http://www.in sidecr och et.co.u k 15matt
farci
Wit h au t u m n well a n d t r u ly up on u s, it seem s
like t h e p er fect weat h er to b e get t in g in to som e
h ook y act ion.
I don’t know about you but I ind it awfully
h a r d wor kin g on la r ger pr oject s t h r ou gh ou t
t h e wa r m er m on t h s. I ju st wa n t to get ou t sid e
in t h e su n a n d en joy t h e lon g d ays. I b ecom e
m uch m or e act ive, ch oosin g to go for a r u n in
t h e p a r k or m eet up wit h fr ien d s for som e food
in t h e late a fter n oon su n r at h er t h a n st ay at
h om e a n d wor k on pr oject s.
So, I t r u ly welcom e t h e cooler m on t h s a s a
ch a n ce to get st uck in to som e ser iou s
cr och et in g... t h e secon d t h e weat h er st a r t s to
ch a n ge, tem p er at u r es d r op a n d t h e clocks go
back a n d I a m in fu ll h ib er n at ion m od e,
ch oosin g m y p yja m a s, bucket-sized m u gs of
tea, du vet d ays a n d la r ge cr och et pr oject s to
get st uck in to.
After m uch u m m in g a n d a h h in g, I got
st a r ted on t h e pla n n in g a n d pr ep a r at ion st ages
of a big pr oject la st week. It ’ll b e m y win ter
pr oject a n d will keep m e n ice a n d bu sy u n t il
well in to t h e n ew yea r.
My ch osen pr oject will keep m y h a n d s bu sy
t h r ou gh ou t t h e n ext m on t h s a n d (a ll goin g
well) will b e a gor geou s bla n ket. I’m h opin g for
a large piece illed with lots of yummy bright
colou r, oozin g ton s of text u r e a n d sh owca sin g
a m u lt it ud e of cr och et tech n iques.
I h aven’t act u a lly st a r ted t h e h ookin g
pr ocess yet , bu t in stead h ave b een d oin g a
lit t le r esea r ch. I’ve b een m a kin g n otes, m a kin g
sketch es a n d sp en d in g fr ee t im e br owsin g
m aga zin es a n d P in ter est for gu id a n ce. Wit h
m y r esea r ch at h a n d I’ve st a r ted t r yin g to
igure out the irst few rows... let me tell you,
m at h s is t r ick y! YouTu b e t u tor ia ls h ave b een
com in g in ver y h a n d y, a s well a s som e sou n d
ad vice fr om som e d esign er s I’ve appr oach ed
for a lit t le h elp in r ega r d s to va r iou s
tech n iques t h at I’m n ot fa m ilia r wit h.
Yes, for m e, t h is pr oject is ab ou t so m uch
m or e t h a n m a kin g som et h in g over t h e win term on t h s, in stead I h ave decid ed t h at it will b e
a pr oject t h at will ch a llen ge m y n or m a l
cr och et go-to st yle. I wa n t it to b e a bla n ket of
lea r n in g, explor in g Tu n isia n cr och et , t ap est r y
a n d m osa ic cr och et (to n a m e a few) a n d
d evelopin g m y lack of u n d er st a n d in g towa r d s
t h ese st yles of cr och et.
Over t h e p a st m on t h s m y in ter est in ot h er
cr och et tech n iques h a s b een gr owin g, a s I’ve
m a r velled over d esign s by Tat sia n a
Kupr yia n ch yk – d esign er of t h is yea r ’s
Sch eepjes CAL, a s well a s t h e m ost gor geou s
cr och et wea r ables I t h in k I h ave ever seen.
Ded r i Uys’ b old u se of colou r a n d text u r ed
tech n iques, b eau t ifu lly sh owca sed t h r ou gh ou t
h er fabu lou s d esign s such a s h er Soph ie’s
Un iver se bla n ket a n d h er Ubu n t u bla n ket.
Th e delicate a n d det a iled in t r icacy of t h e wor k
by Ma r k Roseb oom fr om Th e Gu y wit h Th e
H ook, a s well a s t h e br igh t a n d playfu l
Tu n isia n d esign s of Mich elle Robin son fr om
Popp y a n d Bliss.
I’ve b een in spir ed by t h ese design er s a n d
en cou r aged by t h em t h at t h ese (n ew to m e)
tech n iques a r e way ea sier t h a n t h ey app ea r. So
guess wh at? I’m givin g t h em a ll a go!
In spir ed by ton s of glor iou s wor k, m y
bla n ket will b e a ll ab ou t t h e explor at ion of t h e
n ew, it will ch a llen ge m e to t r y n ew t h in gs a n d
see where I end up. I’m hoping for a diferent
tech n iques ever y few r ows or so.
I’ve decid ed t h at t h e b est ca se scen a r io for
t h is bla n ket will b e t h at I cr eate som et h in g to
b e m a r velled at , a collect ion of n ewly lea r n t
tech n iques, a com bin at ion of p er fect ly
con t r a st in g colou r s, a fea st of text u r e a n d
a bla n ket to n ot on ly keep m e wa r m bu t b e
som et h in g to b e pr oud ly sh owca sed at h om e.
Wor st ca se scen a r io will b e t h at it d oesn’t
qu ite wor k ou t , bu t in t r yin g I wou ld’ve
deinitely dabbled for the irst time in these
tech n iques a n d quen ch ed m y t h ir st to lea r n
m or e. As fa r a s I ca n see, it ’s a win -win
sit u at ion. Watch t h is sp ace!Mat t Farci is excited about lear n in g new tech n iques over winter. H ave you t r ied
tapestry crochet? Be inspired to make his festive ir tree project bag!Try something new!
MATT FARCI, DESIGNER
Matt enjoys working on bright crochet
projects and nibbling on Jammy Dodgers.
Find him over at http://www.boyandbunting.com
or on Instagram @boyandbunting.