Lately I've had crochet on the mind. This was further fueled by a happy browsing session at Kinokinuya in Sydney on Friday, where I came away with this book:
As always, there are some refreshing Japanese takes on what can sometimes be a daggy craft.
As far as crafts go, crochet was my first love. My grandmother taught me when I was around four and I was hooked from that moment on. (Pardon the pun.)
At four all I could manage was one long chain. I would keep going until the yarn ran out, then pull it undone and start again. My grandmother got sick of this and soon taught me a few new stitches.
In the junior school I attended, we could earn points for our house by crocheting or knitting squares to make into blankets for the homeless. I crocheted many hundreds of 6 inch granny squares until the age of eleven.
I used to crochet granny squares in the dark after I had been sent to bed.
Now I'm casting around for a crochet project. I think I'll have to give these slippers a try. They are very sweet.
I've been tagging my favourite crochet images as I come across them. I've had this little flickr gallery to inspire me for a while. More recently I've joined Pinterest, which I am really loving. I've started a little inpiration board on favourite crochets over there.
And today I came across this yarn. I wasn't sure whether I wanted wool or cotton. This Rowan yarn is 50% cotton and 50% wool. Together these balls look like a big bowl of icecream. The colours are very appealing - of course they are, when Amy Butler has put her name to them.
For now I'm too busy to start any new crafting projects. This is something for the summer, when I take a break from Townmouse and the other couple of jobs I'm working at the moment.
Japanese craft books have such an aesthetics to them. These images are so beautiful and so is the yarn you have bought!
I loved reading about you crocheting long lines and granny squares in the dark! Made me smile.
Posted by: Anne Marie | Monday, November 22, 2010 at 11:51 PM
No, there's nothing daggy about crochet!:)
In Italy crochet is a real art and has never descended into the dagginess of synthetic wool handcrafts that you are likely to find in an Australian op-shop.
Here crochet, apart from granny blankets (which are a staple for using up scraps of wool leftover from knitting clothes), crochet is done with quite fine thread (perlè 5, and finer). Doilies, table runners, and covers for the backs and arm-rests of couches, are still in use here...which is not my style at all. I prefer the crochet lace trims on sheets, tablecloths and white linen curtains.
When I get around to it I will post some photos for you.
Posted by: Alice | Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at 12:14 AM
PS. I hope the above comment didn't sound condescending towards the handcrafts in Australian opshops - I actually love all that stuff, daggy or not!:)
Posted by: Alice | Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at 12:16 AM
Ooooh, those are beautiful projects! I love those little "buttons" -- especially on the wrapping paper. Love your pinterest page too -- I've been thinking of joining -- that or tumblr -- just haven't had time to think of which one would really do what I want. Your crochet page certainly is a big plus for pinterest!
Posted by: Thimbleanna | Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at 02:44 AM
Love the hook!
You must register for Ravelry - it's free and is a fantastic resource for knitters and crocheters.
Posted by: Kate | Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at 07:26 AM
Such a lovely post ... Thank you Kristine
Posted by: Barbara | Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at 01:04 PM
oh I love crochet! I started while pregnant with the twins and it's so portable! the yarn looks so pretty..
and it was so lovely to say hi and thank you so much for the little onesie! I can't wait to photograph little elodie in her outfit for my blog! that market was the most perfect outing for my MIL even if the twins were just being themselves....crazy!
corrie:)
Posted by: corrie | Thursday, November 25, 2010 at 11:13 AM
i too was taught my grandmother to crochet and used to chain-stitch kms of yarn, undo it and do it again. squares were an obsession, we used to crochet in the dark too :)
those images are so gorgeous. i love the flower strewn bags.
thanks for sharing.
Posted by: pen | Friday, November 26, 2010 at 09:25 PM
I love the Japanese books but really struggle to get hold of them. If I go to Amazon Japan I get confused as to how to order, being it's all in Japanese. Any suggestions? Really loving your blog. So much inspiration, I wish i was half as talented. x
Posted by: Emma | Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 06:13 AM
This inspires me to make friends with my crochet hook again! How can I find this book???? :)
Cheers!
Posted by: Lesbonnesidees | Saturday, March 26, 2011 at 10:39 PM
Try inputting the ISBN for the book into Amazon Japan or another site that sells this title. I always list the ISBN number of any craft book I feature in my flickr stream (accessible via my sidebar.) Hope this helps. Kristine
Posted by: Townmouse - Kristine | Monday, March 28, 2011 at 12:50 PM
I love these slippers! Where did you find the pattern?
Posted by: Tricia | Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 02:39 AM
Yes, I would love to know where the slipper pattern came from too. :)
Posted by: Ashley | Monday, August 06, 2012 at 07:36 PM
Me too. I love the shoes. Love all the things you have worked on. Is that shoe pattern in the Japanese book? I'm a recent convert to crochet having been a knitter since I was five years old. My mother was a crocheter but I could never get the hang of holding the yarn in the left hand! So I crochet like a knitter!!!
Works perfectly!!!
Posted by: Ann Murphy | Thursday, December 13, 2012 at 09:36 PM
Re: [Townmouse] Ann Murphy submitted a comment to Crochet obsessed
Hi Ann,
Yes the pattern is in the Japanese book. Good luck with it.
Kristine
Posted by: Townmouse - Kristine | Friday, December 14, 2012 at 10:29 AM