Mama sews beautiful aprons, including one she made for me with a lovely iris patterned fabric and lots of pretty trim and pockets. With sewing you need to: pin flimsy, easily-rippable patterns onto fabric; cut these pieces out, hoping that you got all the patterns right; figure out what gets attached to what; and, most importantly, thread the sewing machine before you can even sew those pieces together! The last thing I sewed was curtains - straight curtains with a pocket for the rod - and according to my grandmother they ended up crooked.
In comparison (and in reality), crocheting is just tying knots and counting. That's really all it is. Anyone who can hold a pencil can crochet. Mama - I'm bringing down a hook and a ball of yarn when we come to visit, and I'll teach you.
Mom commented that she could never crochet a sweater, even though she's made many hats as well as afghans with complicated patterns. She can knit, which I am just starting to comprehend. As Mom mentioned, her biggest problem is being able to finish a project. That would be something to overcome in order to have a finished sweater, but she definitely could crochet the individual parts.
What is a sweater, really? Four pieces - a front, a back, and two sleeves. The front and the back are crocheted bottom up in a solid block until the arm holes. Then there's some decreasing to give your arms some room, and some shaping for the neck. The sleeves are the same, only smaller, and without the neck. Yes, there's a little complexity in sewing everything together, but it's not too bad if you know where your arms are supposed to go.
So, what's the moral of this story? It ain't hard! So pick up your hooks, find some fun yarn, and make a sweater! For a little more inspiration, here's a picture of my other crocheted sweater:
I made this sweater and took this picture a number of years ago. This is a lightweight sweater in a shell pattern that is very comfortable.
Once you finish your sweater - send me a picture, and I'll post it!
Traci, I'm an avid knitter and now crocheter, so couldn't resist reading your crochet posts. Love that you're encouraging crocheting sweaters, and the one you made above is excellent inspiration. Most people I know who crochet prefer working afghans.
ReplyDeleteI completed my first crocheted sweater not long ago, a wool cardigan from an old McCall's Needlework mag. It was amazingly easy once I figured out the instructions on shaping. Next project will be a pullover of alpaca. I've swatched and the alpaca is perfect for crochet; seems to drape well.
Great, Claudia! Thanks for reading some of my back posts. Yeah, afghans can be easier than sweaters, but how many afghans can you really have lying around the house? A number of years ago my mother and I made "lapghans" and donated them to a nursing home, but I also like making things that I can wear myself, like this sweater. When someone realizes I've made it, their eyes pop out a little because of all the little stitches.
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