Fiber Forum 2019

The first weekend of April I attended Fiber Forum 2019. This gathering is every-other year. Since it is weaving-focused, it happens in the odd-numbered years. Convergence — the big weaving gathering organized by the Handweavers Guild of America — takes place in even-numbered years. In fact, next year Convergence will be nearby in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Fiber Forum is held at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. From Atlanta, I prefer the drive up I-85, following the I-985 split into north Georgia and on up past Tallulah Falls, through Franklin, North Carolina, past the Cherokee reservation, then through Smoky Mountain National Park. Gatlinburg, Tennessee is, well, something to see. Very tourist-oriented. It is sort of like Las Vegas, but in Appalachia. And in that regard, Arrowmont is a bit like Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You come out of 30 miles of national park into Gatlinburg. You drive down a main street of glittering tourist-focused shops — places to eat, items to buy, attractions to see — and you have to be very aware of the exact place to turn right. It is as if you sneaked down Diagon Alley. In only a few dozen yards the narrow lane of crushed stone leads you up the side of the hill. Suddenly everything is much quieter. It is as if you have gone behind a movie set — maybe because you have? And there you are in this oasis of crafting education.

I decided to take Rita de Maintenon's weekend-long workshop on heritage crochet techniques. I believe I have bumped into Rita at SAFF. I know how to crochet; I just don't do it often. Rita is an evangelist for the range of things that can be done with heritage crochet techniques. These are the techniques in the neglected chapters at the back of the needlework encyclopedia. They are the techniques using strange tools found in the bottom of grandma's stash; directions explaining what these tools are or how they should be used having been lost long ago when the paper crumbled. Several of these techniques combine knitting and crochet maneuvers. Many of them would be best suited to borders, trim, and embellishment rather than making a whole fabric.

In addition to teaching in person, Rita has written two books, Heritage Crochet in a New Light: Enriching Your Designs with Antique Lace Techniques and Crochet for Knitters: A Marriage of Hook and Needles. Rita also has classes on Udemy, including Heritage Crochet Lace In Contemporary Application, which is essentially the weekend workshop she taught at Fiber Forum 2019.

The next few blog posts will show off what I learned. To finish out this post, I want to give you a review of Rita's two books. Heritage Crochet and Crochet for Knitters have significant overlap. Depending on why you want them, you might need only one or the other, not both. On the other hand, the pictures in each book are sometimes different, even if the text and technique are the same. They are complimentary resources.

Both books start off with a little review of basic techniques. The review section in Crochet for Knitters is more substantial, probably because it covers both knit and crochet. Then both books follow the review with good chapters on broomstick lace. Both have plenty of pictures of completed broomstick projects to provide inspiration. Crochet for Knitters has a helpful extra photograph showing how to transition from broomstick lace to knitting. Hairpin lace is handled similarly. Both books have some overlap. Heritage Crochet has more pictures of hairpin lace crochet, while Crochet for Knitters once again has a picture of how to transition from hairpin lace to knitting. It also shows how to use hairpin lace to create fringe. If all you want to learn is broomstick and hairpin laces, either book will work.

Both books cover Tunisian crochet and both books have instructions for Tunisian simple stitch, Tunisian double crochet, Tunisian cross stitch, and Tunisian knit stitch. I prefer the instructions in Crochet for Knitters because they have nice large pictures illustrating the swatches. If you want to learn Tunisian lace stitch, those instructions are only in Heritage Crochet. Once again, there is a picture in Crochet for Knitters showing how to transition from Tunisian crochet to knitting.

At this point, the books appear to diverge. Heritage Crochet has a chapter on thread crochet followed by Bruge lace, bullions and limpets, and filet crochet. None of those techniques are explained in Crochet for Knitters. Instead, Crochet for Knitters explores borders, such as single crochet, crab stitch, broomstick and hairpin laces as borders, and Tunisian stitches as borders.

But then, the books converge. Both have instructions for the Irish Rose of Sharon and an accompanying leaf. There is extra instruction regarding background mesh in Heritage Crochet and more pictures of finished objects for inspiration. Then the books diverge. Heritage Crochet covers Aran crochet (i.e. crochet cables) and beads, which are not explained in Crochet for Knitters.

Then both Heritage Crochet and Crochet for Knitters cover finishing touches including i-cord, braids, twisted cords, buttons and covered buttons, fringes and tassels, clam shell ends, Roman circles, and blocking. Crochet for Knitters also mentions i-cord, since that is a knit technique. Heritage Crochet has one more chapter at the end regarding making your own designs.

Rita is enthusiastic about improvisation. She rarely writes out patterns. Rather, she gives the student a general overview of how something was made. She expects you as a competent practitioner to try your own ideas and follow your own path.