Not a Quality Craft!

[Burgandy]

I have to wonder what they (the church) would do if someone showed up with a box full of beautiful scarves, hats, shawls, ponchos and capes. Do you think they would turn them away or sell them with smiles on their faces?

[seagull1993]

>> Don't p!$$ off people who, with just a hook and some RH yarn, can whip up a garotte in 30 seconds or a full blown noose in under 2 minutes. <<

 

How true!

[CrochetJC]

I just did my very first craft show last weekend and of the few items I did sell potholders were among them. I got a lot of compliments on mine. I had crocheted and knitted items and the crocheted ones were the ones that sold. I think I would go to that person and show some quality potholders and see what the response would be. Two years ago, I made and sold 20 sets of towel/potholders that were crocheted and they sold for 15 to 20 dollars a set. Try it and see what the response would be.

[cat_haven]

Wow, aren't we all just the most defensive group I at one point and time had a crocheted potholder, made by an elderly lady who was blind, or close to it. I LOVED that thing. My son threw it away, broke my heart . She made them for everyone that walked by her room. However there are some tacky crocheted items...go to Wal-Mart and look at their lovers knot crocheted ponchos. People actually buy those horrible things. Granted I would charge more than what they are, but I wouldn't use the itchiest yarn I could find either.

Guess I am lucky that I live in a small rural Iowa town. I make stuff for my mom all the time, she wears it to church and all of a sudden everyone wants one too.

If you want to send the church a "donation" of potholders let me know...I'll send them some. I'll even be nice and remove the cat hair from them. That will be in a different box .

[Homebody]

I was thinking, at any bazaar you want to show your wears at here you have to pay a booth fee. I would think the church would want as many vendors as they can to make money for the church. The more vendors, the more traffic of potential buyers. Which pay a fee to get in to the exhibits. Right? I have done a few shows, but I find people do not want to pay for hand made items. They expect you to give away your time. (Another thread)! I have people all the time asking if I would make them more dishcloths. They prefer them over store bought. I myself wouldn't go to their bazaar or church! - unless they printed an appology!!

[Guest Crafterlady46]

Maybe they could have worded it a little better. Instead of saying what they didn't want maybe they could have had a list of what they did want. Geez. Some people do not think before they write something and others take it out of context. I wonder if that was the whole story. We are not there and don't know "the rest of the story". Maybe they had like hundreds of potholders and nothing else in another sale. It's easy to make potholders and dishcloths. Most folks don't have the time to make and give the big projects. I would suppose they have.....jobs and family?

[craftybutterfly]

I should probably just keep my mouth shut, but I am going to say this and hope you all take it in the spirit it is meant. I crochet, knit and felt and do all types of fiber art.

I believe that so much of the stigma about crochet is that the majority of crochet is done with cheap yarns.

 

The red heart acrylic yarn has its place, I use it for baby things that need to be easily washable. But to make a sweater of it is not its best use. Knitters tend to use higher end yarns and the quality of what you make is directly related to the materials used. I have made crocheted hats and would not cosider them tacky, but they were made with high quality yarns. The same hat in a cheap yarn would look cheap.

If you are putting your precious time into making something use the best quality you can.

If you are making a baby afghan that needs to be washable and hypoallergenic by all mean use acrylic.

If you are designing a sweater or shawl, and want it to look really artistic, use a better quality yarn.

Deb

 

I disagree to a point. I've made sweaters for my kids with red heart and they were very stylish and nice and they got lots of comments. not only that, the red heart stands up to the abuse my kids put them through. chunk 'em in the washer and dryer, and red heart stands up to the test of time. cheap yarn does NOT automatically mean the item will look cheap. i have seen some danged impressive afghans made with red heart or even mainstays, and it was because of the talent and design skills of the crocheter, not the yarn. yes, i agree that expensive yarns are very nice, if you can afford them. but if i

only used expensive yarns, i'd only get a few projects a year done. Imagine the withdrawls

[Julie]

I'd go and ask to see some crocheted potholders. Repeatedly.

