How to Add Simple Designs to Your Crochet
When you start out crocheting, you familiarize yourself with basic designs. That's the base from which we build our technique and it's an important step. As we continue on our crochet journey we advance to more difficult crochet patterns and techniques, but just because we're evolving doesn't mean we have to leave those original designs in the past. I still incorporate elements I first learned into my projects and it only makes the pieces stronger. Creative growth, just like personal growth, isn’t linear, and embracing that will help you become a better handmade maker.
Don't get me wrong, technical designs are fun and it's a great way to test your skill level. Crocodile stitches and Solomon's knots are two such patterns I've worked with and it's gratifying feeling like you've taken a step forward. But I remind myself that there's nothing wrong with returning to more classic structures, in fact, it can make your creations even better.
Sometimes, I'll look at a complex design and consider if it needs to be all the same stitch. It can be tempting to want to do it that way so you can say it’s completely one style, but is that what’s best for the item? I think about it structurally and I ask myself if it wouldn’t be improved with a simpler design. Sometimes, a stitch is tighter and more time-consuming and I’ll incorporate a more basic and looser stitch that gives it variety and speeds up the time. It’s a useful trick that works wonders.
What’s best of all is that in the end, it doesn’t look basic at all. The easier stitch doesn’t detract from the impressiveness of the advanced stitch, instead, it enhances it. It shows that you’re not just skilled at one thing, you’re multifaceted and so is your work. Sometimes I’ll go back and forth between an advanced design and a simple one and the results turn out better than if I were to have just stuck with one.
Let's not forget the medium stitches either. Crochet designs don't have to live in the extremes, going back and forth between advanced and beginner levels. Medium-level designs might help bridge the gap if you're worried that your project might look too uneven. Every situation requires specific choices that will make it stand out. The fun is figuring out exactly what it needs.
A little bit goes a long way too. You don’t have to commit to splitting the garment evenly between the levels of designs. Sometimes, a small section might require an advanced stitch, and the rest might call for something simpler or intermediate. That can actually make the advanced stitch stand out more and get the appreciation it deserves. Experiment with all three designs and see where it leads you.