Crochet Exercise

It is hard to take time out from day to day crocheting to learn new skills, but when I find time between projects I try to do a little crochet exercise. This means, I challenge myself to learn a new stitch or technique, or I use my existing skills in a new way. There are many ways to do this, but I thought I would share an exercise with you that I found particularly beneficial.

When I was in college I purchased a remnant of Varuna wool from Liberty. It was a long narrow piece, so I fringed the edges and made a scarf. I think that I love this print more than any other I have ever bought. I admire it so much, that I decided to emulate the feel of the print in crochet. I chose one of the flowers and freeformed a version (pictured above), that I thought had a similar personality to the fabric. It was like painting with yarn, and it was a challenge to get a shape that I was happy with. It is a different way of designing, and I think it strengthens your creativity even though you are trying to copy something. This is because you are copying something that is not crocheted, so you have to experiment with different stitches to get the effect you want, and in the process you might discover combinations that you never thought of trying before. You don't have to worry about copying the print exactly, just use the print as an inspiration and a guide.  Next time I find myself with a little time, I would like to build on this flower to crochet more areas of the fabric print. I think the entire print in crochet would be stunning!

(The Liberty remnant I used for inspiration)