral color (Cebelia). I wear it often because it goes great with jeans, but as a jewelry design I think it would have more punch if both colors were solid instead of variegated. Photos of it "in action" can be seen here.
I recommend Margaret's class to anyone interested in learning intermeshing. She brought some inspiring samples and her class handout is first-rate. I haven't shown any variations here, but Margaret had an afghan with a combination of intermeshing variations. Check out her blog entries about the class (scroll down to Sept. 16 and Aug. 3).

Update: see also this site about "Double Filet" as intermeshing is called in the UK (thank you, nic): http://www.craftgroupsevenoaks.co.uk/dfCrochet.php
In the US for 2010, Susan Lowman will be teaching a class on this technique at CGOA's Chain Link conference (July, Manchester NH).

Crochet and TNNA 2008

Let's get down to brass tacks, shall we? You'll find lots of knit-focused blog entries about TNNA-Columbus right now but take a walk with me on the crochet side. My overall hit from this show? Crochet is solidly on the up in knitworld. [I have a dream that someday it will be more accurate to say 'yarnworld' instead] From whence comes such an impression?

Not TNNA's fashion show, which was composed of the same ratio of crochet to knit as the other two years I've attended (oh, about 1% crochet content). What gets shown on the runway is the result of many factors though, so I'll just leave it at that.

Crocheted garments were sprinkled into many show booths, so crochet fairies have been working hard. These garments ranged from magically delicious to practical classics. Some draped more than the knits; some knit sweaters weighed more than the crocheted ones. [There will come a day when I won't feel the need to point this out] One might be tempted to say that this is what causes my "crochet's on the rise" tingles, but not really--there was some great crochet last year. Tinkerbell is a crocheter.

Here's where something truly new is going on: a new attitude among enough knitting attendees to matter, whether they be yarn shop owners or even 'knit establishment' insiders. Knit blinders are off! People are looking at crochet in its own right, not mentally comparing it to knits [and then coming out with a biased verbal gaff]. Crochet designers as a group [not just big names] seem to have earned some credibility somewhere along the line. An open-minded interest is replacing the closed-minded stony-face that crocheters have encountered for years.

I wish I could go into some specifics that reinforce my impressions but I'm sorry I have to be discreet else how will someone be able trust me with secrets in the future? :-)

Crochet's stock is going up. Isn't it great?

Freeform Shell Subversion

Welcome to all the freeformers who have subscribed to this blog. Thank you Mel for your warm recommendation! Normally I would have blogged before now but whew, a flu came out of nowhere! (All better now.)

In honor of my freeformin' buddies, here's a "shell game" that I've been playing lately. Like many crocheters I start out enjoying shell (or fan) stitch patterns, but after awhile I get a tad rebellious. I think, "5 double crochets all in this stitch? Let's mix it up a bit." I swatched up two stitch patterns: a widely available one (called "Peacock Fan Stitch" in the Harmony Guides) consisting of stacked shells of 13 double trebles (dtr). The other is less common: offset shells of 7 triple trebles (trtr) each separated by a chain stitch (ch).

In the case of the Peacock Fan Stitch, the shells are dramatically solid, and the fact that they stack up in columns helps direct the eye. In the blue swatch I took out some wedges, asymmetrically. Where I removed 4 dtrs I replaced them with 4 chs. There are many things I did not try, such as linked stitches, piggybacks, and more wedges.

In the white swatch, a shell of 7 trtr and 6 chs means I have a total of 13 stitches (sts) to mess with. This pattern starts out more lacy, so the variety of changes don't show up so well. The swatch will serve as a handy shell menu for me though. I tried a variety of linked st combos, and the 3-trtr/10ch shell catches my eye. I wonder how a fabric would look of linked shells mixed with some 2-trtr/11ch shells!

While swatching I noticed the following:
- the asymmetry is more dramatic and effective when there is a bold contrast between open and solid space. The eye needs to be able to organize all of the details that crochet fabric brings to the table.

- the grid gets smudged out the most if the center stitch of a shell or fan is eliminated; in other words, retaining the center stitch of a shell helps everything look regular and balanced. I think of the center stitch of a shell pattern as the Grid Keeper.

