This is the second part in a series of posts on designing and self-publishing a crochet garment pattern. I hope to get these posts out pretty regularly, but am not making a strict schedule for myself so I can give each post the time and dedication it needs to get all the information I want out, without feeling rushed.

Today I want to share about my process for finding inspiration and personal style preferences and how to then translate that information into a design or cohesive collection of designs by choosing the appropriate yarn type and hook size for each design.

WHERE TO FIND INSPIRATION:

Everybody is going to be inspired by different things. When you’re thinking clothing, there are obvious places to find inspiration like Pinterest, Instagram, fashion books, clothing stores, etc. But it helps to be a bit more specific when designing your own clothing. Start paying attention to what draws you to certain items of clothing or styles. Are they wardrobe basics or more formal? Are you drawn to lacy embellishments or more athletic styles?

I would suggest creating a branding journal as you start to figure all this stuff out. It’s helpful for keeping track of what inspires you and honing in on your particular design style. It doesn’t have to be fancy. I use a Moleskine squared cahier, like these.

You may find inspiration for one singular garment, or for an overall vibe for your entire collection.

STYLE AND SHAPE –

I love flowy, bohemian styles and a lot of my designs have a vintage inspiration, but I also like them to be comfortable and wearable. I have several fashion/style inspiration boards on Pinterest, but my two mains ones for basic inspiration are here and here.

As for that vintage inspiration, it can range mainly from the styles of the 1930s to the 1970s, with an occasional 80s or 90s vibe. This seems like a wide range, but not every garment has inspiration from all decades, just from a particular style that influences that single garment.

Consider what garment shapes you like. Do you lean toward things that are boxy and flowy, or fitted? I love a bit of both, as long as it’s balanced. I also really love a high-waisted look. 

COLOR AND PRINT –

Along with what styles you gravitate toward, start paying attention to what colors and prints you’re drawn to. One place where that vintage inspiration comes through for me is my common color choices. I definitely gravitate toward 1970s colors, those very muted rainbows and primary colors, mustard yellow, burnt orange. You can see in the pictures above that I used colored pencil to make a visual list of the colors I use and am drawn to. The top rows are the ones I use most often and love, the third row expands upon the two most-used, and the bottom row fills out the color palette with colors I use sometimes, but don’t think of as often (although I have been loving burnt orange more and more lately.)

I also pay attention to what prints I like, such as paisley, polka dots, and stripes.

DETAILS AND EMBELLISHMENTS –

Are there any extra details you’d like to incorporate into your designs? I love to add embroidered and scrap fabric elements to some of my designs.  Above, you can see where I’ve drawn out different embellishments I’ve used or would like to use in future designs. 

I also like to give extra attention to things like seems and closures, and make sure they look extra tidy. I often try to emulate sewn clothing in my crocheted items. 

All of these things can play into your designs. Once you’ve figured out your overall influences you can create a cohesive collection of work. But also remember, it’s okay if these influences change over time.

Just as an aside, I found this series of blog posts from Naturally Nora Crochet to be incredibly helpful when I really wanted to pin down my color choices, favorite embellishments, etc. Especially the one on design elements.

CHOOSING YARN AND HOOK SIZES:

After sourcing your inspiration you can start designing. It helps to draw out a simple sketch of your idea to start. I will draw quick sketches of ideas on my phone or in a notebook, but use my Fashionary journal for finalized design drawings and notes about any details important to that garment.

When designing, it’s important to think about what you want those main details and features of your garment to be and to be able to translate those into your final design. 

FIT –

There are three basic types of fit when it comes to knit and crocheted apparel – negative ease, fitted or zero ease, and positive ease. 

• negative ease means that the final garment measurments are around 2-4 inches less than the wearer’s actually measurments.
• fitted or zero ease means that the final garment measurements are the same as the wearer’s actual measurements. 
• positive ease means the final garment measurements are at least two inches more than the wearer’s actual measurements. 

The above garments have only about 1-2 inches of positive ease, making them look almost form fitting. The sizing is based mainly around the bust measurement.

The sweater on the left has 4 inches of positive ease, while the one on the right has 8 inches of positive ease. More ease means a more oversized garment, and depending on the yarn and stitch used, more drape.

Also take into account whether you want your garment to have pockets or feature any special stitch patterns or cables. 

YARN SIZE AND HOOK SIZE –

You can play around with hook size to yarn size ratios to achieve the drape or fit you’d like for your crocheted fabric. A bigger hook with a smaller yarn means looser, more open stitches, while a closer hook to yarn size ration means a denser fabric – but some fibers softer and drapier and behave differently (more on that below). Finer yarns mean smaller stitches overall but create a thinner fabric than bulkier yarns. Of course it all depends on what texture and drape you want your garment to have. To help, here is the Craft Yarn Council’s yarn weight guide.

The top above uses worsted weight yarn with a much larger hook size than recommended for worsted yarn. This creates a loose, drapey garment with open, “see-through” stitches.

This top, however, uses a fingering weight yarn with a small hook, which creates a more dense fabric. However, this fabric still has plenty of drape thanks to the linen yarn used. Which brings me to the next topic…

FIBER CONTENT – 

Along with yarn and hook size, the type of fiber you use will have an effect on your garment’s fit. An acrylic yarn will behave differently than a cotton one, as would a wool or linen one. The fiber types mentioned below are just a few of the many to choose from, but are all fairly common and a good place to start. 

• wool yarn is a great insulator and a very durable yarn. It can be scratchy, but often softens up, or “blooms,” after a first wash. Some people find that wool irritates their skin. 
• cotton yarn is more breathable, which means it’s suited to spring and summer garments, but it can also create a stiffer, less drapey fabric. Some cotton is softer than others. Cotton also retains a lot of water when wet, so garments made with pure cotton yarn can sometimes lose their shape if not handled properly when drying. 
• linen yarn is similar to cotton, however one of it’s biggest properties is that it can be machine washed and dried, and in fact softens more and more with each wash and dry. A fingering weight linen can create a beautiful drape, especially as it softens over time. 
• acrylic yarn is the most common and often cheapest yarn available most places, therefore most beginner crocheters tend to choose acrylic or acrylic blend yarns. Modern day acrylic yarns are mostly soft and can often imitate wool yarns in feel. Garments made with acrylic can be machine washed, but tend to get fuzzy and lose their stitch definition over time. 

It’s best to try out different fiber types on your own to learn what fibers you like to work with best. Over time as you learn firsthand about each fiber’s characteristics, you’ll be able to make easier decisions about what type to use for a particular garment design.

At this point of the design stage it’s also best to decide whether you want your garment to have seams or be seamless, as this will effect construction later on.

If you have any questions or something to add, please don’t hesitate to comment below! In the next installment I’ll be talking about swatching, finding your gauge, and standard measurements. 

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