Frances Burks Crochet

Crochet Seams: Learn the Secrets for Seaming Like a Pro

While many crocheters love crocheting a sweater, skirt, dress or other garment, some of us dread sewing the seams to complete a garment. That's because sometimes we're dealing with irregular edges, or we aren't sure what type of stitch to use to join the seams for the best look. In any case, here are some links to instructions that can help take the fear out of crochet seaming:

Craft Yarn Council of America: Crochet 911: Joining Seams

Knit Simple: Crochet.101: Seaming

Yarn Shops for Crocheters

I like to spend my money at yarn shops that support the crochet craft, which can be a tall order since so many shops only focus on knitting. However, the Needle Travel website can take the guesswork out of finding shops that serve crocheters as well.

If you're looking for a yarn shop in your city or you like to check out new yarn shops when you travel, the Needle Travel site can help you narrow down your options. Yarn shops are listed on the site by state, and you can enter a specific city or zip code to conduct your search. Be sure to select "yarn" in the merchandise categories to avoid getting a lot of unrelated search results.

In the search results, you can view shop details and go to a shop's website to find out whether its description mentions crochet at all. If a shop doesn't have a website, you can call the phone number listed to find out if the owners carry crochet merchandise and whether the owners or employees are knowledgeable about crochet.

If I call to find out whether a shop serves crocheters, and I get an answer like, "Well, we carry yarn" I pass on going to that shop because I would rather give my business to shop owners who make an effort to serve crocheters.

Share Your Favorite Yarn Shop

Have you found a great yarn shop that supports crochet? If so, please leave a comment to let the CrochetRocks community know about it.

Crocheted Shrugs I Don't Hate

As you've already guessed from the title of this post, I generally hate shrugs. I think they can be terribly unflattering to most figures because many shrugs don't amount to much more than a pair of crocheted sleeves attached at the back by another short piece of crocheted fabric. Because of the small amount of fabric that's often used to construct shrugs, they have a tendency to look like ill-fitting sweaters that were left in a dryer too long.

Nonetheless, I have to admit I recently came across a couple of free crochet shrug patterns that I actually like. These shrugs look more like relaxed-fit sweaters than other shrugs, which is probably why I like them. The patterns are the Acorn Shrug and the Simple Crochet Shrug, and they're posted on the Lion Brand Yarn website. Even though both patterns are free, you have to register on the Lion Brand site to download them.

Review: Knitting Daily TV

"Knitting Daily" airs on public television stations nationwide and given it's name, there's no surprise the show mostly focuses on knitting. However, some shows in the series include crochet segments. The segments are short, and they often don't do much more than show a particular crochet stitch or technique. Still, new crocheters may find the segments helpful, and I give the show credit for giving crochet some TV time.

The "Knitting Daily" website also offers a few free crochet clothing patterns that I like, but you have to register to join the site to download the patterns. Some notable free patterns you might want to check out are the Rosemary Sweater, Maggie Wrap, and Friend Shawl.

Why Crochet and Crafts Should be in Your Will

 By Frances Burks

   

From my vintage crochet pattern collection: Jack Frost handbag pattern, 1945.

 

Those of us who love crochet and other crafts often bemoan the many quilts, embroideries, beaded bags, and other handmade works of art that have been lost over time. Not only have many pieces been lost due to neglect, but the histories of many surviving pieces have been lost as well, leaving us with many questions about their makers.

Today, whole books are written about naming, storing, and marking handmade pieces to preserve them and their histories for future generations. But what if you're in my situation and no one in your family has more than a slight interest in crochet or any other crafts?

I've been creating needlework since I first learned to do crewel embroidery as a Brownie. However, it was the passing of a great aunt and the lack of interest in handmade treasures among surviving family members that caused me to make a plan for bequeathing a lifetime of crochet, needlework and other handmade creations and designs. My great aunt was an avid needlepointer. Unfortunately, she didn't leave specific instructions on what she wanted done with her needlework after her death, so I'm not sure what happened to her work. That caused me to think about what I would do with mine. Therefore, I've started making a plan for passing down my crochet and other crafts, including book collections, patterns, and supply stashes.

Crochet and Crafts in a Will?

You might think it sounds odd to include craft-related items in your will, but that very thing was common among family members long ago when quilters bequeathed their treasured creations to relatives.

