JOURNAL: STEPHANIE LAU
Stephanie Lau is passionate about amigurumi, and writes about her creations, patterns and family on her beautiful All About Ami website.
One of the things I love most about crochet is that there’s always more to learn, new skills to try, and new challenges to tackle. I first started my blog as a journal so I could share what I was working on and what I was learning. I thought others might be interested in making the same projects and learning new techniques that I found helpful along the way, such as the Invisible Decrease and the Magic Circle. I’ve been blogging for about seven years now, and I still continue learning new techniques and discovering fun projects that intrigue me.
TRY SOMETHING NEW
If you find yourself in a creative rut, I recommend trying out a new area of crochet that you haven’t dabbled with before. For those who tend to crochet scarves and hats, why not try a home décor item such as a basket, or even a character pillow? And for those who focus on amigurumi, why not try crocheting a wearable item for yourself such as a cardigan? With the framework of crochet knowledge we have under our belts, including basic stitches and how to read patterns, there are so many new designs to try that combine these stitches in different ways. I love it when readers share that they’re trying amigurumi or making a wearable item for the first time. After years of making blankets, a reader expressed how much joy she found in discovering amigurumi as she could create a three-dimensional item in a few hours!
CHANGING THE PACE
I love changing up the pace of my crochet. I usually have a long-term project on the go, so in between, I work on quick projects such as hats or small stuffed animals as there’s so much satisfaction in completing a project within one sitting. I enjoy having at least one project that requires little to no concentration so that I can work on it in the car or while watching television. I also usually work on a design that requires more focus as I have to keep the count or write notes as I go! Knowing different techniques and constructions helps to break up the pace and keep it interesting.
NEW TECHNIQUES
Over the years, I’ve challenged myself to learn new techniques and I’ve been able to apply them in my designs. Crochet
“I’ve been crafting ever since I was a little girl.”
cables seemed daunting, but once I learned how to do them, they weren’t difficult at all. From there, I designed cabled hats, leg warmers, blankets, and mittens. I also challenged myself with tapestry and Fair Isle crochet when making my Fox and Heart Baskets. There’s such a sense of accomplishment when you tackle new techniques.
Learning new stitches is also very fun as it’s simply a matter of combining stitches that we already know how to do in novel ways. Once I learned how to crochet the Star Stitch, I designed my Star Stitch Pouches, Star Stitch Cup Cozy and my Star Stitch Purse. I also love trying out other crafts and combining them with crochet. For my Star Stitch Purse, we wanted to add luxurious leather handles, so we picked up some leather supplies and learned how to cut and sew our own handles. I think the leather handles look very striking and help elevate the crochet to another level.
WHAT’S NEXT?
In the future, I’d love to learn how to crochet broomstick lace. I find it so interesting how you use a dowel to elevate the loops in this type of crochet. Another area of intrigue is Tunisian crochet, as I’ve seen beautiful projects using it: it’s a fascinating mix of crocheting and knitting. Borrow some books, search the internet and discover all that crochet has to offer: it’s so rewarding when you learn techniques and complete projects that you never dreamed you could!
“It’s so rewarding when you complete projects.”