Five of the Most Interesting Types of Crochet to Try This Year | Podcast Episode #97

Episode Transcript

Brittany:
Well, hey there and welcome to episode 97 of the BHooked podcast, our first episode of the season. We’re all in this brand new year and we’re super motivated. Maybe you’re creating some new goals for the year or a new year’s resolution. The bottom line is we’re all motivated to try something new.

We’ve spent some time reflecting on the previous year, and now we’re looking forward to a better year or a more productive year, a more fill-in-the-blank kind of year. Well, one thing you know I always love to do is learn, and I know you’re really similar in that way. So today, in our first episode of the year, I’ll be bringing you five more types of crochet to try.

Now I say five more types because you heard the first five types in episode 32. Now in that episode, we covered amigurumi, tapestry, Tunisian, hairpin and broomstick lace, and fillet crochet. That episode was so well received, I was looking back through the archives and I thought, why on earth have I not created a second to this? There are so many different types of crochet, and we’ve only explored five of them.

So we’ll expand on that a little bit today with five more types of crochet for you to try in the new year. So today we’ll elaborate on that list with Aran crochet, Bavarian crochet, overlay crochet, intarsia, and entrelac crochet. These are five of the most intriguing types of crochet for me, and I’m so excited to share them with you today, especially if you’ve never heard of one of those.

So let’s start off our list with aran crochet. So if cables and texture are your jam, you love that stuff, well, this first one is for you. You’ll want to pay special close attention to aran crochet. Now, it’s likely that you’ve already seen aran crochet somewhere around you, whether that be in your Instagram feed or on Pinterest, maybe even in a pattern book.

The name can be confusing because aran also refers to a yarn weight category. Now, it’s not one we typically use here in the States, but it’s very common outside of the U.S., and it’s about a worsted weight. That’s sort of like the comparison. But aran crochet isn’t necessarily crochet that uses an aran weight yarn. It’s actually a category all on its own.

So aran crochet is a technique that creates texture. So it’s a textured form of crochet, and sometimes it’s also referred to as Celtic crochet. There are so many different ways that you can incorporate texture into your crochet projects, and aran crochet incorporates many, sometimes all of the different forms of textured stitches.

So some of those stitches are post stitches, and that’s where you work maybe a front post double crochet, a back post double crochet. You can follow that up with, you know, through the treble crochets as well. The idea is that you’re pulling a stitch to the front, or to the back and you’re allowing it to sort of pop out or sink in to your work, depending on which one you’re working.

So post stitches really shine in aran crochet. Now, if you’re familiar with post stitches, then you probably know that that is the technique you use to create cables. So post stitches and cables sort of flow together in aran crochet and they’re used very often. You’ll also find some bobbles, some popcorn stitches incorporated into aran crochet, and some of my favorite, traveling stitches.

Now, if you’ve never heard of a traveling stitch, think of it this way. You’re using post stitches, but you’re working them out of order so that you’re not creating maybe one line that pops up. So if you’re working through your project and you have one front post double crochet and you work that same stitch pattern in that same place, maybe you’re just creating one line that pops out of your project.

Well, traveling stitches still incorporate those post stitches, but rather than always being placed in the same spot or over the same stitch, it’s usually one over from that, so that way you’re creating movement or a geometric shape or pattern to your project. Traveling stitches are so cool, definitely worth experimenting with.

Now, most often you’ll find that aran crochet uses one single color, and that’s because you really want the texture to shine in this form of crochet. So it’s wonderful to incorporate lots of color into your project, and several of the techniques we’ll talk about in just a moment do incorporate a lot of color. But this one puts the focus on the texture.

So now you might be asking yourself, okay, this is pretty cool. I want to explore this. What can I make with aran crochet? Where do I even start? Well, I’m glad you asked. Aran crochet is wonderful for blankets of any size, baby blankets, lap blankets, full-sized afghans, and can you even imagine what a queen or king-sized throw would look like in this technique?

Another really great option to explore would be with garments. Now, you do have to be a little bit careful with using aran crochet techniques in garments, and that’s because of the fabric that it creates. Now, if you’ve ever worked a post stitch or a cabled stitch, you know that that work or that fabric that results out of those stitches is kind of thick and pretty sturdy.

Now that’s really great for afghans, things like bags, but it’s not always great for clothing, right? We don’t want to wear like a boxy sweater. We want it to have some drape to it. One of the ways that I have found getting around that super thick, not so drapey fabric when I incorporate some cables is to use a lighter weight yarn.

