This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for your support! A great way I’ve found to learn how to design crochet tops for myself is to start with an already-published, simple pattern that I can modify according to my wardrobe needs and preferences. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m always in search of crochet top patterns that are suitable for Hawai’i’s weather, …
Category: Crochet Design 101
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I’d like you to accompany me on an exciting journey as I learn to design my own crocheted garments. I’m no expert, so I’m starting out very simply – simple shapes (squares and rectangles), easy-to-execute stitch patterns, and the ways in which various yarns and crochet hook sizes result in a variety of fabrics.
You’ll learn along with me the importance of–
— Taking accurate body measurements
— Swatching
— Determining gauge
— Deciding on the amount of ease you want in your garment
–Figuring out how your fabric will drape
— Blocking
— Turning your designs in to patterns
…and much much more.
My hope is that we can gain confidence together to start designing our own cool, crochet creations!
Back in June 2018, I posted a photo on Instagram that showed the start of a summer top that’s crocheted from the top down. And yes, that’s a tarot deck I included in the photo, tarot being my other passion in life. The top-down method of crochet design had fascinated me for some time. I’d only made them using Australian …
I have finally created instructions for a cardigan I crocheted back in 2008. I blogged about it at the time, describing how it came into being. At the end of the blog post, I promised a pattern. And I had started one, but I got stopped in my tracks because I didn’t know how to grade it. Also, for some …
Self-publishing crochet patterns is a breeze these days. But just because they're easy to publish doesn't mean you don't need to ensure that they are as close to perfect as possible. Avoiding these mistakes will have crocheters singing your praises.
You’ve found a crochet pattern you absolutely love and can’t wait to get started on. But the yarn the pattern calls for is either not available in stores near you or is too expensive. Can you substitute another yarn and get good results? Of course you can. Here’s how. Preliminary Steps You’ll need to determine the: WEIGHT of the pattern …
Designing rectangular crochet wraps is easier than you think. This blog plot explains in detail how I did it.
This post contains affiliate links. Read my Disclosure Policy for more information. Thanks for your support! I recently finished a commissioned piece for a customer which was to crochet a sweater for her. This was the second of two projects I did for her, the first being the Chevron Lace Wrap I wrote about earlier. That blog post included tips …
I’m always on the lookout for easy, simple construction techniques for creating stylish, crochet garments. So when I learned about Australian crochet designer, Jenny King’s Get Squared ™online tutorial, I jumped at the chance to purchase it. To understand this construction technique, I started with the basic “Cosy” pullover. But I decided to make mine without sleeves so I can …
This post contains affiliate links. Read my Disclosure Policy for more information. Tired of looking for and not finding that perfect crochet summer top pattern? I know I was. So I decided to design my own summer top. It’s easier than you think, and the results are stunning, especially when you combine a lacy stitch pattern and the perfect yarn …
This post contains affiliate links. Read my Disclosure Policy for more information. If you have been searching for a copy of Modular Crochet by Judith Copeland but can’t afford the $100+ price tag the out-of-print hardcover is selling for, you’re in luck. The book will be back in print as a paperback on June 17, 2015. Modular Crochet, first published …
Lately, I’ve been looking at crochet market bag patterns in anticipation of the plastic bag ban that takes effect in Hawaii this coming July. Most of the patterns I’ve seen are for bags that have some kind of lacy mesh stitch pattern that, honestly, doesn’t look like it would hold up under the weight of heavy groceries or keep them …
This post contains affiliate links. Read my Disclosure Policy for more information. Thanks for your support! I call this symbol system the lingua franca of crochet because it allows crochet designers from different language backgrounds to create patterns that everyone can read. I couldn’t find much on the origins of these symbols other than that the Japanese invented their system …
I had this grand idea to design and crochet a shawl for my daughter for Christmas 2013. Unfortunately, I didn’t purchase enough yarn, and I started a little too late. In this blog post, I describe how the shawl turned into a scarf, as well as how to avoid my mistakes in designing your own rectangular shawl. Choosing Yarn and …
A while back, I received a request from a reader to help her figure out why her granny squares leaned to the right. The Youtube video she used to teach her how to make a granny square had an interesting way of ending and beginning rounds, which I thought might be the cause of the problem (it wasn’t). And while …
This post contains affiliate links. Read my Disclosure Policy for more information. Thanks for your support! I started a search back in the spring for crocheted tops that would carry me through the summer. I wanted to crochet tops that were lacy enough to let a breeze through, but not too lacy that I’d have to wear something underneath them. …
Maybe “pattern” is too strong a word. What I’m about to show you could more accurately be called a “recipe” because I’m not going to give you step-by-step instructions like you’d find in a pattern. Instead, you’ll learn how to design your own top, using the yarn of your choice and custom-fit it to your exact measurements. Where It All …