In my last post, I wrote about the slow satisfaction of weaving. Those of you who follow my work know that I’m also a crochet designer, and this week, with the seasons beginning to turn towards autumn, I’ve been thinking about some of my favourite crochet projects: the smaller ones.
There is something very satisfying about a project that doesn’t require a huge commitment of time, yarn or concentration. A cowl can be finished relatively quickly. A scarf can be picked up and put down without losing your place. Even a shawl, although I’m stretching the definition of “small project” a little there, can feel much more manageable than a large blanket.
Small projects fit around real life. They can be made in those little pockets of time that appear between everything else, and they make lovely gifts too. Perhaps that is why I so often have a smaller project on the go alongside all the larger throws and blankets.
Cowls
Cowls come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.
There are the snug ones that fit closely around your neck, perhaps needing a little tug to get them over your head. These work particularly well inside the collar of a coat, keeping out those unwelcome draughts on a chilly autumn morning.
I think this sort of cowl needs to be made from a yarn that feels lovely against the skin. The neck is a particularly sensitive area, so this is one occasion when I think it is worth finding a good-quality yarn in the weight suggested by the pattern. A soft wool, alpaca blend or other luxurious fibre can make all the difference.
At the other end of the scale are cowls that are more like infinity scarves: they drape loosely around your neck and can be folded and arranged to suit whatever you’re wearing. I particularly like the way a larger cowl can cover that awkward triangle over the chest that some outer garments leave exposed.
Some are deep enough to be worn as a head covering too, which makes them particularly versatile. They take a little longer to make and use more yarn, but they can also make quite a statement.
And somewhere between the two are the short scarves that cross at the chest and fasten with a button or other closure. These have their own particular charm and can be great fun to make using variations on the granny square, joined together to create just the right length.
Scarves
Who hasn’t set out to crochet a scarf as one of their first ever projects? I know I did. It had wonky edges and, if I remember correctly, I became so bored with making it that I eventually abandoned the attempt. Fortunately, my technique has improved since then!
These days I design crochet patterns for scarves that hold my interest, usually by bringing together colour, texture or an interesting combination of stitches. A scarf is still a relatively straightforward project, but there is plenty of scope to make something that feels special rather than simply being a long strip of crochet.
The choice of yarn makes a difference too. An aran-weight yarn will obviously work up more quickly than DK, but both have their place. A chunky, cosy scarf can be wonderfully satisfying when the weather turns cold, while a lighter DK scarf can be easier to wear through those changeable autumn days.
And although a scarf will take longer to make than a cowl, it is still a project that can be picked up for an hour, put down, and returned to later without feeling as though you’ve committed yourself to months of crochet.
Shawls
I think shawls only just fit into my definition of a “small project”.
They are certainly smaller than the large throws and blankets that can occupy my hook for weeks, but some of my shawls are substantial projects in their own right. They are, after all, the bread and butter of a crochet designer — and I love both making and wearing them.
This year I’ve spent quite a lot of time exploring equilateral triangles as a shape for shawls. Previously, I might have designed more wide rectangular wraps, but it has been interesting to see how changing the basic shape affects the finished piece. I also enjoy asymmetric shawls, where the shape itself becomes part of the design.
For me, shawls are where colour and texture really get to come out to dance. You have a much larger surface area to play with, so there is room for stitch patterns to develop, colours to change and textures to build.
Of course, that extra surface area also means more time and effort. I give shawls away as gifts much less frequently than smaller projects, simply because of the investment involved in making them.
Small projects, big satisfaction
Small projects aren’t necessarily insignificant projects. They simply ask a little less of us.
A cowl might take an evening or two. A scarf might take a little longer. A shawl may stretch the definition of “small”, but it can still feel wonderfully manageable when compared with a blanket that seems to have been on the hook forever.
In a smaller project, there is the satisfaction of making something with your own hands, but without the feeling that you have signed up to a major undertaking. You can start something because the yarn is irresistible, because you want to try a particular stitch, because you need a gift, or simply because you fancy making something.
Then, before you know it, you have a finished object to wear, use or give away.
Maybe that’s why I often have a smaller project on the go amongst all the big throws and blankets. There is something rather lovely about knowing that, even when a larger project is progressing at a glacial pace, there is always the possibility of finishing something.
If you’d like to see more of my smaller crochet patterns, I share regular updates every Throwback Thursday on Facebook and Instagram. I revisit older designs, rediscover projects that still have something to offer, and occasionally wonder what on earth I was thinking when I designed them!
I’d love for you to join me there.
Until next time, happy crafting!
Sue