I actually really love to use a sport weight or a lightweight yarn for cabled projects because then you can get that drape. It’s not so thick and yes, it does take a little more time to create, but it’s totally worth it. Now here’s my favorite fun fact. I’ve mentioned the Crochet Challenge for Warm Up America 2019 in previous episodes and well, this is the type of crochet that is featured in our 2019 challenge.

So hello, if you want to try this form of crochet, the Crochet Challenge for Warm Up America will be the perfect opportunity to do so. Now, as you know, I like to take a really complex idea and show you just how easy it can be. And that will be the case for the challenge this year. So that is our first type of crochet.

I hope you will give it a try later on this month when the challenge kicks off. I will have more details for you on that as soon as they are available. But now let’s move into our second type of crochet. Now this one you’ve probably heard of before, and you’ve probably even seen it at one point or another, or you could have heard it referred to as one of its other names.

So let’s talk Bavarian crochet, aka the Catherine Wheel stitch or the Wool Eater afghan. What I really love about Bavarian crochet, Catherine Wheel, Wool Eater, whatever you want to call it, it’s all the same thing. It uses a combination of only two rows, so it looks super complicated, but it’s pretty easy to accomplish once you get into a groove and you memorize the stitch pattern.

Now before I describe those stitch patterns to you, first it’s important to know that you can work this in two different ways. You can start from the inside and work out, so in a round fashion, although it creates more of a square than a round. You get the idea there. But then it’s also worked in rows.

So one row is sort of like your shell row is what I like to call it. And that’s where you’re working with really tall stitches, usually a triple treble, sometimes a little bit bigger, sometimes a little smaller. It depends on the designer. And so you’re working a whole bunch of shells and that gives you, we’ll say one half of the stitch pattern.

Then the next row or the next round will incorporate some decreases and this isn’t your standard Double crochet two together triple treble two together. You’re actually decreasing across many more stitches than just two. Now this can get a little bit we’ll say tedious to hold on to, especially if you have one of the hooks with the ergonomic handles on there.

Sometimes it’s difficult to hold all of those loops on your hook, but it’s totally possible. Now, you know, I love to work with my Tulip Edimo hooks and I was perfectly able to create a Catherine Wheel or Wool Eater Bavarian Crochet Baby Blanket for actually the Warm Up America Challenge 2017. It worked out perfectly fine with that crochet hook.

So these decreases are placed in between the shells. So you’re closing things up or filling up those gaps. When you look at it from a distance, it looks like a bunch of little diamonds or little squares that are kind of offset, with this ridged edge outlining them.

Now I have to say that there is a reason it’s called the wool eater. It goes through a ton of yarn and that’s not a bad thing per se. If you’re trying to use up a lot of yarn in your stash, this is my go-to pattern or my go-to stitch recommendation, stitch pattern to really go through that stashed yarn.

But let’s say you’re creating a bigger project, an Afghan say, well, you will have to order quite a bit of yarn depending on the size. So just keep that in your mind as you’re planning through your Bavarian crochet projects. You will need to have quite a bit on hand.

Now on that note, I will say that it’s always a good idea to make a practice swatch before you dive into a big project, especially with a stitch pattern like Bavarian crochet. It’s not that complicated, but there are some techniques that you need to master, some tension things that you may have to work through as you work those really tall stitches.

I don’t know, for me, triple trebles always just trip me up. For whatever reason, they always start out really great, but as I yarn over, pull through two, and I’m kind of walking it back through, those last two loops are always more loose than the others, and it just drives me a little crazy that that stitch isn’t completely uniform.

Well, it always starts out that way, but as I get my groove and get into a rhythm, then it works out so much better. The stitches are a lot more even, and so that’s why practice always makes better, right?

In most cases, you’ll see Bavarian crochet worked in a worsted or a medium weight yarns, but you can really explore with this technique. I have never seen Bavarian crochet worked in a bulky or a chunky weight yarn, but I imagine it would be amazing.

On the opposite end of that spectrum, using a lightweight yarn would also be really interesting. As you change the gauge, change the size of the yarn, change the size of your hook, you’re going to be changing the size of your stitches and therefore the stitch pattern.

So if you’re looking for a diamond pattern that has smaller squares, a smaller ridge, just maybe overall a little more defined, we’ll say, then a lightweight yarn is best. If you want to go for the standard Bavarian crochet, medium worsted weight yarn is the way to go. But if you’re like me and you like to explore, give it a try with some bulky or chunky weight yarn.

