Connect the Shapes Crochet Motifs: Creative Techniques for Joining Motifs of All Shapes; Includes 101 New Motif Designs

Connect the Shapes CROCHET MOTIFS

CREATIVE TECHNIQUES FOR JOINING MOTIFS OF ALL SHAPES

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By EDIE ECKMAN

Storey Publishing

Copyright © 2012 Edie Eckman
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-60342-973-3

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Introduction

CROCHETED MOTIFS CONTINUE TO FASCINATE US. They can be used on their own for embellishments, or repeated and combined to create larger projects. They are usually (but not always) worked in the round from the center out. The most common crochet motif is the granny square (see page 46). Indeed, the term "granny square" is often used to mean any square crocheted unit worked in the round. Here, I use the word "motif" instead, because they can be so many more shapes than square, and they certainly aren't confined to grannies!

What is it about the use of color, shape, and texture that grabs our interest and makes us willing to stitch the same motif over and over again? Perhaps it is the repetition itself that is so soothing, or the almost instant gratification that we get from seeing a project (or at least part of a project) begun and ended in such a short amount of time. Perhaps it is the ability to play with color, without fear of wasting too much time or yarn if the results are not what we would like. Or perhaps it is the construction of a whole from individual units that appeals to us, evoking the puzzles and blocks of our childhoods.

Many crocheters love to stitch motifs but dread the process of joining them. Connecting one motif to another—or many motifs to each other—doesn't have to be the most-feared and least-looked-forward-to aspect of a crochet project. In fact, it can be as exhilarating as the stitching! And because crochet is so versatile, we don't have to stick to joining pieces only at their points or edges. We can layer motifs or add filler motifs. We can connect motifs on more than one round or join them internally, creating entire fabrics that are joined together as part of their essential structure.

In Connect the Shapes Crochet Motifs, I build on what I started in my first book about motifs. In Beyond the Square Crochet Motifs, I explored a variety of shapes, colors, and textures, and experimented with techniques to improve the look of the motif. In Connect the Shapes, I gather motifs in families and explore ways of joining them to each other. The families usually begin with a motif originally designed for this book. From this starting point, I vary stitches and colors, add corners, textures, and layers, and otherwise morph the original into new motifs. These may resemble each other in the way of close siblings—or somewhat distant cousins. Joining the motifs in new and surprising ways carries them even further from their origins, and in this book I delve into many methods of joining, exploring both the design and technical aspects of creating a whole fabric from individual units. And finally, I include projects that demonstrate some practical uses for these connection methods.

Connect the Shapes is meant to be a jumping-off point for your own creativity. Make the projects in the book, by all means, but more importantly, study the techniques, examine the samples, and try your own variations in order to fashion your own beautiful one-of-a-kind creations!

Join the fun! (Continues...)

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Excerpted from Connect the Shapes CROCHET MOTIFS by EDIE ECKMAN Copyright © 2012 by Edie Eckman. Excerpted by permission of Storey Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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