- The thinner and smoother the yarn and the larger the shells, the bigger the effect.

Classic stitch patterns are basically grids with symmetry and predictability as part of their charm, but I like to deconstruct them and see crochet also get subtly asymmetrical and random. Surely others have already done this kind of shell subversion and if so I hope someone will leave a comment and let me know. It has been a fun experiment.

Published: Felted Journal Cover

Felted Crochet, the latest book in the popular Vogue Knitting's On the Go series, is due out April 1. I received my contributor's copy and it's great! The range of projects is fun and inspiring and I would have added it to my library even if I didn't have a design in it. Below is a pic of the felted piece before blocking. As you can see, it felted evenly with no wonky ruffled edges. I chalk that up partly to the yarn and partly to the design: I worked the final rounds differently so that they pull in neatly during felting instead of splaying out. By doing a rectangle in the round instead of back and forth, the height and width shrink equally so that the felted rectangle retains the original proportions.

As a designer, Louet Riverstone is my favorite felting yarn. The stitches felt beautifully and there are no odd little surprises in color, texture, or felting process. My prototype came out as fine as the published sample! It inspired this blog entry. I'm a big fan of other Louet yarns too, such as Euroflax, KidLin, and Gems. (Come to think of it, Euroflax inspired this entry.)

Orlando Needlework Show Wrap-up

Took two excellent classes at the show and realized I didn't blog about them: Lily Chin's Color, Composition, Scale, Stitch and Pattern in 2-Dimensional Design and Darla Fanton's Tunisian Entrelac-to Felt or Not; Part 1-In the Round.

I've never seen this one offered by Lily before, so I had to take it out of curiosity. Within in the first 5 minutes I knew I was in the right class when she asked, "What is the difference between Art and Design?" I spent the rest of the conference mulling over our discussion!

It's funny to me now to type "Tunisian Entrelac in the Round" because before I took Darla's class it sounded exotic and advanced. I had never done any kind of tunisian crochet in the round, let alone entrelac. Yet it was perfectly easy to learn in class and I never once thought, "Holy cow, this tunisian entrelac in the round is crazy stuff". It seems more natural than working flat, actually.

I finished my project in class: a bowl to felt (see above photo). Now that I have it home, though, it's very soft and is the perfect size for my Hat Guru, so I think instead of felting it I'll edge the brim and let it be a hat!

The last bit of news is: YES Floridians! There WILL be another Orlando Needlework Show in September 2008!

UPDATE (Dec. 7): Dates for 2008 are being revised.

Crochet Content Alert!

Check out the summer issue of Spin-Off magazine for an article about using a tie-dye technique to solar-dye a spiderweb stitch scarf! It's space-dyed crochet that gives the optical illusion of joined motifs worked in rounds with color changes, granny square style (whereas this stitch pattern is worked horizontally in rows). Starts on p. 58. See Jeannine Bakriges' blog for the story behind the article. The undyed image is from Interweave's site showing the classic stitch pattern pre-dyed. The other image is from Jeannine's blog. Very cool!

Fiberarts magazine, summer issue, also has some crochet-specific content: see the article on science and art where Daina Taimina's hyperbolic geometry models are featured.

With their fiber focus, both magazines always have something to offer crocheters in general, but when they get crochet-specific I want every crocheter to know about it!

Fabric Strip Crochet

This topic came up in one of my favorite chat groups, Crochet Partners, and it reminded me of a shoulderbag I crocheted back in the 1980's from every kind of fabric I had on hand at the time.

The cream-colored fabric is from an old vintage bedsheet, the burgundy is a satin ribbon, the white is storebought lace, the dark gray is velveteen. You can see metallic gold from some braid trim I crocheted in. Everything else is a mix of cotton, rayon, poly blend-type fabrics that I had on hand for sewing. The strap has crocheted-along string for reinforcement. Below is the front view with flap open, and the back view.