As far as projects go, Bavarian crochet is used most often for blankets or afghans. That’s probably what you’ve seen in pictures or on Pinterest or on Ravelry even. It makes a stunning blanket. There is no question about that.

You’ll also see it used for like trivets or hot pads. And this is a great little project to practice on. So I mentioned that you want to get in your groove, get used to making those really tall stitches so they’re nice and even, and then just memorize the stitch pattern.

Well, when you work it in that round fashion or where you’re starting from the inside and working out, you can work just a few rounds and have a nice functional hot pad and then it’s given you the opportunity to learn how to work that stitch.

I think there is so much room for creativity in terms of Bavarian crochet. I’m thinking right now, how cool would it look to have some type of garment or a sweater where you’re focusing in on the geometric shapes and patterns that come to life with Bavarian crochet.

You could also make bags out of it. And because you can make these smaller squares or like those hot pad type of shapes, you could even stitch those together, use them sort of in like a motif or granny square fashion and create unique handbags. I mean, the sky is the limit, really.

Okay, so let’s move on to overlay crochet. This is our crochet type number three. I am so in love and so captivated by overlay crochet. I first saw this type of crochet in action on Instagram, and it’s from a person who we’ve had on this show before, Sandra. She’s also known as Mobius Girl on Instagram.

She makes some of the most amazing mandalas and uses this technique of overlay crochet. Now, I want to paint a really good picture for you. If you’ve never seen overlay crochet before, so think back to the days where you had one of those kaleidoscopes as a kid. You know, where you put it up to your eye and you look up sort of towards the light and you turn it and you see just all of these great shapes and colors and they move in transition.

Well, with overlay crochet, we can’t necessarily make them move in transition, but if you could take a freeze frame of what you saw in that kaleidoscope, that’s the best way for me to describe this form of crochet.

Now, overlay uses yarn of all varieties, and they’re usually in the light or worsted weight category. And that’s just given the stitch pattern. Those are just two very easy yarns to work with. Now, of course, it’s always going to depend on the project or the designer, but as you’re just maybe getting your feet wet with this technique, I would stick to a light or worsted weight yarn.

Overlay crochet is a wonderful use of color.

So if you are looking to create a project where the color has to shine or you need something really unique, then this is your form of crochet. This is what you need to try because color is the star in overlay crochet. Much like a ran crochet, overlay uses textured stitches and it’s most often those post stitches we talked about before. And this creates the overlay or the part that sticks out within the pattern. And then you sort of have your splash of color underneath.

Another visual for you here is think of a window. You have a window pane here. And maybe some of the older windows where that pane portion of the window, and I’m not even sure if I’m using the right words here, but you get what I’m trying to say. They kind of stick out from the glass of the window. Well, the glass part of the window is usually where you’ll find the color and panes are your overlay. Those are the textured stitches and they’re usually a solid color. Something that’s quite contrasting to the color below. I’ve seen it a lot of times worked in a black yarn and then you have a variety of colors below and it just is amazing.

I mentioned that you’ll often see this form of crochet in mandalas and if you’re not familiar with that term, think of a round project and it could be anywhere from 10 to 15 inches diameter, so a pretty big or pretty small circle. That is where you’ll see this form of crochet worked most often. But do keep in mind that it’s not the only option. I’ve also seen it worked in motifs or squares, and then those are put together to create an amazing afghan. You can get really creative with this form of crochet, but in terms of where you may have already seen it, whether it be in your Instagram feed or on Pinterest, it’s probably with that mandala.

Now that’s what Mobius Girl is really known for. And again, I want to encourage you to check out her Instagram feed so you can see this form of crochet in action. She does use a lot of different types of color work crochet, but if you scroll through, you will see some of these amazing round mandalas that she has made worked in overlay crochet. So she is at Mobius Girl on Instagram.

So on the topic of color work, our next project type is intarsia. So if you recall back to episode 32, if you listened to that, by the way, if you haven’t heard that episode, I would encourage you to do so after you’ve finished this one to get some more inspiration for different types of crochet that you can try. Well, in episode 32, we talked about tapestry crochet. And in tapestry crochet, it’s a form of color work, so you’re working with more than one strand of yarn, more than one color of yarn. In its simplest form, you can use just two colors, and you can get even more complex from there.

