Finding Crochet Inspiration: Kathryn from Crochet Consupiscence!

I am so excited to introduce our first guest blogger for National Craft and Crochet Month!

Please welcome Kathryn Vercillo, a San Francisco artist/writer/crafter who writes the blog Crochet Concupiscence!

10 Sources for Finding Crochet Inspiration

I actually think it might be possible for me to read about, write about and work on crochet all day long every day for years without tiring of it. I find the entire lifestyle surrounding crochet to be infinitely inspiring. But everybody experiences some slump in her sense of creative inspiration sometimes. Just in case that ever happens to me, I keep an arsenal of options available to re-inspire me in my crochet work. Many of these things also inspire my writing, collage work and other crafting … I hope that they’ll inspire you too!

10 sources of crochet inspiration for me:

1. Crochet blogs. The thoughts and projects that other crochet artists post on their blogs are always inspiring. Other than Donna’s Decembers, some of my favorite crochet blogs for inspiration are Nancy’s Crochet, FutureGirl Craft Blog, Crochet By The Sea, My Crochet Life and Hooks, Yarns, Crafts & Gardening.

2. Art openings. I do love crochet artists but I don’t limit myself to just their work. I like to attend art openings of all kinds and to check out art museum shows as well. You just never know what creative expression might inspire you. And there’s something about being amidst a group of artists that enhances the energy that you need to feel inspired.

3. Going for a walk. Sometimes just getting away from all of the noise inside helps you to clear your head. The longer you walk, the more you start to really look around you. This never fails to inspire me in some way and I find that it works for other people I’ve talked to as well.

4. Any news or information about yarnbombing. I find this creative endeavor entirely inspiring whether it’s being done by groups in foreign countries or I stumble across the work of a lone artist here in San Francisco. Looking at the pictures, reading about the work that’s been done and just chatting with others about their thoughts on yarnbombing always inspires me to want to do SOMETHING with yarn. One of my favorite examples is the yarnbombed Wall Street bull by Olek.

5. Make a list. When I don’t think that there’s anything I want to crochet right now, I drum up a list idea and start brainstorming. I might make a list of everyone I want to make a Christmas present for or a list of clothing items I need more of or a list of charities I’d love to support or a list of techniques I’d like to try. Each list inspires tons of crochet ideas.

6. Fashion magazines, shows and products. Browsing through fashions of any kind makes me think, “hey what if I did that in crochet?” It could be Vogue or Project Runway or a trip to the local used clothing store; whatever it is, fashion never fails to inspire me. Christopher Kane’s crochet at 2011 London Fashion Week was inspiring for me!

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7. Talking to someone else who crochets. The energy of a good conversation about crochet (especially if you’re at a Stitch n Bitch and actually working on crochet at the same time) is always infinitely inspiring.

8. Social sites related to crochet. Ravelry and Crochetville are endless sources of crochet inspiration for me. Conversations with Etsy crocheters and Facebook crocheters also fall into this category for me.

9. People watching. Checking out the people in the world around me always inspires me in one way or another. One person might be wearing a crochet item I want to make a version of myself. The next might be wearing a non-crochet item in a color scheme that inspires me. Yet another might be sketching something that inspires me. Open eyes always bring inspiration into my world.

10. Deep exploration of non-crochet interests. I believe it’s important to be passionately interested in multiple things, to explore them deeply and to see how they connect to other things you love. That’s how I decided that I HAD to go to Argentina where I discovered a yarn district that definitely inspired my crochet work and it’s how I’ve started trying to find ways that crochet might relate to sign language, a language I really want to learn.

What else inspires your crochet?!

Thank you so much for stopping by, Kathryn! If you're interested in more National Craft & Crochet Month posts, click here!

This is a guest post by Kathryn Vercillo, a San Francisco artist/writer/crafter who writes the blog Crochet Concupiscence. This blog covers all things crochet including artists, fashion, news, tutorials, book reviews, quotes and interviews with crocheters. Find her on Twitter and Ravelry. Subscribe to her crochet blog feed.