Did you know that machines can't replicate crochet?
Crocheting is the art of using a "stick" (to explain it simply) with a hook on the end and looping yarn over the hook, inserting the hook into previous stitches and pulling it through to create more stitches. Depending on which stitch you insert the hook into and when and how many times you loop the yarn over the hook creates many unique and beautiful crochet stitches. Then when you repeat those stitches though out the project you're making you create a beautiful, textured design that can be used and enjoyed for many years to come!
Even though companies have tried to make a machine that will make crocheted items, due to the unique and variety of ways that yarn can be looped over the crochet hook and inserted into a variety of other stitches, to the best of my knowledge, no one has been able to create a machine that actually crochets. I have heard of a 1 or 2 machines that were created that were able to do one or maybe two basic crochet stitches, but even those looked more like things made from a knitting loom rather than a crochet hook.
The versatility of the way stitches are created keeps them from being machine made and continues to make crocheted items desirable and sought after for their uniqueness.
This is great news for crocheters! Whether you're making something to give as a gift, to enjoy for yourself, or to sell as a hobby or business, your crocheted creations are truly unique and special! Whether you design your own pattern from scratch, or when you use a crochet pattern created by someone else, you add your own special touches to the project, with the type and colors of yarn you choose which make your finished creation unique!
So, curl up on your couch, put on your favorite movie or audiobook, turn on the fireplace (if it's a cold day out) and pull out that crochet project you've been working on! Or, hey, start another project if you have a new idea. I know for many of us crocheters, we're usually working on more than one project at a time. Once you start creating, so many more ideas come to mind for making more items. It's easy to get so excited about all the things you want to crochet that... well... many WIP (work-in-process) seems to be the normal! Let the creativity flow!
This is great news for gift recipients! Crocheting takes times and it's a process that can't be sped up very much. Sure the more experienced a crocheter is and/or they type of stitch being used for a particular project, the faster the crochet project can move along, but even so there is still only so fast a person can move their fingers to create each stitch, which means the person making your gift has spent an incredible amount of time crafting your unique item. They care very much about you, to put in all that time and effort; from picking out (or designing) the right pattern, to choosing the colors, to creating every stitch! You are special and loved! Enjoy the gift!
This is also great news for those looking to purchase unique handmade items! Whether you're shopping at a local craft show or at an online marketplace like Etsy, Michael's Marketplace, Ebay, or elsewhere you can shop with confidence knowing that the item you're purchasing is truly handmade!
As you stroll through the craft show or online marketplace, take a moment to admire the amount of stitches needed to make the item and the textures those stitches make. Each stitch has been individually created by a talented yarn artist. The type of yarn (fiber content, thickness or thinness, etc), the color or colors of yarn, the stitches and the textures are just some of things the artist has taken into consideration when creating this beautiful item.
Yes, the price the yarn artist is asking may seem higher than what similar non-handmade items are at a box store, but remember these are all made by hand; each stitch loving created by the talented artist. For example: A hand crocheted blanket is going cost more than a fabric blanket at a big name chain store. But with the crocheted item you're getting something unique!
With so many crochet stitch combinations and thicknesses of yarns there is no end to the creativeness that a crocheter can come up! Everything from creating items that bring warmth to you or your home with beautiful blankets, sweaters, and scarves, to creating decor like throw pillows or useful products like dishcloths and purses to fun items like stuffed animals and so much more! The possibilities are endless!
What unique project are you working on today?
What unique crocheted item are you considering purchasing today?
Feel free to share in the comments!
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