 

I would too. I'd make DH wander off in a different direction and ask for the same stuff, then meet up secretly so nobody would know we were together.

 

 

But then, on a more serious note, I'm thinking of my 83 year old grandmother who has put herself into a tailspin this year to make things for her church's fall bazaar. She is failing and having a hard time remembering things, so following a pattern is pretty much out of the question for her. She just keeps thinking she should make something and has managed a handful of small items (snowflakes and flower pins). I wonder how she would have felt if her church had told her they didn't want any of the crocheted items she had worked so hard on to finish. Now I'm even more thankful that her things were appreciated when she submitted them.

[Julie]

I have written to DIY several times about the fact that they have TWO knitting shows, but nothing about crochet.... I offered my expertise by being a guest OR a host, and you know what they told me? "Get an agent." Whatevuh!!

 

Boy, they keep things close to the vest over there at DIY. Check this out!

[craftybutterfly]

Boy, they keep things close to the vest over there at DIY. Check this out!

 

I emailed them too, got no response.

[hookd1989]

have a commercial showing crochet as "not a quality craft!"

 

I couldn't believe it. My husband and I were watching reruns of Monty Python on BBC America and an ad comes on for Glade Air Fresheners where an older woman is crocheting covers for her air fresheners...and Glade is trying to show that their Air Fresheners are decorative without the covers...which is all fine and good...but while they've boosted their "beautiful air fresheners," they've clouded the beauty that can be created with crochet.

 

Just had to share and vent...

 

BTW, there were two mentions of crochet in the Monty Python skits...Both were prizes for a raffle/contest: bedspread and something else I can't remember at the moment.

[kayveryn]

wonder if they'd take a crocheted turd?...

 

 

kayveryn

[dudleyspinner]

I disagree to a point. I've made sweaters for my kids with red heart and they were very stylish and nice and they got lots of comments. not only that, the red heart stands up to the abuse my kids put them through. chunk 'em in the washer and dryer, and red heart stands up to the test of time. cheap yarn does NOT automatically mean the item will look cheap. i have seen some danged impressive afghans made with red heart or even mainstays, and it was because of the talent and design skills of the crocheter, not the yarn. yes, i agree that expensive yarns are very nice, if you can afford them. but if i

only used expensive yarns, i'd only get a few projects a year done. Imagine the withdrawls

 

I would use acrylic for childrens sweaters too, I mentioned baby items that need to be washable, and childrens items fall into the same catagory.

 

I am just saying that if you are putting your time into making something use the best quality you can afford, for the use it will be put to.

 

Using red heart or lion brand for childrens clothing is logical and appropriate.

 

if you are making a designer sweater for yourself that you want to be a knockout, cheap yarn just wont make that happen.

 

When I started crocheting and knitting red heart yarn was wool, at any dimestore.

The better quality you use, the better looking your items will be.

Deb

[dudleyspinner]

Unfortunately, I don't think it was all that clear at all, Francesca. It can perhaps be inferred from the statement that this was the case, but it is not a given known. It is also the experience of several on this forum to run into a similar type of discrimination against crocheted items using things like "crocheted potholders" and air freshener covers (and toilet paper covers, etc ad nauseum) as the excuse for the exclusion of the craft as "inferior". I think this is what everyone is reacting to.

 

 

 

Yes, there are some truly disastrous crochet products out in circulation, just as there are for knits and other crafts. All suffer from this to a similar degree. I don't think anybody would disagree with that. But crochet, of all of them, gets singularly picked on almost exclusively. And like I said before, many on this forum have experienced that prejudice firsthand. Unfortunately, to you perhaps the air freshener commercial was a simple parody but to the average viewer, who doesn't know squat about crochet, it is going to represent all crochet in their minds such that when they come across one of those attractive pieces, they have a hard time even believing it could be crochet, because of the negative connotation that has been planted in their head. I will agree with you only when I see a similar parody of knitting come across the airwaves! The way things are going, I wouldn't hold my breath!

 

Oh, and just to be clear - you are not speaking "out of turn" as a new member. You are totally entitled to share your opinion, even if others might tend to disagree with it! All opinions are welcome here, otherwise we wouldn't have much to talk about!

