Since it’s so much fun, I thought we should continue our yarn chat on a regular basis, with a focus on different types of fibers and their qualities. I thought we should start our fiber-specific conversation with the basic standby, acrylic yarn.

Acrylic is probably the most common type of yarn. It is very popular. In fact, good old Red Heart Super Saver has been used in almost 107,000 projects on Ravelry. Acrylic yarns are readily available at big box stores and craft stores, and they are relatively inexpensive, making acrylic very accessible.

Did you know that acrylic is made from petroleum? That’s right. The same substance that runs your car warms you with that brightly colored afghan you made. Aside from afghans, acrylic yarn is popular for all kinds of projects.

Acrylic is loved for its easy care. Because it can be machine washed and dried, it is an excellent choice for baby and child garments. It is soft to the touch and popular in warm garments. It also drapes well, particularly when blocked with steam. One drawback to acrylic is that it can pill easily, but pilling can be minimized with hand washing and drying flat.

Do you have any fun facts about acrylic? What is your opinion on acrylic?

Do you like to keep in touch with old friends and colleagues? I do! Even though there are always more and more ways to stay connected, my favorite way to receive correspondence is through old fashioned, handwritten mail. There is nothing quite like opening up a personalized letter or card. Aside from crochet, another favorite hobby of mine is making greeting cards. I thought it would be fun to combine that craft with crochet.

Because greeting cards are relatively small compared to many crochet projects, it would be best to use thin yarn or thread and small hooks. In general, I think it’s fun to explore the ways a crochet pattern transforms by changing the hook and yarn size, so this could be a fascinating project! You could take a larger, flat project and scale it down, making an applique for the front of your card. Of course, there are lots of quick patterns that would fit onto either a folded or flat card just as they are.

For instance, I think the Cherry Applique would be adorable on a card! Since it’s only 2 x 1.5 inches, it’s the perfect size for an invitation. A simple granny square done in sock yarn would look beautiful covering the front of a square card. In that case, if your yarn is variegated, then you wouldn’t even have to switch colors. These appliques could be attached using simple white glue or tacky glue. It might be a good idea to apply it with a toothpick, so your card doesn’t weaken with the liquid glue. It will take a little bit of trial and error before you get the perfect adhesion to the front of your card. If you don’t want to use glue, you could always just forget the appliques altogether and crochet a simple edging onto a plain greeting card.

As you can see, there are lots of possibilities! Have you ever used crochet to keep in touch? Which Crochet Spot patterns do you think would be cute on greeting cards? Please also let me know if you’re going to try this. I love hearing from you!

Crochet is a craft that can help you through. I’ve heard many stories from people who have crafted through illnesses, depression, and other tough times. The simple act of creating something and watching it grow can be a revelation. Being productive with crochet when other activities are too hard is a gift that inspires people to go on.

I’ve also heard of people crocheting prayer shawls, where the crafter stitches not only with yarn, but with intention that is focused in the crochet. It sounds like a beautiful act of love. Imagine receiving a prayer shawl from a loved one or community member.

Of course there are many organizations that coordinate charitable donations of crochet. Popular items are chemo caps, blankets, and warm scarves. I recently donated 13 items to families affected by Hurricane Sandy to Project Linus New Jersey, Inc.

When have you crocheted with intention? Have you used crochet to help you through or to create a prayer shawl? Have you ever donated crochet to a charity?

We began our yarn conversation in the Yarn Obsession post a few weeks ago. Let’s keep it going here.

One of my favorite things to do is to visit my local yarn store and buy a skein or two of that must-have yarn. I’m usually a one-skein person, because I’m not likely to make sweaters or big projects. I love making hats, purses, scarves, and other small things.

Remember how I told you I wasn’t a yarn hoarder in the other post? I still maintain that is true! However, I do have a stash. And it’s not tiny. While some of the yarn is already earmarked for specific projects, a lot of it is just there looking pretty.

I do this for a reason! When I see a must-make pattern, I want to give it a try right away, so I need this yarn on hand. Right? 🙂

Right now I’m looking at some gorgeous, bulky Karen yarn which is made by Omega. If you’ve ever seen a yarn called Sinfonia in magazines or in the store, Karen is like that, only chunky. It’s a smooth mercerized cotton, and I have 8 skeins of it in various colors. It’s nice to see the cheery fuchsia, turquoise, purple, and orange with the other brightly colored cakes in my yarn basket. That Karen will probably be a bag some day.

So, what’s in your stash?

Well, 2012 is on its way out and 2013 will be coming in. Soon we’ll all be committing to our resolutions, as is a tradition here on Crochet Spot. I would like to suggest a goal and hope it will make it to your 2013 list: teach someone to crochet!

