"Shades of Grey", A Freeform Crochet Necklace

I made this necklace as a thank you for a friend, and fellow freeform crocheter. I asked her what colors she would like the necklace, and she surprised me by saying black, grey, and silver. I was surprised, because her favorite colors are in the teal and purple family! I wear black practically every day, but I had never done a freeform project that wasn't full of color.  It was a new challenge, and I wanted it to be like nothing I had ever made before!

About the time I was beginning this project, I was at the hardware store with my husband. We always say that we wish the yarn store and the hardware store were next door to each other. Unfortunately, they are about a 25 minute drive apart. I really wanted to go to the yarn shop, but since we were in the neighborhood of the hardware shop, it won. I decided to make the best of things, and see if there was anything I could use for the necklace. It was fortunate that I was using black and silver, as there are many items in those colors in the hardware store.  I bought some black plastic screen, and some washers. At least I think they were washers. Anyway, they were round metal things with a hole in the middle! They ended up looking great with silver embroidery thread, buttonhole stitched around them. I also made some interesting looking leaves with the plastic screen, but didn't end up using them in the necklace.

I went through my stash to find all the yarn possibilities for the black, grey, and silver color palette. Then, I set to work making several small scrumbles. I never plan my freeform, I just crochet shapes, and let the hook take me where it wants to. After that, I pin them on my necklace form, until I am happy with the arrangement. I might end up making double the amount of pieces that I actually need, but I like to have lots to play with. The leftovers never go to waste, as they will be used in other projects down the road. I used two types of nylon cord to add different textures. I liked the sheen they had, in contrast to the wool yarns. This necklace turned out to be an experimental piece, that my friend liked enough to include in a special freeform exhibition she organized at Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles, in California.

Since this experiment, I have gone on to find freeform crochet supplies in unusual places such as: the beach, antique stores, sporting goods stores, and the park. Crochet inspiration can strike anywhere!

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