 

Crochet still has a ways to go before it can take it's rightful place next to knitting as a "cool" craft. We tend to get incensed whenever we run across anything that serves as an obstacle to that goal, such as this bit about banning "crochet potholders", regardless of the motivation behind it, which like I said, we really can't know for sure, only surmise.

 

 

Just remember that the acrylic items you make today in colors that are in style today will be found 10 years from now.

 

Plastic does not dissinigrate that is why you find the orange and green potholder that grannies aunt made 20 years ago and go ewww.

 

Crochet will never be considered cool as long as the defensive attitude is as prevalent as this thread shows it to be.

 

When you upgrade the quality of the materials you make your items from, you will elevate the perception of your craft.

If you think your work is not worth using quality yarn, then it wont be high quality.

Cheap yarn looks cheap.

Deb

[craftybutterfly]

When you upgrade the quality of the materials you make your items from, you will elevate the perception of your craft.

If you think your work is not worth using quality yarn, then it wont be high quality.

Cheap yarn looks cheap.

Deb

 

when i hear or read things like that, it takes alot of the fun out of it for me. makes me feel that every project i ever made from RH wasn't worth the time i put into it, and the joy and excitement that my recipients showed wasn't genuine, and not worth all the $$$ i've made from selling my stuff. Seriously, makes me wonder "whats the point?" if my stuff is going to be considered "cheap" anyway. gosh, I don't even want to go home and pick up my hook tonight, now. I've always thought my stuff was worth the most expensive yarn available, but you buy what you can afford. those who can afford to feed their yarn addiction with the good stuff should consider themselves fortunate, but not all of us can. again, i have made some beautiful sweaters and shawls from cheap yarn. yes the yarn does make a difference, but i still contend that the talent of the crafter has much more to do with the finished project.

[RachelG]

Don't feel bad. Some gorgeous things can be made from RH; I've seen it done. It's all I can afford, too (although I'm a threadie, and hardly use any yarn). I'm just happy that others are able to buy nicer yarns and make nice things too...and I agree some things from RH look cheap...but certainly not all...so just work with what you have!

[craftybutterfly]

Don't feel bad. Some gorgeous things can be made from RH; I've seen it done. It's all I can afford, too (although I'm a threadie, and hardly use any yarn). I'm just happy that others are able to buy nicer yarns and make nice things too...and I agree some things from RH look cheap...but certainly not all...so just work with what you have!

 

well said.

[Tampa Doll]

Crochet will never be considered cool as long as the defensive attitude is as prevalent as this thread shows it to be.

 

When you upgrade the quality of the materials you make your items from, you will elevate the perception of your craft.

If you think your work is not worth using quality yarn, then it wont be high quality.

Cheap yarn looks cheap.

Deb

 

Crocheters ar no more defensive than any other artist. It is their craft and their heart and soul that goes into every item.

 

You say using cheap yarns makes the items look cheap, well, I have seen some tacky items for sale with big designer names on them that look cheaper than anything made on this site.

 

The whole thing here is that a church is suppose to be christian and welcome everyone. This church along with a few others are ignoring a good size part of the population and a beautiful craft. They are not following the Golden Rule. Heck take the potholders, put them up for sale, and what is left, hand back. Problem solved.

 

I have knitted and crocheted with good yarn and Rh, most items look good no matter what yarn you use. Truthfully, if you are up North, you want RH in your sweater. Not only is it warm, but it is durable.

 

I like the idea of a garrot and a noose. Have hook will travel.

 

So now it is time for everyone to smile and get those hooks moving.

[dhaunae]

Just remember that the acrylic items you make today in colors that are in style today will be found 10 years from now.

And the wool and mohair and angora items you make today in colors that are in style today will be just as out of style when they're found 10 years from now.

Crochet will never be considered cool as long as the defensive attitude is as prevalent as this thread shows it to be.

Crochet will never be considered cool as long as people put down the entire craft and other people defend those who do it.

When you upgrade the quality of the materials you make your items from, you will elevate the perception of your craft.

