Looking to learn a new skill?

A lot of the products I make use the technique of crochet. Throughout my career as a Design and Technology teacher I was lucky enough to be part of a team of staff with a huge variety of skills which they imparted to students on a daily basis. Sharing traditional and future technological skills with the next generation often inspired students to delve deeper into their own skill base and expand their own horizons.

My handmade products are based on shared experiences throughout my career and I tend to dip in and out as and when the product dictates. One of the techniques I utilise to make my products is the traditional craft of crochet. It is such a versatile technique and, to some, can be a little mind blowing..... you start with a simple yarn and a hooked piece of metal or wood and before you know it, a 3 dimensional item has been created: my husband calls it modern witchcraft! 🧙

The art of crochet can be traced back centuries from all over the world. In the UK, it first became prominent in the early 1800’s and was a thriving cottage industry with items such as clothes and blankets being created. Even Queen Victoria mastered the skill making eight crocheted scarves which she presented to war veterans.

It doesn’t take much equipment to begin learning this craft. A simple crochet hook and some yarn can be all you need when you first start. There are so many resources out there to get you started from magazines, books, video clips and blogs.

If you master the basic stitches of a slip stitch, single crochet and double crochet you will soon pick up the more advanced stitches of half doubles, and trebles to name but a few. Before long you will be reading a pattern and creating fabulous items. The first crochet pattern ever published was back in the 1820’s. Something to remember to check when choosing a pattern is whether your pattern is using UK or USA terms ....still the same stitch but they have different names!

Crochet hooks tend to come in a range of hook sizes with the most common materials for the hooks being aluminium and plastic. You can also utilise steel, bamboo, wood and glass hooks with people tending to choose a hook based on personal preference and the materials they are working with.

The main yarns you can crochet with are wool, cotton and acrylic. I have used all of these basic yarns to make products, such as the pet treat bags, face scrubbies and Amigurumi ( the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small, stuffed yarn creatures) book marks. These days, people tend to experiment with all sorts of yarns including plastic bag yarn, ribbons, raffia, wire, and in my case, recycled T shirt yarn.

Take a look at some of my products on this website to see a number of the items you can make with this simple technique. There are some quick tutorial videos on how to get started too on my Instagram. (@wildfishcrafts). What ever you decide to do, start simple, build up your skills and remember.....it’s not witchcraft but an art form!