I first heard about freeform crochet when I was exclaiming over a beautiful white shawl, I knew it looked complicated and like nothing I had previously seen, so I asked the lady who made it, what sort of pattern she used and she laughed and told me that she just made it up as she went, then she said she would be happy to show me how to make a scrumble. Well my first reaction was, huh? But then she explained that a scrumble usually starts with one piece, a circle, a square or anything else you would want and then you just start crocheting! You could make up stitches, add different colors and textures and use a variety of hooks to achieve whatever you can possibly imagine, I got incredibly excited when I saw a blue and purple scarf she had made that had beads, feathers, and thin gold ribbons crocheted right into it. Some people compare freeform with sculpting because many freeformers make objects that are 2 or 3 dimensional and while some are very abstract, others are more realistic and recognizable, like a barn scene on a blanket for instance. Thanks to my current obsession with the craft, I found Renate Kirkpatrick’s Freeform Crochet~Knit~Fibre Designs which is a blog that is delightful to read and has a great introduction to freeform (with pictures!) I was very lucky to be able to interview Renate Kirkpatrick, who besides being a very gracious lady is also a teacher, fibre artist, and the author of three crochet books (with a fourth coming soon) and so without further ado here it is:

How did you get started crocheting and when did you get interested in freeform?

I made my first granny square in my mid-teens from an old tattered ‘How to crochet’ pamphlet that I found in an opportunity shop.

In my late twenties when the children were in bed asleep I crocheted granny square rugs (afghans) for fun, relaxation and gifts but I soon became bored with the repetition and began searching for more interesting, challenging patterns. I had never read a pattern before, let alone decipher what the heck all those odd abbreviations meant but, I persevered and, over the years, through trial and error, gained confidence and experience.

Freeform was introduced to me by a student while teaching at a local craft shop and has become my passion and creative joy.

What are some tips that you find useful when crocheting? (Not necessarily freeform)

Read patterns as they are written – so many people (myself included) skim the pattern and presume what’s being said then race ahead only to find ourselves in a muddle – ‘The pattern is wrong…’ well, of course, that does happen sometimes but, more often than not, it’s because we haven’t read it properly.

Trust yourself – if you feel your project is going wrong, stop and have another look at the pattern, there’s a good chance you may have missed something… and isn’t it better to find the mistake on row 2 rather than on row 102?

Take the time to learn the basics – I have a ‘Do you know’ page on my site that covers most of these fundamentals that are often overlooked or taken for granted as ‘obviously known’ in patterns.

Use markers – just the odd piece of thread will do. I know it sounds old-fashioned and fuddy-duddy but, placing a marker in your first/last stitch of row/round, in corner stitches of blocks and for indicating right side of work, will save you lots of time and frustration in the long run… this is especially so for beginners.

Be patient and kind to yourself… it’s only crochet, the world will not end if you can’t figure it out straight away… put your project aside a minute, have a cuppa, take a breath and have another go…

Don’t give up. What seems impossible today might become super easy tomorrow and you’ll wonder what all the fuss and frustration was all about and your sense of achievement will be ever so rewarding.

When you began designing, did you have particular goals? Such as designing a certain type of sweater? Or being published?

For me designing and writing patterns evolved and really came about through the need to stay one step ahead of students and, satisfying the needs of family and friends… Not for a minute did I ever think about being published.

The books came about through tragedy when the store where I was teaching was destroyed by fire… fortunately I still had all my patterns which I put together into manuscripts and, on a whim, submitted (via the net) to publishers. Luckily, Sally Milner Publishing liked what they saw and contracted me for my first 2 books ‘Crochet Techniques’ and ‘Freeform Crochet and Beyond’ and have since published ‘Bring Colour to Crochet’ and the soon to be released 4th book ‘Textured Crochet Lace’.

You do many different types of crafts, including making pottery, rag rugs and paper; do you think these different types of creativity help to inspire your freeform?

I only ever dabbled with pottery. I never owned a wheel or kiln and, to be honest, didn’t go very far beyond hand building but I loved the textures and made some ‘not too bad’ pieces that still adorn my home today. The papermaking is another story… that became a full-time obsession for many years. Then, when I had to give up my workshop, I drifted into Rag Rugging and my love for colour was realized.

Do these past experience influence my freeform? Absolutely! I believe… the 3D textures and forms in pottery, the subtle delicate detail of natural fibre paper and the strong boldness of Rag Rugging are brought to my work whether I’m conscious of it or not but, then again, perhaps that’s more for others to decide.

Your books are full to the brim with useful and interesting ideas and helpful hints, how hard was it to come up with enough to fill even just one book?

I write everything down: questions from students, queries from my blog, my own questions… I then go looking for the answer and find the easiest way of explaining it.

Apart from ‘Freeform Crochet and Beyond’ my books are based on Sampler Rugs (afghans). The sampler is my teaching tool – the reader works their way through the various patterns gaining experience and confidence and end up with a lovely finished project as a bonus.

