Crochet Pet Peeves

[Lauraslefthook]

I thought perhaps we could share our pet peeves about people's perceptions and misperceptions of crochet.

I was just seeing what seems like the millionth listing for a "crochet" headband that is actually some kind of waffle weave stretchy fabric made into a headband. For some reason that crochet label on those annoys the living daylights out of me, lol.

Anyone else have any other crochet related pet peeves?

[Astrid Sikkema]

I have two:
First at craft fairs there always is a certain category of 50+ or so ladies who come to my stall and go 'Oh I used to do that' or 'I made tons of such hats, flowers' etc... Sure they did. Even in my school days we were taught to knit and crochet in school, so I honestly believe them. But that's exactly why I'd expect a little bit more appreciation and not just that disdainful 'Yeah I can do that, nothing to it'. Because what I make does not come from pattern books (which they probably used) and apart from that they should know best how much work it all is!

Second: large chain stores offering hand crocheted bags and garments for prices we can't compete with. But the worst about that is the poor women in the countries they import that stuff from who are exploited and underpaid for that wonderful handwork they do.

[Julia Chambers]

I get "I didn't know you could do that in crochet" kind of comments quite a bit. It doesn't bug me too much. When I do shows, I'm usually doing a demo on tools, fibers and such as well. Which always helps.

I also get a little peeved at the crochet labels used on items that aren't crochet. I've seen some stores that use both crochet and knit tags on all their items, whether they are or not. That kind of bugs me. I get the marketing aspect in that there are customers don't know the difference, but I feel this only perpetuates the ignorance. And it seems to perpetuate people not feeling the need to search for crochet alone if it's going to show up under "knitting" anyway. I like to see each art be respected of it's own.

Astrid - I've had the same kind of show experiences. I hope never to become like that too. I'd rather be so very supportive of preserving the art and not leave someone with a ding like that.

A friend of mine in a different art had a quippy response I liked that she used when people say something like Oh, I can do that. "Yes, I'm sure you can. But will you?" All crafty people can probably try to replicate something if they really wanted to and dedicate the time and attention. But do we really want to? It seems some people in life don't want to pay for anything they think they can do themselves. And those same people are the ones who never get around to it all either. I personally don't believe we're supposed to do everything by ourself in life. I greatly appreciate the people who specialize in other things so I don't have to be an expert in that too. And I'm more than willing to pay them fairly for it too. Even in crochet. We're better as a community of mutual respect over dinging each other because maybe we "can do that too."

It's not just women making those bags, it's children too. Every show I make a point of talking about crochet as the last hand art that can't be replicated by machine. Because invariably, someone will ask me if my crochet is actually knitting or machine produced. Which of course, currently it cannot be. Anything mass produced in actual crochet was done by someone's hands and unfortunately repetitive motion injuries are all too common.

That being said, I saw something the other day that made me wonder if crochet will begin to see competition in the machine world. And it is bugging me a bit.

What I saw was a halter type top with straps that even from a short distance looked like machine precise crochet, but indeed, upon close inspection was not. Patterned after a victorian crochet lace style. Up close, it was a strange hybrid of what appeared to be chains, weaving and wrapping. At first, I thought perhaps it was embroidery that had been cut out, but it is most certainly not that upon seeing the way the threads were wrapped almost like a spiral cord in places. I have no doubt that it was produced somehow by machine, due to the precise replication between tops. And yet, the combination of these effects, some areas like a serging chain, some areas like a wrapped cord, some areas like a loosely woven pattern - though not crochet - made it appear similar to doily thread-like crochet. It looked surprisingly nice, well “blocked,” etc..

I've enjoyed that crochet has been exclusively a hand art. And though this machine work was obviously not crochet, the fact it was obviously made to mimic crochet bugs me....

[Julia Chambers]

My other pet peeve is when people try to copy my designs or my ideas. It sometimes happens in crochet, but even with knitters. I have been enlightened a few times over the last year that a knitter in town is sometimes pretending to be me selling low grade look-alikes and I just heard about it again at the show two nights ago. :(

I just have to remind myself that no one can do things exactly the way I do and that my love and passion for quality rings through in my work. And also be secure in knowing that most true designers are honest and the few who aren't, aren't worth my extra time and concern right now. I have begun keeping a record of my designs though.