All were lightweight fabrics (except the velveteen) but some still crocheted up stiffer than others. My favorite fabric to crochet is old silk, but I haven't tried a bouncy/stretchy type fabric such as t-shirt strips or lycra-content sport fabrics. I tried crocheting polar fleece and it's not my thing, but maybe it would be if we got a severe winter.

By the way, this bag shows no age. Fabric strip crochet so durable!

TNNA Report #2: Illusion Crochet Class

I took one class at the TNNA show: Illusion Crochet taught by Darla Fanton (a first-rate crochet teacher by the way! It's no wonder her illusion crochet class is already sold out at the upcoming CGOA conference).

This technique has exciting possibilities and I enjoyed its unique rhythm. It's a new way to experience crochet. The second photo shows what the back looks like.

Sometime during the 3-hour TNNA class Darla mentioned that people won't finish the project during class, and I privately turned that into a challenge. Turns out that my designing cohorts, Marty Miller and Drew Emborsky, did too. Maybe we get conditioned to crochet for deadlines? The good news is that I did indeed finish with time to spare; the bad news is, I came in THIRD! I'm pretty sure Drew came in FIRST.

If I were a better blogger I'd have a photo here contrasting the 3 potholders done by Drew, Marty, and me, all with size H/5mm hooks: all three potholders were different sizes! It's the infamous "Crocheter's Hand" effect. (None of us were aiming for a stated gauge so it means our native gauges were all different.) Not only that but earlier, I had to rip out the first 4 rows and start over because the class started at 8 a.m. and when do I ever crochet at 8 a.m.? My starting gauge was changing as I warmed up. I wonder if my 8 a.m. gauge would have matched Marty's....

Feeling the Felt Love

Flushed with felting pleasure and success*, here's a Ten Things I Love About Felting Crochet List:

1. Hidden facets of a yarn's personality are magically revealed. Everything--the yarn's fiber content, spin, dye, etc.-- matters.
2. Felting makes simple stitches new again. I've been crocheting for so long that I thought I'd seen simple stitches do everything!
3. Feels primal and cozy
4. Also feels northern, so I get nostalgic because I grew up in Ohio & Wisconsin but have spent most of my adult life in the subtropics (love the smell & feel of wet soapy wool!)
5. Forces me to use a hook that's normally too big for the yarn. Simple stitches look different--I can see their inner architecture better (uh, I'm on record as being kind of obsessed with crochet because of this), and they feel different-- all stretchy and drapey.
6. Forces (or frees?) me to take a back seat while a process larger and more mysterious than me (in this case, the unpredictably complex alchemy of felting) does its thing. So it can be a kind of spiritual practice/experience.
7. Spiritual development aside, it requires and often rewards risk-taking, thinking big, and process orientation. At its most dramatic, I take the "known" (my crocheted piece), and even if I like it as is, I must "cut the ties" and let it go into the "unknown" (felt it) and who knows if I'll like it better on the other side of the "abyss". If I do, the ecstasy is addictive. At times I've had to take a deep breath and close my eyes when felting luxury fibers like cashmere and angora!
8. Sometimes instead of having to "let go" of a crocheted piece I like, it looks yucky on purpose in preparation for felting (stitches and rows look sleazy, weird shape, etc.). Then I felt with abandon because I have nothing to lose! When it comes out all evenly felted, there's that ecstasy again but for a different reason--I felted straw into gold; or the ugly ducking became a swan; or I salvaged and recycled trash into treasure. (Pick one)
9. My hands change a bit to maintain the loose gauge with bouncy wool yarns. This is a new skill for crocheters who are accustomed to cotton yarns and threads at normal-to-tight gauge because cotton is dramatically less resilient than many wools. It's not a new skill for me but still it takes an adjustment every time I crochet to felt. When would I crochet worsted wools like this otherwise? Yet it's fantastic practice for crocheting lycra-content yarns with a more standard-size hook. (You need to crochet these yarns in such a way that you don't stretch them while working.)
10. It encourages lots of crocheters to experience crochet in new ways and challenges them to develop new skills that are important for non-felted crochet too.

Do you feel it too? Feel the felt love?
----
*success in the professional sense--more details on the felted design when published!