Teaching crochet might be easier than it seems. It’s best to have some resources ready, like the wonderful tutorials that Rachel has here on the site. If you are patient and your student is motivated, s/he will be crocheting before long. I think the trick is showing your student something that s/he would love to make.

For every person that “must make” item is different. A friend of mine had to make amigurumi. My students were loving crochet flowers. Many people feel the need to crochet for babies. Whatever the motivation, just be sure you check in with your student to help with his/her project!

Have you ever taught someone to crochet before? Do you have any teaching tips to share? Do you think you’ll give teaching a try in 2013?

I marvel at all that is possible in crochet. I believe I’ve finally found a craft where nothing is impossible. One thing that is entirely fascinating about crochet is all of the cool patterns you can complete with just basic stitches. Even if you stitched only chains and single crochets, you’d still be able to make a great deal of useful and fashionable items, like place mats, bowls, hats, scarves, cowls, handbags, slippers, and more.

Even experimenting with changing just hook size will completely alter the density, drape, and look of the resulting fabric. If you use a very large hook with a thin yarn, you could still have a beautifully draped fabric, using just the aforementioned stitches. Or, depending upon how you put the stitches together, even a small hook with thin yarn could make a slinky or netted fabric.

It is comforting to think that you don’t have to know everything about crochet in order to have such a satisfying hobby with so many possibilities. Which projects with simple stitches do you admire? Have you ever completed a project requiring the knowledge of just a few stitches?

Like many of us, I love crochet because it is a portable craft. Those moments on the bus, in line at the grocery store, and in the doctor’s waiting room are excellent times to crochet! In fact, that’s one of the reasons I prefer not to drive at all! More crochet time! 🙂

Yesterday I was on the bus crocheting and a woman who was (to me) an elder told me that more people used to crochet before and fewer people do it now. I live in Miami, so we are fortunate to have an eclectic mixture of cultures and lots of intergenerational interaction.

I was confused because recent research by the Craft and Hobby Association has indicated that crochet is the seventh most popular craft in the United States terms of dollars spent per year, with over one billion spent in 2010. (Crochet World Magazine Newsletter, Vol. 8, No. 10)

Additionally, my observation of global crochet trends show that crochet is strong, particularly in Mexico.

The fairly recent surge of high fashion crochet fuels the fashionistas’ interest in “getting the look.” We crocheters know that we can get the look for much less! And we do!

I think that people are crocheting now more than ever! What do you think?

Yarn yarn yarn yarn yarn. I love yarn. Could you tell? But here’s the thing- up until just a few years ago, I didn’t get it. Before I discovered my lifecraft, (crochet, of course!) I was primarily a scrapbooker, stamper, and card maker. So when I looked at yarn, it just looked like a big, boring mess to me! ‘Why is there so much of it?’ I would wonder. ‘Who does this, and furthermore, why?’ I would ask myself.

That was ages ago! Clearly my perspective has changed quite a bit. Today I am a yarnaholic, a yarnophile, a yarn lover, but NOT a yarn hoarder! (It’s tough, people, but I do exercise restraint sometimes!)

There is so much to love about yarn: colors, fibers, special properties, its use in different projects… I would LOVE to hear what you like about yarn, and which types of yarn you like.

What are your favorite brands and colors? Do you always use the same kind, or do you vary by project? What is your favorite fiber for crochet?

I am in a really cool group on Ravelry.com! The name of the group is Lion Brand Swaps. I was attracted to the group because I love Lion Brand yarns and someone invited me to join.

Because it was Lion Brand, and the people were nice, I felt comfortable enough to join and participate in my first craft swap. To make sure it was fair to everyone, we had some requirements about what to send. We each filled out a questionnaire about our likes, dislikes, and wishes. We were each assigned a partner and set off to “stalk” our partners. (We were just looking at their projects and their Ravelry queues to see what they liked! It was not scary stalking!!) We corresponded with our partners, and we also chatted happily on the swap thread.
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Crochet Spot is an incredible place to build community. I love coming here to see all of the gorgeous patterns and to let my imagination run wild with how I might use them! I also love interacting with the Crochet Spot fans because I know they’re just like me – Crochet Lovers!!

I wanted to ask the Crochet Spot readers what you think about Ravelry. Ravelry.com is a social network where people can connect through their love of crochet and other fiber crafts. In order to become a member, anyone can sign up for a free login. Ravelry is big (with over 2 million users) and there are many kind users who want to help you make the most of your experience. However, as with any internet forum, use basic caution and common sense! 😀 Over all, my experience on Ravelry has been very positive.

Does anybody here use Ravelry? If so, what do you think? Did you know that there is a Crochet Spot group on Ravelry? If you have a Ravelry account, please share your IDs here so we can connect there as well. I can be found as artlikebread on Ravelry, and I love making new friends there.

If you are not using Ravelry, why not? There is no right or wrong way to enjoy crochet, so I am just curious about what you think!