If you think your work is not worth using quality yarn, then it wont be high quality.

Cheap yarn looks cheap.

Deb

Wow. I thought if I made tasteful, stylish items with care and consideration about who will use them and how, I was upgrading my craft. I didn't realize it didn't count unless I used expensive yarn. Good to know the gifts I've made my family out of yarn that was the best I could afford "look cheap".

[Stacey]

If you think your work is not worth using quality yarn, then it wont be high quality.

I hear this a lot. And I get really, really tired of hearing it. I love to crochet, and I love making beautiful things.

 

But you know what? I can't afford to spend $25 on a little bitty ball of yarn. Some weeks I have to decide between living on pasta and rice or getting my prescriptions filled. And I get so very, very tired of being told that I must think my work isn't worth much because I don't buy fancy designer yarn, when the fact is that I value my crochet work deeply but absolutely cannot afford to be flinging money around like that. If I could afford it, that would be different. But please bear in mind that everyone's circumstances are different when you make a generalization like that.

[craftybutterfly]

I hear this a lot. And I get really, really tired of hearing it. I love to crochet, and I love making beautiful things.

 

But you know what? I can't afford to spend $25 on a little bitty ball of yarn. Some weeks I have to decide between living on pasta and rice or getting my prescriptions filled. And I get so very, very tired of being told that I must think my work isn't worth much because I don't buy fancy designer yarn, when the fact is that I value my crochet work deeply but absolutely cannot afford to be flinging money around like that. If I could afford it, that would be different. But please bear in mind that everyone's circumstances are different when you make a generalization like that.

 

not only that, we wouldnt be so defensive if our craft and yarn choices weren't continually getting knocked around and looked upon with upturned noses. you gotta expect a little defensiveness after awhile, you know. crocheters are only defensive because we've been repeatedly told that our craft is inferior to knitting. AND we have the nerve to use cheap yarn to do it with. the nerve of us!

[dudleyspinner]

when i hear or read things like that, it takes alot of the fun out of it for me. makes me feel that every project i ever made from RH wasn't worth the time i put into it, and the joy and excitement that my recipients showed wasn't genuine, and not worth all the $$$ i've made from selling my stuff. Seriously, makes me wonder "whats the point?" if my stuff is going to be considered "cheap" anyway. gosh, I don't even want to go home and pick up my hook tonight, now. I've always thought my stuff was worth the most expensive yarn available, but you buy what you can afford. those who can afford to feed their yarn addiction with the good stuff should consider themselves fortunate, but not all of us can. again, i have made some beautiful sweaters and shawls from cheap yarn. yes the yarn does make a difference, but i still contend that the talent of the crafter has much more to do with the finished project.

 

I appolgize for ever mentioning that the stigma against crochet might be because of the materials used.

 

I am a member of a handweavers guild, when I take my crocheted items to sell at the annual show, I am told that the work and materials have to be of high quality. Anything other than baby wear made of acrylic yarn is rejected. Are they snobs, yes they are. They run the show and set the standards. I follow the guidelines.

 

I am charging a premium price for my work it needs to be premium quality. That is the world I live in. Fiber arts is my livilihood, and passion. I do not like seeing it made into a joke or a parady, but the parady exists. I am just advocating that you expand your yarn choices.

 

When ever you make something, your time and talent are the most expensive ingreedients, the material used should be worthy of those.

 

I am sorry for any hurt feelings, I should probably never have said anything.

I should have remembered Thumper the rabbit, If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.

Deb

[origami]

I appolgize for ever mentioning that the stigma against crochet might be because of the materials used.

 

Actually, there are those who would postulate the stigma is because during the last century, crochet was considered a hobby or craft of the lower classes, the servant class. Maggie Righetti, a noted knitter and crocheter, writes about how her mother dissuaded her from learning how to make crocheted lace because it wasn't "real" lace and besides it was fo the lower classes. (Righetti eventually did become a crocheter and undoubtedly regretted time lost.)

