There’s certainly a nip in the air as we adjust from basking in the warmth of the Cornish summer sun to the cooler and damp autumnal days with the cosy winter evenings ahead. Of course, spending more time indoors means that we can turn our focus to our favourite woolly pursuits.
In recent months we’ve seen on social media the resurgence of beautifully knitted and crocheted colourful garments being created and worn by a raft of celebrities such as Olympic Diving Champion, Tom Daley as well as some of the leading fashion houses launching this season’s crocheted collections with a range of super stylish tank tops, dresses and garments. We’re thrilled to see crocheting as a past time in the global spotlight again – hopefully inspiring even more people to take up this fabulous craft and get as much enjoyment out of making and wearing their own design creations as we do.
For many it’s an intergenerational hobby, with the pleasure of sharing skills and tips often passed down amongst family members. With countless online forums, chat groups and the return of face-to-face meet ups emerging again, it’s a great way to engage with others with similar crafty interests and it’s a well-known stress buster too, improving mental health and wellbeing.
A Bit About the History of Crochet
Whilst the technique of knitting arrived in the UK in the 14th and 15th centuries, the origin of crocheting appears to have arrived much later, from the early 19th century onwards and can only be dated by the earliest crocheted items found.
What You Need to Know About Crocheting
Crochet is much more sculptural and less elastic than knitting and it’s more portable and solid and not as stretchy, so it works well for toys, blankets, accessories, jackets and structured garments. It’s often used to provide edgings or decorations for other work. Crochet tends to use more yarn for the area covered and can be made in smaller modules which can be easily linked together.
Starting Your First Crochet Project
Crocheted creations are timeless and can be worn at any time of year. So how do you go about re-creating some of those classic styles?
We have created an information page for advice on needle sizes, crochet hooks, tension and technique here which may help get you started.
A great crochet project for beginners is The Belstone Cushion which uses only double crochet and slip stich with no shaping. This project is intended as a blank canvas for you to add your own details and ideas and to be as creative as you wish.
Another easy level project is our Feel the Love Crochet Heart Bunting creating a pretty and quaint decoration to brighten any indoor space. A basic knowledge of crochet is required for this and it’s the perfect pattern to use up all your odds and ends. Beautiful hearts of any size can be created, simply double the yarn up to create a bigger version and use a larger crochet hook.
Patterns for Inspiration
You’ll find plenty of patterns on our website for inspiration including the Cawsand Bay Jumper Crochet pattern. Created by Susan Williams, this pattern can be downloaded, free of charge. Classified as Easy level for beginners and those new to crocheting, the pattern uses DK yarn thickness and our Lyonesse linen blend, a fine fibre, over-dyed or natural range would work very well for this project.
In collaboration with Joanne Scrace and Kat Goldin of The Crochet Project, we’ve produced Raw, a beautifully designed publication consisting of six simple, crochet patterns which showcase the beauty of natural undyed British Breed wools and focuses on simple classic pieces that let the yarn truly shine. The project list includes Mamble Socks which are warm and cosy and highly adjustable for a great fit; Newnham Hat and Mitts with stunning colourwork pattern; Abberley Shawl where rustic yarn gets refined for a light, lacy and deceptively simple pattern; Teme Cardigan, a raglan with a subtle ombre that allows you to play with lots of rare breed wools and Lindridge Sweater for the perfect laid-back style.
Crochet Project Kits
All of our crochet wools are made exclusively from the fleece of British sheep and are spun in the mill here in Launceston, Cornwall.
We have created the Crochet Sea Scarf Project Kit, which includes a pattern, 3 balls of Blacker Swan DK in Teal and an environmentally friendly cotton project bag. If you prefer a different colour combination we can create this upon request.
Our Rundlestone Crochet Shawl Project Kit includes a pattern created by Katie Green, three skeins of Cornish Garden Sport yarn in a single colour and a tote project bag. The project kits make ideal presents
Where To Find Out More
You’ll find plenty more crochet related news and tips on the Interweave site here and You Tube has lots of useful tutorial style videos to suit all abilities. Crochet, History and Technique by Lis Paludin and published by Interweave is a publication that we recommend and there are many printed magazines and journals in newsagents and stockists.
The best way to learn is to get started. When you’ve completed your very first or latest project using some of our 100% British Wool yarns, why not post a photo on social media with the hashtag #blackeryarns and share the love of crochet with us.