If you've been crocheting and crafting for many years as I have, then your crafts are important to you. Therefore, why shouldn't your craft work and related collections have a place in your will? But who should be the recipients of your crafting legacy? Let's consider the traditional approach, which is to pass down your crafts to family members. Hold on! Before deciding to stick with that plan, consider the following questions:

• Is anybody in your family genuinely interested enough in crocheting or crafting to value and take care of your pieces?
• Have you given family members gifts you've made that you've never seen again because they've probably been pushed to the back of a closet?
• Does your family consistently ask, "Haven't you done enough crafts by now?"

If you can't put a positive spin on the above questions, you might want to ask family members if they're interested in inheriting any pieces in your crafts collection. If not, don't be insulted; just be glad you know that you should make another plan for delivering your precious collection into caring hands.  

Options for Bequeathing Your Needlework

There are several ways to ensure your needlework is passed on to others who will appreciate it. Consider including some of these options in your will when bequeathing your crafts collection:

• Divide your collection among your crafting friends and guild members.
• Donate your collection to a charitable auction.
• Have a for-profit auction house sell your collection and will the proceeds to heirs.
• Have your craft collection included in an estate sale and will those proceeds to heirs.
• Donate your vintage or antique craft items to a guild or historical society.
• Donate vintage or antique craft pieces to a museum.
• Have your collection sold online and designate recipients for the proceeds.

Donating Craft Collections to Museums and Historical Societies

Here are a few ideas to consider for leaving your needlework and associated items in the care of various organizations to preserve them for future generations:

• The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., accepts donations of objects if they appear to complement its collections, but the Smithsonian acknowledges on its website that a small percentage of items offered are accepted. Nonetheless, if you've amassed a unique and/or valuable textile or needlework collection, it may be worth contacting the Smithsonian to find out if the institution is interested in acquiring your pieces.

• The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan, amasses collections or artifacts intended to convey the American experience. People also can donate artifacts to The Henry Ford, which may be a good option if you have a collection of antique needlework, needlework tools, or other objects. All proposed donations or sales of artifacts to The Henry Ford need to be submitted in writing, and a curator decides if objects should be added to a collection.

• Contact local historical societies and guilds to determine their interest in and process for acquiring artifacts. An Internet search should turn up historical societies in your state. Historical societies are often interested in acquiring a variety of textiles. Furthermore, if you're like me and have amassed a collection of crochet, needlework, and other crafts books, historical societies and guilds may be interested in acquiring those as well, especially if the books are first editions or are out of print.

Copyright © 2008 Frances Burks

Crochet in Fashion News

Here's more from Milan Fashion Week (See yesterday's post.). This article also highlights Dolce & Gabbana's "pristine white crochet" fashions from the spring collection.

Crochet in Fashion News

I've spied another appearance of crochet in fashion news. This time, it's from the Dolce & Gabbana spring collection. I admit I'm not wild about the "tablecloth chic" reference, but it did put crochet in the fashion spotlight during Milan Fashion Week.

Collecting Vintage Crochet Patterns

From my vintage crochet pattern collection. Jack Frost handbag pattern, 1945 Crochet Bag No. 4802

If you like to crochet garments and accessories as I do, you may have a hard time finding stylish patterns because it seems crochet takes a backseat to knitting, especially when it comes to making garments. However, I've had great success finding eye-catching designs by collecting vintage patterns created from the 1940s through the 1970s.

You can find vintage crochet patterns for women's suits, dresses, sweater coats, and more that don't look outdated. Just a warning though, these patterns often only include line-by-line instructions without schematic drawings. Nonetheless, the pictures alone are often eye candy for today's crocheters.

If you decide to begin collecting vintage crochet patterns, don't overlook vintage knitting magazines, such as Vogue Knitting. There was a time when that magazine and others included garment patterns for both crocheters and knitters. See more of my vintage pattern collecting tips.

Whip Crocheted Clothing Into Shape With Blocking

Need help preventing your crocheted clothing pieces from curling, or do you need to bring slightly out of shape pieces into shape? Take a look at this article I wrote titled How to Block a Crocheted Sweater to find ideas for taming crocheted clothing.

How to Choose a Crochet Hook

Choosing a crochet hook that's right for you can make all the difference in creating great looking crocheted clothing. My article titled How to Buy a Crochet Hook can help you narrow down your options if you're buying a hook for the first time, looking to add to the hooks you already have, or are having problems eliminating split stitches.

Do you already have a favorite type of crochet hook? If so, tell us why it's your favorite.