Emily has also done it where you start from the bottom of the garment and work your way up. I usually make mine starting from the top down, so then you do the raglan increases at the top. You do this be creating a neckline that is then made into a square until you create armholes by skipping the two arm sides, and continuing to work the piece in the round.
From top down, bottom up, raglan, panels, and more there are almost endless ways you could make them.
Crochet garment construction comes in almost endless styles. When it comes to style, I am referring to the way in which the crochet garment is constructed, and the shape is how you want it to fit on you. You have your own unique voice, so don’t feel like you have to do something similar to other designers! Figure out the style and shape:Īfter you have the idea of what you want your garment to look like it’s time to decide what style and shape of design that you’re going to make. Social media and Pinterest can also be a good source of inspiration, but Emily says that she likes to not draw too much inspiration from other makers so that there isn’t any confusion in thinking that she copied them. When I find stitches I often get inspiration, and will start to see the garment forming as an idea. Crochet stitch books are another great resources as sometimes a certain stitch can inspire a garment design in your mind. I’ll constantly be snapping photos of pieces that characters in a show I’m watching a wearing, and then draw my inspiration from them. Inspiration can be found almost anywhere! Emily and I have both found it from watching historical shows to see all of the handmade crochet or knit pieces that they have as a part of their costumes. Once you figure out your goal, it’s time to find your inspiration.
I often will make mine as just being two rectangles that are sewn together, so that anyone who can crochet a square can make them.
Do you want it to be full of complex stitches that create an intricate fabric? Or do you want to go on the less intimidating side so that any skill level could design it? Emily and I both aim for having our garments not be intimidating so that anyone could make them. When you’re starting out with your design you want to figure out what your intention and goal for it is. The first step in beginning to design crochet garments starts with finding your goal and inspiration for your design. In the latest episode of the E’Claire Makery podcast, she shares all about how she makes her garment designs so that you can do it too! Watch my interview with Emily here: The 5 Basics of Crochet Garment Design: Find your goal and inspiration: Now she’s been putting most of her design efforts specifically into creating garments. For awhile she was making other people’s designs, but in the last year and a half she decided to focus on making her own designs. Then after being in her career for a few years, she needed something that would be just for her outside of her normal routine, and picked up crocheting again.
She learned how to crochet years ago, but at the time she learned it wasn’t a cool hobby, so she didn’t really keep with it.
Once I tried and figured out everything, it wasn’t so hard after all! Today I am here to answer all of your questions with my latest podcast episode guest, Emily from Hooked Hazel.Įmily is the crochet designer behind Hooked Hazel, and makes anything ranging from crochet sweaters to crochet beanies. Then I decided to go out on a limb and try my hand at designing a garment pattern, after making a few other designers’ patterns.
From gauge swatches, shaping, how to begin, and grading patterns, it seemed like a code that I’d never be able to crack. Have you been looking at crochet designers who design clothes, and wondering how they do it? You look at their designs and wish that you knew how to make your own ideas come to life, but just don’t know how? For a long time I dreamed of making my own crochet garment designs, but never thought that it would be possible.