Well, in tapestry, you’re working over, you’re working your stitches over that non-working color or that non-working strand. Well, here is where intarsia differs. You’re still using different colors. You’re still incorporating different strands and different colors of yarn to create some type of visual within the project. But rather than working over the non-working color, you simply drop it and leave it at the back of the work. And it’s really neat.

As you’re working this in rows, you’ll be working along, say you’re working in one color for 10 stitches and then you’ll transition to the new color. You’ll work 10 stitches in the new color and then you’re just dropping them and then you’ll pick up the new color. A different color could be the same as before. You kind of get the idea here. You work through your row and you’re just working your stitches and dropping that yarn when you’re done. Then as you come to the end of that row, you’ll flip your work and continue working, and then you’ll pick up those dropped colors as you get to them.

So this technique is really great when you need to use a straight color pattern. You’ll see it used a lot in plaids. So plaids are kind of a big deal right now in the world of crochet. You’ve seen the buffalo plaid, you’ve seen gingham, you’ve seen argyle. You name it, plaids are huge. A lot of those plaid techniques use intarsia crochet.

And although this is an amazing form of crochet, you can do a lot of stuff with it, there is one drawback. Now, as you can imagine, you’re probably thinking, okay, I’m working 10 stitches with my first color. I’m working 10 stitches with another color. Well, since you’re not ever going back and picking up one of those old strands, you guessed it, you have to have multiple strands live on your project at any one time.

I’m thinking back to a project that I worked on in 2015, I believe. It’s called the Big Tartan Scarf, and it’s a free pattern from Yarnspirations. I had the opportunity to teach that technique. And by the way, I will link to that in the show notes so you can see it in action and get a better idea of how this technique comes together.

But this scarf that I worked was the super scarf variety, and it was about, gosh, like 24 inches wide or something. And it used six or seven different yarns at any given time. So every single row I was keeping track of seven or eight different types of yarn. I don’t remember off the top of my head right now.

And your wheels are probably turning. The alternative there is to have what you call bobbins or just little balls of yarn. So as you work through an intarsia project, you have to have one bobbin for every single color in your row. That can be a pretty big drawback for a lot of people.

I know for me, it was all part of the process. I didn’t mind taking a few extra minutes to turn my one skein into three or four different balls of yarn. But I know when you’re in a pinch and you need a project fast, this probably isn’t the technique for you. But if you’re looking to enjoy the process and just take things slow, well, intarsia is a great way to go.

So you’ll have all of these bobbins or these balls of yarn that are active and live for every single row. What I found is that I needed to have the project set out on something. So either set out in front of me on the floor or on the couch or on the bed or on the table. That was really the only way I could keep those bobbins from getting tangled or rolling all over the place.

And I also learned to keep them in a straight line. So coming out from your project. So as you drop a yarn, just sort of pick that up and put it out in front of the project in a straight line. And when you finish the row, do that for all the other yarns and colors as well.

When you do that, you can flip it and then work your yarn, but not have to change the order of those projects. And as long as you’re flipping back and forth, so let’s say on the first flip, you flip it to the right. Well then, rather than on the next row, you flipping it to the right again, you’ll flip it to the left. If that makes sense.

I do demonstrate this in the tutorial. If you’re having a hard time getting a visual here, I will link to that in the show notes as well.

Now, because intarsia is worked primarily in rows, you can imagine there are a ton of different projects that you can use for this type of crochet. I mentioned before that it’s used a lot in those plaid techniques. So any project or thing that you can visualize using a plaid pattern, this might be the way to go.

It’s great for blankets of all varieties, baby blankets, afghans, lapgans, whatever size you need. Also, garments, bags, scarves, pretty much any project you can think of that uses rows, you could potentially use this technique.

All right, now last but certainly not least is one of my favorite techniques, Entrelac crochet. Entrelac is a technique that creates boxes and those boxes sort of build on one another. It has a similar idea as Bavarian crochet where you’ve got the blocks but they’re sort of sitting offset and they sit in between one another to sort of fill up those gaps.

And you can also work it in rounds, where you start from the middle and you work out. And you can also work it in rows.

One of the reasons I really love Entrelac crochet is because it incorporates some of the stitches from my true favorite form of crochet. I mean, aside from the regular form of crochet, and that’s Tunisian.

Entrelac uses the Tunisian simple stitch, which is a beautiful stitch that can’t be replicated from any other form. You can’t get a stitch like it from knitting or from any other stitch pattern in crochet. So it’s really unique.

