Today and the next week or two we are going to talk about texture. Over the past several months, we have talked about color, and color patterning. Color theory is great, and color patterning is important, but texture is equally important.
Without texture, our blankets would be like so many striped or patterned plain knit t-shirts–boring after a while. Texture adds pizzazz and emphasizes the beautiful yarns that we love to crochet with.
What is Texture?
Merriam Webster’s online dictionary defines it as…
The visual or tactile surface characteristics and appearance of something.
An identifying quality.
Something composed of closely interwoven elements; specifically: a woven cloth.
The structure formed by the threads of a fabric.
Texture Can Be Part of the Yarn
The yarn may be crinkly, have sequins, slubs, or be a smooth rayon or rough twine. These differing textures will add interest to your crochet project. There is such a wide variety of yarns available all with such a huge assortment of textures that it can be a challenge narrowing your choices down to just one.
How Do You Know Which Yarn to Choose?
There are several questions to ask yourself before you fall in love with a yarn.
- What is the end purpose of your work?
Are you going to wear it? Is it for a baby? Will it need to be washed? Are you going to dry clean it, hand-wash it or throw it in the washer? Do you have allergies to any of the fibers
- How does it need to look?
Soft, filmy, ethereal, bulky, substantial, delicate, durable–all these words apply to different styles of yarn and yarn with different fiber content.
- What are you crocheting?
Are you crocheting lace? Boot socks? A sweater for your outdoor-loving son? Does it need to be almost indestructible? A formal shawl? A blanket for your dog?
Answering these questions will give you an idea of the look of the yarn for which you are shopping.
Break Out of the Box!
I know most of us walk into our local big box craft shop and choose the same old yarn that we always buy. Maybe it’s time to break away from the “usual” and find something new to crochet with, something that will add a special texture to your next project. Take a look at the varieties available and see if you can find something new with texture. You’ll love seeing how fun it can be to try something new!
The Texture of the Ridged Ripple Baby Blanket
Speaking of texture, this is the beautiful Ridged Ripple Baby Blanket. As you can see, you can crochet this in a wide variety of yarns. I simply love the texture to this baby blanket!
The variegated yarn is so soft and created just for babies. The red yarn is a cotton-wool blend that will soften over time just like your favorite pair of jeans. This is a newly edited pattern that has just been re-released for you. Both of the suggested yarns are machine washable and easy care.
Chocolate Dog Studio crochet patterns are available in several different Internet shops. You can find all of my patterns here on the blog. The other sites where you can shop for Chocolate Dog Studio patterns: Etsy, Craftsy, Love Crochet, and now Makerist.
Talk to you later,
Karen