 

I am charging a premium price for my work it needs to be premium quality. That is the world I live in. Fiber arts is my livilihood, and passion. I do not like seeing it made into a joke or a parady, but the parady exists. I am just advocating that you expand your yarn choices.

 

Sometimes I think it has more to do with color choice and availability. I find that when I go to Walmart or other big chain stores, that I really do not like the color selections. But if you go to a regular yarn store, I often find acrylics (usually foreign) in much better color selections.

 

When ever you make something, your time and talent are the most expensive ingreedients, the material used should be worthy of those.

 

That depends. For some people, the choice is between crocheting with acrylic or not crocheting at all. Yarn can be very expensive.

 

I can't afford very expensive yarns but also don't really like the Red Heart yarns for most things I knit and crochet. I tend to prefer cottons and cotton blends and some wools. I would probably like some of the acrylics better if the color choices were better.

[goldi316]

I really have to respectfully disagree with you here, Deb. I don't think this problem we are speaking of, that of crochet being viewed as the "ugly stepsister" to those "finer" crafts (prevalently knitting lately) has one bit to do with the "quality" of the materials used.

 

Just remember that the acrylic items you make today in colors that are in style today will be found 10 years from now.

 

Plastic does not dissinigrate that is why you find the orange and green potholder that grannies aunt made 20 years ago and go ewww.

 

And similarly, 20 from now, we will pull that same potholder out and someone will go "how cool!" Besides that, you seem to be implying that "quality" fibers don't last as long as "plastic", as you are so unkindly labeling acrylics. We do know that, fortunately, that's not true.

 

We also really can't compare too much of the "plastic" stuff from 20 years ago with much of the acrylic fibers that are now available. The manufacturing process for this material has made great strides in the last 20 years. After having been away for about 15 years, I was absolutely shocked at how much nicer the stuff was than what I had remembered it to be, not to mention the incredible variety that is now available - there was no such thing as Homespun back then, or Boucle, or eyelash and ribbon yarns, almost all exclusively man-made fibers. Granted, these are a bit more costly than your run of the mill Super Saver, but also not as expensive as wool etc and still not quite lifted up to that lofty "quality" standard. But even the vilified Red Heart Super Saver has come a pretty long way and is nicer than I remember it.

 

Crochet will never be considered cool as long as the defensive attitude is as prevalent as this thread shows it to be.

 

Well, to be honest with you, I personally am not shooting for "cool", just a modicum of respect on a level similar with knitting. It is difficult to attain, though, when people continue to view it - as origami pointed out - as a "hobby of the 'lower class'". Frankly, the amount of money spent on a project should not be the deciding factor as to how "cool" it may be, in my opinion. Talent is simply not factored when all that is looked at is the "quality" (read $$$) of the materials. Lack of ability can screw up even the most expensive yarns, after all! So using a high-end yarn is no guarantee that your work may not necessarily come off looking "tacky". And some of the most beautiful, creative work I've ever seen was made with Red Heart Super Saver. Go figure!

 

When you upgrade the quality of the materials you make your items from, you will elevate the perception of your craft.

If you think your work is not worth using quality yarn, then it wont be high quality.

Cheap yarn looks cheap.

Deb

 

And here is where the problem lies. This is an attitude that is HIGHLY prevalent among knitters especially. We've had several thread discussions about this here on the forum. Where did this snobbery come from? Could it be just another aspect of that "class distinction", of which our crafting efforts is only a small part in this society? Kind of a strange thing in a so-called democracy, I think. But it's there, and always has been, just as racism has. It's just not usually admitted openly. Except where crochet is concerned. It makes it kind of hard not to get defensive about it under those circumstances.

 

Here are a few problems with this "quality yarn only" mindset:

 

Not everything can - or should - be made from "quality" yarn as you put it. I am assuming you to mean natural fibers, such as wool, alpaca and silk, and similar. So, what would you recommend to the person who loves to crochet (and even knit) but is allergic to natural fibers? Would you tell them not to bother crocheting if they have to use "tacky" yarn? Same goes for the recipients of our gifts who may also suffer from these same allergies. I happen to know a LOT of folks like this. Are we not allowed to make things for them if we can't use high-end yarns for their gifts?

