We are joined on the blog today by a special Crochet Summer guest, Liz Kaplan. If you are a Mason Dixon Knitting fan (and if you’re not, you should be!) you may already be familiar with Liz and her crochet skills. She is a contributor to MDK, as well as a crochet instructor in Oakland, CA.
I’ve been looping yarn around sticks ever since I was a young child. It was something to do.
I crochet and knit, and personally do not find one easier than the other although, I know that some people do. I knit when I want to make a garment and I crochet when I want to more freely manipulate colors, direction, texture and shape. It’s not that you can’t crochet a well-fitting garment or create sculpture with knitting, it’s just not how I choose to do so. (For inspiring tutorials and patterns for comfortable and well fitted crocheted clothing, check out one of Dora Ohrenstein’s books.)
I began teaching crochet for two very practical reasons; I needed a source of income and there was a surfeit of knitting teachers. Crochet became my niche. Ten years ago, I was working at a local yarn shop – alas, now closed – and came upon Lucy at Attic24. I got hooked on her cheery use of color and crazy detailed, illustrated instructions.
And often, my students come back for more.
If you’re in the bay area, you can find Liz teaching at A Verb for Keeping Warm, Busy Stix, and various special events around town. Follow her on Instagram @lkstitches.
Did you learn to crochet after being a knitter? How was the learning curve? Tell us your story in the comments!