Indrani Perera

poet, publisher & mentor

Tag: crochet

Unravelling

In the last few weeks I've picked up a crochet hook again. It's been a while, a couple of years in fact since my last crochet project. So long that I've had to relearn the basic stitches and find myself fumbling through the motions once more. Perhaps not quite a beginner – there is some memory left in my muscles but not a lot!

I'm attempting to make the merfolk bag from Relish, issue 34 of Taproot magazine. The pattern uses a size 4 hook and a gorgeous organic linen from Quince & Co which i bought with some birthday money I received last year. It's been sitting in the craft cupboard waiting for me to find someone to help me read the pattern or find the time to figure it out myself.

Luckily I now find myself with plenty of time on my hands again. Lockdown has been very good for all the craft projects I've piled up over the years!

One of the things I love the most about crochet is how easy it is to un-do. When you make a mistake the stitches unravel with ease and you can start all over again. Which is a very good thing because I have been making a lot of mistakes!

What are you relearning or finding the time to do?

August 12, 2020
It’s Beanie Time

I can't remember when I dyed these balls of wool. It was at least a couple of years ago in the midst of my eco dyeing frenzy. At the time I was dyeing anything and everything I could get my hands on. I was also doing straight up dyeing. Most of these balls of wall have been dyed with plants stuck in a pot but there is a ball which I used to wrap around an eco-dyed bundled of something or other. It's my favourite.

I'm pretty sure the dark brown is from walnut shells. The multi-coloured ball has some orange from cinerea and then whatever else was in the pot with the wool. The ball was originally tied around an eco-dyed bundle. Any string (or wool) you use to bind your bundles gets dyed in the pot. It's a beautiful example of accidental or incidental art.

I've been wanting to make a beanie to match the eco-dyed scarf you can see in the pictures. The merino wool scarf was my first ever successful attempt at eco-dyeding after many failures. The beautiful fingerless gloves were a birthday present from a very dear friend. She hand-spun the wool and then knitted the gloves. With a scarf and gloves all I was missing was a beanie. With winter coming, it's time to do something about my lack of beanie situation. Luckily for me, I had thoughtfully dyed these balls of wool on a previous occasion.

For some reason when I first dyed these balls, I didn't like the results. Crazy, right? They look incredible even if I do say so myself. I think at the time they didn't turn out how I was expecting which blinded me to their beauty. With the passing of time, I've forgotten my original expectation and can finally see them in their true glory. Sometimes the only difference between success and failure is time.

May 8, 2020
Foraging Pouch

I wanted to make something beautiful and useful with my oxalis dyed wool. It's my first foray into the world of naturally dyeing yarn. I've done eco-dyeing in the past and spent many years using commercial dyes. These days it doesn't feel right to be using a bunch of chemicals to dye my natural fibres when mother nature provides so many abundant sources of colour in the form of plants. I love the subtle colours of natural dyes although I have to say the fluoro yellow of the oxalis was a real surprise. It looks synthetic to me although it's not too bad in the pictures.

I was kicking around ideas with a friend when I was hit with a bolt of inspiration. A foraging pouch! What could be better than crocheting a foraging pouch made from wool dyed with foraged flowers? I couldn't think of anything better. But if you can, please leave your suggestion in the comments. I'm keen to do more natural dyeing and I'm sure I'll be wondering what else to make with the wool!

I used this pattern and adapted it to my wool by using a smaller hook. I tried the recommended hook but it felt big and unwieldy. I wonder if it was because my wool is too thin. I still don't really understand what worsted weight wool means and I have no idea what ply this wool is either!

I'm very happy with my little pouch. And it only took me two days to make. A miracle for a slow maker like me!

August 19, 2017
Hooked Again

I've been rediscovering the joys of crochet and Ravelry this week. I first started crocheting when I lived in Sydney but haven't done any since moving into my inner city flat in Melbourne. In my first foray into crochet I learnt the basic stitches, made a couple of beanies and started two rugs before I ran out of the wool and energy I needed.

My ears have been getting cold lately and they're been begging me for a new beanie to match my rainbow fingerless gloves. Poor ears, better make them a new beanie! It's been fun finding my hooks and book and updating my Ravelery profile. Hard to believe I joined in 2009 and have barely a project to my name!

I'm happy to be a bit of a dabbler with a little bit of this and a little bit of that as something takes my fancy. My gorgeous friend Catriona is the crochet queen and has gifted me with beautiful cardigans, jumpers, beanies and cowls. She's amazing and is now exploring the world of Tunisian crochet. I doubt I'll ever reach her level but I'm content to know a few basic stitches and make an item or two as the mood takes me.

As I've been crocheting the rounds for my beanie I've been thinking about spirals and how life is a bit like a spiral. It circles around and returns to almost the same place again. Crafting is the same. I start a craft, move away and then circle back. I'm so happy to be circling around back to crochet again!

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July 8, 2017