I have been exploring the possibilities of crochet for a while now and I can safely say that I am very much in love with the craft and I completely disagree with those who see crochet as a craft for the home stuff only. I love crocheting for my home, but I also love, absolutely love to use crochet for making garments.
To crochet garments successfully you have to make a few important choices. Here is my 2 cents worth:
- choose a thinner yarn than you would for knitting to get the same thickness in your finished product. The way the knots are created in crochet creates a bulkier fabric. Instead of a worsted pick a sport, instead of a sport pick a fingering, instead of a bulky pick a worsted.
- crochet with a hook slightly larger than the one recommended by the manufacturer. Pick a hook that is at least one or two sizes bigger than the recommended hook. Crochet a couple swatches with the different hooks and pick the hook size that gives you the best drape, that creates a soft, supple fabric that will make a comfortable garment.
- worsted spun or woolen spun? For very defined stitches pick a worsted spun, but for garments, my favorite is a woolen spun, or a yarn with a halo. This softens the very defined appearance of the crochet stitches.
Here is a little sample of the fun and beauty of crochet. This is a sample for a child sweater design I have been working on. The yarn used here is Cascade's wonderful Tangiers in 2 contrasting colorways creating a fun play on textures and colors.
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