the next honoree in my crochet genius series is laura normandin of WREN handmade. laura does the most exquisitely delicate crochet work that feels very vintage in a way, yet modern at the same time. she is a craft editor at Martha, as well as an artist. i’m a big fan of her dolls and stuffed animals too! you can find her at two craft fairs this month in nyc and boston, or shop online. here are laura’s responses to my five questions about crochet:
1. how and when did you learn to crochet? I taught myself from a book probably about 10 years ago. I just started with single crochet.
2. what is your favorite stitch? It’s not really a stitch but I love granny squares. I like the way you can totally change the look based on the scale and type of yarn or thread used. I love that the image in most people’s minds are their grandmother’s afghans from the 70’s using acrylic chunky yarn and how surprising it is to see an updated version.
3. what do you love about crochet? I love how portable it is. It doesn’t unravel like knitting which makes it easy to throw in your bag or take it on the subway. I also love how repetitious and relaxing it is.
4. do you have any special/favorite materials or tools that you crochet with? I like to crochet with vintage tatting thread. It can be bought on Ebay by the lot. The old colors are nicely pastel and muted but with bright reds. I’ve also been experimenting with dyeing my own tatting thread. One of my favorite colors is deep indigo blue which I could never find, so I dyed some.
5. any interesting plans, projects, or new directions in your crochet future? Lately I’ve tried crocheting necklaces, that look like tiny garlands. This is a new direction for me. They are a little time consuming though so I’m not sure how cost effective they are if I’m selling them. I’m going to take a few to my Holiday craft fairs so we’ll see!
thanks again laura! and readers, please do let me know if you would like to nominate anyone to be a crochet genius…
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