 

Then we have a whole class of intended recipients that many crocheters love to gift their craft to: babies and children. With busy moms. Who don't have time to be handwashing and drying flat those wonderful masterpieces that are made from quality yarns. And so those lovely gifts will sit on a shelf in the back of a closet, if they haven't been accidently ruined by an errant run through the washer and dryer in a busy household. And mom reaches for the "cheap acrylic" that will stand up to a beating, day after day and doesn't require a lot of thought and effort to maintain.

 

And of course, we have yet another issue, a large one for many of us (especially those of us who could be considered "lower class" by these same yarn snobs) - that of cost. If we were only able to use quality yarns, many of us wouldn't have much of a craft to engage in, since money can often be very tight. A few folks have already expressed their sentiments on this here. I would LOVE to be able to spend most of my time and energies on projects using only quality yarns - and do manage to do many, to be honest, but then again, I'm a single gal with only two mouths to feed - mine and my cat's, so I have a bit more latitiude with the budget, such that it is, than many here. But there are some projects that, much as they would be wonderful in those natural fibers, would be a major pita to take care of, and we are now blessed with a much wider array of pretty darn nice CHEAP acrylic yarns that we can use to make some pretty nice masterpieces that no one goes "ewww" over - at least not for another 20 years!

 

There is also a whole class of crocheting that goes on that couldn't happen if we weren't allowed to use those cheaper yarns - charity work. It's not that we don't think the recipients deserve the nicest quality yarns around, but frankly they are frequently not in the position to properly care for them. They need stuff that is easy care. And our ability to use the cheaper yarns also guarantees that more will be helped through this effort, as well.

 

So yes, it would be nice if we could ALL just stick to quality yarns, but that's living in some idealized world that isn't reality. And for some it's not practical, or even possible. It still does not excuse the attitude that is so prevalent and which sparked this thread to begin with. I honestly don't think OUR being "defensive" about it has one whit's worth of effect on it all either, as far as the creation of this snobbish attitude goes. It's really pretty ironic that you say here that if we would just use higher quality yarns for our projects, we would receive more respect, and yet I have read far too many reports of crocheters visiting those seriously snobby yarn shops in order to buy some of that fancy yarn, only to be told it's "not suitable for crochet"! Guess we're damned if we do and damned if we don't!

 

I appolgize for ever mentioning that the stigma against crochet might be because of the materials used.

 

I am a member of a handweavers guild, when I take my crocheted items to sell at the annual show, I am told that the work and materials have to be of high quality. Anything other than baby wear made of acrylic yarn is rejected. Are they snobs, yes they are. They run the show and set the standards. I follow the guidelines.

 

I am charging a premium price for my work it needs to be premium quality. That is the world I live in. Fiber arts is my livilihood, and passion. I do not like seeing it made into a joke or a parady, but the parady exists. I am just advocating that you expand your yarn choices.

 

I don't think you meant to insult people who may not have the means to work with the best materials available yet produce lovely stuff anyway. You obviously hang around with a bit more of an exclusive crowd with higher standards, and that is fine. Perhaps (and I hope) this will help you to see things from a different perspective. But one wouldn't expect to run into this at a church craft show, normally. I think this, most of all, is what has touched such a raw nerve with most of us.

[clipper4me]

Hi I don't often post anything on the forums that I visit, and this thread is basically why. It seems we all get uptight when folks don't appreciate the craft we love, wheter it be ulgy potholders or very expensive capes, scarves. All these items serve a purpose, my ugly potholders made by a friend, are the safest ones I own. They serve a purpose. Yarn of any and every discription can be turned into beautiful garments, and other objects. I don't think here is the place to be crabby with each other.

 

The church started it by saying ugly potholders not welcome, well we are above all that, remember beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Also remember we can and are making a difference in the crochet world, just by doing what we do best, and either selling or giving away our items, which are in some small way part of each one of us. Let us be gentle with each other especially at this time of year, because it is a time of thanksgiving, and each of us are thankful God gave us the gift of being able to CROCHET.

Bye neighbors