EXPLORE WITH THE CROCHETIST

There are many ways to travel through the world. You can go to another country to see new places. Or you can stay closer to home and use books and documentaries to learn about the history of other lands or even your local community. Better yet, you can have a journey of personal discovery, learning more about yourself. These are all wonderful ways to explore your world.

For most people, physically traveling is the first thing that comes to mind: flying or sailing to other countries. It’s a chance to explore and learn firsthand about other people and their cultures. It’s exciting to see new places and learn about their textile traditions, from alpacas in South America to handmade bags and blankets in Indonesia. It’s hard not to get excited about an international adventure.

However, you don’t have to go far to learn about other places. Books offer a wealth of information about everything from local customs to autobiographies of prominent—or even ordinary—citizens. Watching online videos made by local sheep farmers and artisans can help us appreciate the traditions and expertise that go into their work. We can learn more about people whose lives are unlike ours, yet so similar at the same time.

Exploration also doesn’t have to be external. You can learn more about yourself through craft and mindfulness. What projects do you enjoy making? Do you have strong yarn preferences? Or do you believe that every yarn has a purpose? We can examine our own beliefs and biases without ever setting a foot outside or going to a website.

The eight projects in this collection are designed to be taken on all kinds of journeys. Designers Brenda K. B. Anderson, Kathleen Berlew, Elisabeth Davis de Herraiz, Moon Eldridge, Jane Howorth, Kylie Lamb, Blazenka Simic-Boro, and Kristen TenDyke created these gorgeous projects to take and wear on your expeditions.

A big thank-you to Omega, Plymouth Yarn, the Trendsetter Yarn Group, and Universal Yarn for making this volume of The Crochetist possible. Their fantastic yarns helped bring this whole collection together.

Whether you are embarking on a personal voyage or you prefer to be an armchair traveler, we hope these projects add some adventure to your life.

THE COLLECTION