finch crochet

A question heard a lot around this office full of nosy, curious types is, "What are you working on lately?"

I've had this Japanese book of crochet motifs on my shelf for a couple of years now, and every once in a while I'll pull it down to thumb through page after page of seriously incredible crochet shapes—botanical motifs, snowflakes, stars, linear edgings, even fruit and animal shapes—all beautifully charted, negating the need to be able to read Japanese. I had some Finch lying around after a couple of recent knitted swatches and finally decided to try out a few of the simpler motifs.

I can't recommend picking up a crochet hook and tracking down a copy of this book...this little detour into crochet land was the most fun I've had with yarn in ages. The rhythm and motions of crochet are quite unlike knitting but, similarly, as time passes you become more and more accustomed to how to work a crochet stitch, how to start the next round, how to think about how the stitches are formed, their structures, and what possibilities can be had with some simple wooly string and pointy tool (or hook, in this instance). And working small shapes like these take any intimidating commitment out of the "for the fun of it" equation.

The motifs pictured above were done in Finch, colors Audouin and Iceland, using a size 7/0 hook. I'm so curious to try out Piper, Sparrow, Kestrel...

The name of the book is Motif and Edging Designs and is published by Bunka. I can't seem to find an author name listed anywhere. The book is in Japanese only but the charts are beautifully done and easy to follow. It can be a little difficult to find a US source for Japanese craft books—I've had luck finding them when I visit Kinokuniya in NYC, and there are some Japan-based sellers on Etsy who stock titles like these.

We'll be back again soon to share what other people here at Quince have been working on lately!