Some of my samplers have 25 blocks some as many as 64 blocks… it’s a lot of work, working out and writing the patterns and then, drawing the diagrams (charts) but, before you know it, you have enough for a book.

You often talk about color, how important is it to find just the right shades/tones for your work?

Colour came to me slowly… through the Rag Rugging mostly. I was timid at first but you only have to look at nature to see how the oddest colours sit side by side for the most dramatic effects. In my opinion, finding just the right colours is a matter of being brave, jumping right in and having a go…

Is there anything I haven’t asked you about that you would want to add?

As a teacher, there is nothing more satisfying than to have a student come to class lacking confidence and leaving excited, believing they can do it.

As a Freeformer, my best advice is to have a go… beautiful freeform can be created with the most basic skills… incorporate all the things you already know and comfortable with: the weaving, crochet, knitting, felting, quilting, embroidery… never stop asking yourself ‘ I wonder what will happen if I try this or that and, when a project overwhelms, becomes stale or just isn’t going in the direction you had envisaged… put it aside for an hour, a day, a month and come back to it with a fresh eye, you’ll be amazed how quickly your enthusiasm is restored.

Linda Cee is a young adult who enjoys many crafts including crochet, jewelry making, scrap booking and learning to tat. She also enjoys traveling and learning everything she can about history and foreign cultures.

Hospitals and doctors in the U.S. use thousands of codes for medical services when billing to insurance companies. In a recent article it discusses over 120,000 new codes that are being added, one of which is the crochet/knitting code. The purpose of these new codes is to help describe as best as possible how or where the injury occurred.

Other than the code for crocheting there are other fun codes, such as being injured in an opera house, being injured by walking into a lamp post, injured from a burn due to water skis on fire, etc. Here’s a link to the original article: Walked Into a Lamppost? Hurt While Crocheting? Help Is on the Way Feel free to search though the different codes if you’re interested!

What do you think about Code Y93D1 – Injured While Crocheting? Have you ever injured yourself while crocheting?

I have been crochetng since I was 19 years old. I actually started not long after I first picked up my kntting needles. Since then, I’ve also learned to spin. My fiber stash is a testament to my love of things that are different–the colors and fibers are quite diverse, as is my shopping list. While I have acquired a deeper appreciation of the “good stuff”–soft wools, alpaca, silk, camel, cashmere, and all the rest–I still like a good, washable acrylic.

I also enjoy writing and reading as well as drawing, making jewelry, learning languages (I’m working on my fourth), and cooking. Basically, I like to learn and create.

Minnesota’s BundlesofLove.org was flooded last month after a 7 inch rainfall landed 2 feet of water in our warehouse. Boxes– even plastic boxes of completed handmade baby clothes, blankets, bedding, etc. etc. were toppled as the water rose, dumping the precious contents and fabrics not yet transformed…. We average about 200 bundles of baby items per month- sent out to local hospitals and locations where mothers who have nothing can benefit from a baby bag full of everything needed for the first days of their life at home. We were unable to send out July bundles– and still will not have an assembly location in August. People are needed for donations of clothing, money and time to get us back up and going. Volunteers salvaged much of the wet, muddy donations by taking them home and washing, washing, washing, but we need to restock and get back to work! Anyone who lives in Minnesota and would like to volunteer, we’d love to have you join us– those who live farther away can help also, just go to our website.

If you’d like to learn more about Bundles of Love or would like to help out, feel free to visit their website at bundlesoflove.org. You can also visit the Crochet Spot charity page to learn about more charities you can get involved it.

To get 40% off, simply add the item your want to your shopping cart (the sale items are already marked down), no need to enter in a code or anything. Don’t forget to look through each category to see the patterns you’re interested in as there are select (non Christmas themed) patterns that are on sale as well!

The sale ends on Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at 11:59PM EST. Have fun shopping for the holidays everyone!!

How to Crochet: Tunisian Simple Stitch (TSS)
How To Crochet: Single Crochet with Beads
How to Crochet: Double Crochet with Beads
Perfecting Your Craft: Finishing the Project
How to Read Crochet Patterns
How to Crochet – Basics
How to Crochet: Broomstick Lace
Different Ways to Crochet in the Round

You can also find more Crochet Spot tutorials in the Crochet Tutorials and Help section or in the Crochet Archives.

Thanks again for participating everyone!

To enter the giveaway, please visit the Teach Yourself Visually Crochet page on Amazon and click on the “Click to Look Inside” picture. Look inside the book to see what you are most interested in learning. Then leave a comment at the end of this giveaway post stating what you’re most interested in learning. Please stay on subject and only comment one time, multiple comments will be deleted.

All participants must be either a Crochet Spot Newsletter subscriber or a Premium Pattern Member at the time the winner is drawn. If you are neither, feel free to sign up for the newsletter or a membership.

Giveaway ends on Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 11:59PM EST, where a winner will be randomly drawn.

Good luck everyone and thanks again Rebecca for donating the book for the giveaway!

Update: The giveaway is now closed. The winner will be announced shortly. Please check back later!