The Science of Crochet + more giveaways and winners

Dear Gentle Reader,

Yes, I've been catching up on Bridgerton. It's so entertaining, just the right amount of tension to keep me hooked (these are puns related to this months' topic, iykyk), and honestly in today's world, I just want people to be happy and for things to work out...

But I digress. First up, thank you to all who entered the prize draw for May! I have now emailed TWO people to arrange free signed books for them. Thank you for participating.

But, I have yet another giveaway and for the first time, a guest interview (!) that I'm very excited about! And it's related to this month's topic. Crochet. And knitting. And sewing too, I suppose. Keep reading.

The Science of Crochet

Yes, the title of this newsletter is the SCIENCE of crochet. Not the art. Because whilst it is of course an art, I feel people know that. However, there is so much science and engineering that goes into yarning, and I want to talk a little bit about that.

With grandmothers and a mother that knit and crochet, it was inevitable that I picked up a hook (crochet is 'knotting' yarn together with a single hook, whereas knitting loops yarn together with two needles. For more information, check Lisa out). It took a while to get my head – and my hands – around how to create the stitches, but once I picked up a few of the basics, I wanted to make stuff.

For that, you basically need to be able to read code. Faced with patterns that instructed me to do '8 dcs in a mc, then ch3, then add 2sc in each dc', and so on, I had to learn the lingo. And helpfully, the USA and UK use different terms. No, it's worse than that, they use the same symbols to mean different stitches...

Once you've managed to decode the stitches, there is the whole question about which yarn to use. Do you use cotton, wool, acrylic or the various mixes? And what about the weight / thickness? Some yarns have one bundle of twisted fibres, some have three, some have even more.

I even recorded a podcast episode about this, mainly because I was despondent to keep hearing older women saying they were terrible at maths, while concocting complex crochet products.

Here's my favourite fact: string – twisted fibres then twisted together more – was not invented by homo sapiens. In fact, it was the Neanderthals that worked out how to create opposing twists so that the friction between them held it all together. There is a whole chapter on string in Nuts & Bolts that explains this in more detail.

Reader, I'm hooked. (Bbahwhahahhah!) If you enjoyed that pun, you'll very much enjoy the very exciting giveaway I have up my yarn sleeve!

I have been following Lisa for years now, and adore her puns, snarky humour, and most of all, her extraordinarily passive aggressive crochet creations. Think poop emoji ice cream, cat butt coasters, and a cactus giving your sworn frenemy the finger...

So I'm thrilled to say that if you are based in the UK or USA, you can enter a draw to win one of two copies on offer! Simply sign up for my newsletter (if you haven't already) and comment 'Crochet!' on this post during the month of June.

And here's an interview with the artist herself:

- Why do you like designing and making things?

Lisa: Dany Rojas may say that "fútbol is life" (shout out to Ted Lasso fans), but to me, art is life. We aren't meant to toil and suffer until we die. We are meant to create. To process the anguish and the joy of the human condition and shape it into something beautiful. That may sound strange coming from someone who hides crochet penises inside amigurumi, but my silly crochet videos are often satire on the absurdities of the real world. They offer respite and a place to laugh in a world that feels very heavy. 

- Why did you decide to bring humour into it?

Lisa: I wouldn't say I made an active decision to bring humor into my crochet. In fact, I initially thought I would make these crochet POV videos with evocative, poignant storytelling. Which is one side of myself for sure. The other side is this corny crocheter who likes to make others laugh and bring out the silly side in others, too. People responded most to this side, maybe because at the time there wasn't much humor in the crochet and knitting niche. So I leaned into it. But both are authentic to who I am.

- What would you say to someone who has never crocheted before?

Lisa: Start with worsted size 4 yarn, an H hook, and make a scarf or a washcloth in one singular stitch. You don't need any of that fancy sh*t they try and sell you. And remember, you have to suck before you can get any better! Perfection is not the goal. Finishing is.

Note from Roma: I have at least 7 unfinished projects languishing in drawers all around my house.

Don't forget – sign up if you haven't already, and comment 'Crochet!' below for a chance to win two copies of Snarky Crochet. (You must be UK or US based, apologies to my other readers.)