Your Knitting Or Crochet Hero
Blog about someone in the fibre crafts who truly inspires you. There are not too many guidelines for this, it's really about introducing your readers to someone who they might not know who is an inspiration to you. It might be a family member or friend, a specific designer or writer, indie dyer or another blogger. If you are writing about a knitting designer and you have knitted some of their designs, don't forget to show them off. Remember to get permission from the owner if you wish to use another person's pictures.
I haven't been crocheting all that long, relatively speaking. I've read so many crocheter's bios where they'd been crocheting since they were 3, and that's not the case with me. My mother tried to teach me when I was young, but she's a lefty and I have what I like to call "directional dyslexia" (I can't tell my left from right half the time, seriously), so I just was never able to pick it up. My mom, when she was crafty, was a dabbler at best in crochet. She made a ripple afghan and a Pepto-pink sweater vest that my poor sister wore in a school portrait, but other than that I can't think of anything else she ever made. Myself, I didn't "get it" until I was 34. Two years ago. That's it. I do know how to knit, but I never have been able to feel really natural at it.
I admire a lot of crocheters, especially those who design. I would say that it's really hard for me to choose a hero among them, but I have to admit that there is one that instantly comes to mind.
Melody MacDuffee.
Melody MacDuffee first caught my eye when I picked up this book from the book store:
That's her Stained Glass Window afghan on the cover. I bought the book and had to make it.
It is, to this day, probably the project I'm most proud of completing.
Melody's "thing" is overlay crochet. I'm so intrigued by this technique. I've started another one of her patterns from this book:
Again, she made the cover, and she well deserves to, in my opinion. I haven't made it far on the project, mainly because it is made with embroidery floss and working that small requires a lot of concentration (meaning it's not really something I can sit and do with the kids around or in front of the TV) and I let myself get distracted from it.
I don't buy many pattern books, I'd rather borrow them from the library if I can, but I made an exception for this book:
Everything in this book is worked with sewing thread. Sewing thread. Can you imagine? I have a few of the patterns in mind that I want to try on a larger scale with worsted weight yarn.
I'm just amazed at the skill and imagination she possesses.
I just can't imagine coming up with this on my own. And it's just so perfect... it's really hard for me to work with embroidery thread, so I can't even begin to comprehend doing it with sewing thread like that.
So... there you have it.... my crochet hero. Melody MacDuffee. You really should try one of her patterns some day.
3KCBWDAY3
Oh I love that you posted some of the books that inspired you. Books have so much to offer. The stained Glass afghan is to die for! http://junebuginthesun.blogspot.com/
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