My Journey With Crochet - and what the heck is Tunisian?!

I learned how to crochet when I was eight.  My Aunt Patti showed my sister and I how to crochet when my cousin's wife was going to have triplets.  My sister, my aunt, and I each made a crocheted baby blanket with a size Q hook.  At that point I didn't realize that for crochet, size Q is huge!

I sort of tried to re-learn crochet in middle school, this time with a smaller hook - a size J, I think.  I decided that I wanted to make a blanket, but I didn't know a thing about patterns.  I looked through pattern books for blankets to find out how much yarn I would need.  I decided I would make a light and navy blue striped blanket, bed sized.  I don't remember how much yarn I bought; probably 4-6 skeins of each color.  It was whatever the cheap yarn I could find at Walmart was, maybe Red Heart Super Saver, except that it's softer than the standard, so possibly Red Heart with Love.  I don't know.  None of the skeins have the packaging.  Yes.  I still have them.  That particular blanket dream was never realized.  I worked on it for years.  In college, I still had it and I was working on it, and I thought - you know, crochet can't possibly be this annoying or take this long!  I looked up again how to crochet.  Head smack!  I was doing actual crochet, but not single crochet or double crochet or half double crochet -- I was attempting to do the ENTIRE BLANKET in slip stitches.  Slip stitches, when done in that quantity are incredibly painful.  I still want to make that blanket some day with that yarn, but those particular shades of blue together have not piqued my interest for awhile.  In college I started to actually crochet, you know, with real stitches, and I discovered that it was fun and I was sort of good at it.

When I started working at a craft store post college, however, is when the fire was really lit under my feet.  I took on crazy projects - like afghans!  I have actually completed a few of those -- mostly lap-ghans, but I have one that fits beautifully on my twin-sized bed.

About a year or so ago, inspired to seek more interesting crochet stitch patterns, I came across the afghan stitch in a learn to crochet book I have.  The thing that set this stitch apart from any other was that it collected loops from a whole row of stitches on the hook and then you would work them off, one at a time.  It was a lot more like knitting, which I have only recently learned, but was still definitely crochet.  I thought, hey, with such an innovative stitch idea there must be variations!  I began to research the afghan stitch and came across Tunisian Crochet, which is the afghan stitch, plus variations using long hooks that have a stopper at the end (oh, that's what those are for).  I found a set of four tunisian hooks on clearance for around $4.00 at Annie's (anniescatalog.com).  I bought these, excited to experiment, and thus the journey began.  I learned that I love Tunisian crochet!  I love that it's similar to knitting but only requires one stick instead of two, and that it can be so easily mixed with regular crochet!  (Note the it is still done with a hook, yay.)  I find that it works up faster than knitting, though that could be a personal thing, since I am more used to working with a hook than with a pair of needles.  I tend to be an impatient person when it comes to making things -- I want to be delighted by the finished product! -- so the faster something works up, the happier I am.

Take a look!  This is a hat I crocheted for my friend Allison:

You can see in this first picture what a Tunisian Crochet hook looks like...

 and this second one shows a better profile of the slouch hat:

This particular stitch pattern combines double crochet stitches with the tunisian simple stitch to create a lacy pattern.

If you like this hat, you can order your own!  Right now I have one available in denim blue on my Etsy shop, or you can request a custom order.  Shop Now

Jennifer

Taking Responsibility

When I tell people about how I quit my job and am trying to figure out how to start my own business, I always give a caveat that I will take some time then find another day job.  It's not that I don't think I can make it as a small business owner, though I do know that it takes time and a lot of work.  Part of me is nervous about not having a constant cash flow.  However, I don't think that's it, either.  I think I'm trying to prove to myself, and maybe everyone else, that quitting my day job was not irresponsible.  I have a strong work ethic.  I always have, and for some reason it's hard to feel like working for myself is actual work.  (This, despite spending all day photographing, uploading, blogging, etc, trying to rev up business for my Etsy endeavor.)  I never want to feel like I'm taking advantage of my parents who are letting me live at home right now, and I never want to feel like I am taking advantage of anyone else, either.  I highly value hard work.  Because of this, I felt very apprehensive about quitting my job even though it was not the right one for me anymore.  I got to a point where I felt like I was the slave of the company I worked for and that needed to change.  I have always had ambitions, and it was time to try following them.  Quitting felt like failure to me.  I know that's hardly fair.  I was not a failure at my job.  I excelled at it.  So, here I find myself, working hard at home daily to start a business that I feel I have to justify to myself every day.  I know I shouldn't feel that way.  I know I need to learn to value my work more highly, and I do value it, but I think I'm still learning my value and the value of what my hands create.

Fly away home

I went through a bird loving phase a few years ago.  I still love them, but I mean, I was turning everything into a bird.  It started with a project in my Ceramics 1 class in college.  We had to make a "self portrait" using some kind of animal and some sort of scriptural reference.  I chose a bird, made about 50 of them and piled them up in a cage.  I'm not sure exactly what this means, psychologically, as a self portrait, but it remains one of my favorite art pieces I have ever made.


I also went crazy with some extra clay and glaze experimentation and made many many more birds.  I am now offering some of these on my shop.

Orange and cream bird
Brown and white bird
Blue bird pair

Check them out and let me know what you think!

Jennifer

A New Year, A New Adventure!

I don't generally make New Years Resolutions, but this year I decided I wanted to dive head first into pursuing my dreams.  When asked what I like to do for fun, my response is generally, "make stuff!"  I think it's time to capitalize on this.  I worked retail for the past two and a half years - did well and moved up.  I felt dead inside - and was perpetually stressed.  It became clear to me that it was time for a change.  Books & Clay, my new shop on Etsy, is my change.  I will post updates and process notes on this blog.  Please check back frequently to see what is new, and if you see something you like, link it to your friends or hop on over to Etsy and buy it!

Thank you for your interest and your support as I begin a new life adventure!

Jennifer

booksandclay.etsy.com