But the good thing is that you don’t need a Tunisian crochet hook for Entrelac crochet. In most cases, you’re only working with five or six stitches to create the boxes, and you’re only working those five or six stitches on and off your hook.

So again, if you have that type of crochet hook where you do have an ergonomic handle, it will work. It definitely works with the Tulip Edimo. I’ve also tried it with the Clover Amore hook and didn’t have any problems. And of course, if you have the Boye or the Susan Bates hooks, you won’t have any problems whatsoever.

Entrelac creates a lightweight and a pretty stretchy fabric. So this is making it perfect for a variety of projects. Of course, Afghans, are you seeing a trend here? Pretty much every form of crochet we’ve talked about has been great for blankets or Afghans.

Entrelac has also been used for garments and bags and scarves. Again, the sky is the limit. You can do so much with this technique.

One thing I like to think about and explore when I am playing with a new type of crochet is how I can incorporate some visual interest.

Now with a ran crochet, the visual interest comes from the textured stitches, but for something like Entrelac, it does have some texture and a great pattern to it, but you can also play with color here.

And if you’re like many of us, you probably don’t love to weave in all of those little ends. So I incorporate a color changing yarn whenever I can because I can get the effect of changing color without that extra work.

So Entrelac is a perfect crochet technique to use up some of those color changing yarns that you might have in your stash.

Okay, so let’s recap. We have a ran crochet, which incorporates lots of texture and usually a single color. We have Bavarian crochet, which also incorporates some great texture, but gives you the option and flexibility to play with color.

We have overlay crochet, which is a unique way to create a color pattern with some texture. We have intarsia crochet, which is another way to create color work crochet without having any ends to weave in or working over your non-working strands, which results in being able to see that color through the stitches on the right side of the work.

And then we have an entrelac crochet, another great textured pattern that gives you the flexibility to work with a single color, multiple colors, or color transitioning yarn.

I think you’re probably seeing the trend here, but all of these types of crochet feature texture and or color. Texture and color are everything to our craft, and I just know they’re going to be a big deal in 2019.

When you’re crocheting as a hobby, if you can find ways to incorporate texture or color into your projects, that is going to blow people’s minds.

Let’s say you’re making something as a gift. It looks like pure magic to somebody who doesn’t know how to crochet.

So when you’re looking to take your crochet skills up a notch, I would say the first way to go is incorporate more texture and more color, and you can do that with any of these five techniques.

Now, as designers, I would say the ability to incorporate texture and color into your projects is a must.

We’re seeing a lot more textured patterns, textured projects, and color work projects come up every single day.

And in order to create projects that people want to create, patterns that people want to buy, we need to be up on the trends, right? And we need to understand and incorporate these techniques, texture and color, but do it in a way that’s uniquely us.

And that’s where the challenge lies for us.

So now I’m really curious, what type of crochet out of the five that we’ve discussed today are you most likely to try in 2019? Aran, Bavarian, Overlay, Intarsia, or Entrelac? Tell me in the comment section of the show notes page. And for today’s episode, it’s behooked.com slash 9797.

Okay, behooked.com slash 9797. Scroll down, tell me in the comment section which type of crochet you’re most likely to try in 2019.

And you never know, actually, I’m gonna give you a big hint here. I will use this information for future tutorials.

So if you’re intrigued by the idea of any of these patterns, but you know you need someone to sort of hold your hand, walk you through the technique slowly, and give you a project to practice on, well, you better let me know which form of crochet you want to try because I will look at that list and I will use that for a future tutorial.

Okay?

Now, please don’t forget about the Crochet Challenge for Warm Up America happening this month. Please tell a friend so we can reach our goal of 500 Afghans to send to our Wounded Warriors at Walter Reed Hospital.

I promise to have the details on when that happens Crochet Along will start. We’re still kind of finalizing things as I’m recording this, but as soon as I have those details, you will be the first to know right here on the podcast, followed by a detailed article on the website that tells you exactly how to get involved.

So stay tuned for that here on the show and keep an eye on my social. If that’s where you like to follow me as well, I will make updates there too.

Okay, so let’s march into the new year with purpose and passion and explore a new form of crochet together.

Don’t forget, tell me which one you want to try in the comment section of the show notes page.

And that’ll do it for today, my friend. It’s been so much fun. I hope you enjoyed learning about five more types of crochet to try, and I will see you next week.