[Astrid Sikkema]

Julia, just want to say right now I'm quite happy with your response - I think we understand each other - will come back to it later. It's kinda late here, bed time for me now :)

[Doris M. Sturm]

I have to say that it can happen, that a person accidentally crochetes something that could be misinterpreted as someone else's pattern because I often crochet freestyle. I don't require patterns for simple designs and little flowers. I do most of my flowers without patterns. I see so many flower patterns on Etsy that look similar to the ones I make. I'm sure that I've whipped up flowers that looked very much the same than those people's patterns and have often wondered, if someone could sue me for making "their" flowers when all I did is just make it freestyle. I just don't need a pattern for simple little things when all you have to do is look at something and know how it's done? I often see something I like and just crochet it freestyle without a pattern and add my own personal touches. Not everything requires a pattern, so there are probably a lot of people who wrote patterns for those things that I'm just making up as I go and probably think I stole it from them...that whole pattern thing has gotten way out of hand, in my opinion.

[Doris M. Sturm]

I googled for crocheting machines and I could not believe how many I found...even if a machine is limited in it's crocheting capabilities - the statement about crocheting being one of the few artforms that cannot be replicated by machines is no longer correct...or am I missing something?

[Valerie]

I get really tired of being at the art festivals and being asked where I got my patterns from. When I tell the person that they are MY own patterns they invariably ask if they can have a copy of it and get really miffed when I tell them that I don't sell all of my patterns.

I also tire of people asking where I purchased my 'crochet machine'. At that point, I usually pull a crochet hook out from behind my ear and ask 'you mean this machine'?

[Julia Chambers]

Valerie - I love that response!

[Sally]

I agree with Julia on the tags thing. I've seen so many items tagged with both knit and crochet that were one or the other, I guess mis-tagging of any kind just drives me nuts. Maybe because it smacks of sneakiness.

I had one woman once, when I was making the rounds at a craft bazaar, look at my daughter's hat (I designed, had used some eyelash yarn for a couple of rounds of trims), feel it, make a face and say 'nice, but it would never sell'. Meanwhile, my daughter had had several people at school want one. Uh...might not sell to a 70 year old, but geez, the young kids sure liked it, and considering that was basically who I designed it for!

A manufacturer's 'thing': it's a pet peeve of mine to be crocheting merrily along (hook, hook, hook the yarn, gently down the row....merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily....) and hit a stupid knot that I have to cut, rejoin yarn and continue.
Only to find another one a couple of rows later.

I know people will look at some of my designs and quietly make their own, but I've had a few incidents where (in an online forum), they outright said "I'm going to have to try to copy that". Not even a: where can I find the pattern? So my guess was they knew it was one of my patterns for sale.
Along that line, although I have NO objection to someone who is looking for a crochet pattern for 'this and that' and either mention 'preferably free' or just quietly ignore any links to one for sale, it's the ones that pretty much shout (capitals) in a forum: I do not want a pattern if I have to pay for it, I want a FREE one. Sometimes, the request is for a free pattern of a copyrighted/trademarked character, which in most cases would mean an illegally posted pattern.

[Cindy]

I get a lot of people who feel fre to tell me that you "can't crochet wire" while I am sitting in front of them doing so. Uh huh..
and then the others who think it must be done by machine. Sigh. Or the ones who insist I am doing it wrong because with wire you don't wrap it around your finger. yeah, try it lady, trust me you don't wanna do that.
The amusing part is the ones who look at the work and say "oh you must have such tiny fingers for this." erm yeah me and my size 7.5 pinkie fingers. LOL!!

[Krishell - bluestarbutterflies]

I love this topic! What a great thread.

I don't like the feeling I get from people and craft stores and yarn stores like crochet is 'less than'. Like knitting is superior. I do both, and they both have their place! It's been fun learning to knit this past year and getting to explore new possibilities is fantastic. But there are so many things I couldn't do if I didn't crochet. So, YAY crochet!

[Samira Loflin]

My peeve is people asking me to see my knitting project. "How long have you been knitting?" I'm in no way a knitter. I can create 10 things in crochet in the time I can knit 1 little thing. They are different!! Why has knitting infiltrated the world so well and crochet just hasn't (yet)? Props to those who knit, but I'm not one of them. It doesn't peeve me enough to give up my crochet hook for those wicked needles. Maybe that's how they've made their mark, scare tactics.