Hey there, you're on besties. Jeffrey Hovie here and you are
listening to skiing and tell the podcast that unravels it all.
Today's episode, we are breaking free.
No rules, no row counts, no stitch police.
It's time to talk about freestyle knitting and crochet.
So if you've ever looked at a pile of yarn and thought, I
don't know what I'm making but I'm making something, then
Congrats, you're already part of the freestyle club.
Now freestyle crafting is all about ditching the pressure of
perfection and embracing the wild, weird and wonky stitches
that come from trusting your instincts.
So whether you're yarn doodling on a funky hat or intuitively
shaping a wearable BLOB, we've all been there.
Today we're diving into making something totally your own.
No Fear, no frogging. Or maybe a little frogging, but
no rules but your own. So what is freestyle crafting,
really? Freestyle crochet and knitting
live somewhere between full cart and fiber rebellion.
It's patternless, it is spontaneous and sometimes a
little chaotic, you know, but it's always full of personality.
There's no road map here, no PDF, no.
Oh, you forgot to yarn over on row 12.
No, there is only working from feel, you know, working from
texture and shape and vibe. So you might start crocheting a
poncho in the round, but then somehow ending crocheting in the
flat. Why not?
You might need a shawl that changes stitch pattern every six
inches just because your brain gets bored.
You might combine thirteen types of yarns and then that's it.
And that is it, you know, it's art, it's playfulness, it's
crafting without fear of messing up.
And honestly, that is where the magic actually happens.
So let's talk about why it matters.
Because yes, patterns. I mean, don't get me wrong,
patterns are wonderful, but they also come with a set of rules, a
set of expectations that can definitely feel limiting,
especially if you're burned out, if you are struggling with
perfectionism, if you're not feeling inspired to keep going,
if you are a beginner and the pattern might seem a little bit
too difficult. Or if you've started the
pattern, you got excited at the beginning and then the
excitement just fell out. And now that whip has been
sitting in a basket next to the open window and moths are
really, really having a fine dine experience with it.
Because that's my situation right now, by the way.
And that is when that is when it could actually be a good option
to consider freestyling, You know, freestyling helps with
creative burnout because there's no pressure.
There's just plain, it helps with confidence because you
learn to trust your hands and your intuition, and it also
helps with innovation. So a lot of new stitches, a lot
of new techniques and also styles were born out of oopsies.
Plus, not all of us want to count.
Not all of us want to gauge Swatch.
Some of us just want to start crocheting a square and then end
up with a hat or a bowl or a weird little pouch that we sew
onto an old vest. This is a judgement free zone.
So how do you start freestyling without panicking?
So here's my 3 tips on how to dip your toes into freestyle
fiber. Fun step number one is to start
small or on a project that you've kind of given up on.
Grab a scrap ball and just make something.
You know, don't worry about the end goal.
Just make a shape, a BLOB, a squiggle, whatever you want.
Do not think about what this is going to end up being.
Or also grab an old project you know that you've kind of given
up on. Make a few rows in a different
stitch on it. And Speaking of stitch, that's
my tip #2 work with texture. So try combining stitches
without a plan. Go from a single crochet to
baubles. Add a rib.
Go from cables to stocking net. If cables a cable sweater is
getting or too tedious, see what happens.
And my tip #3 is to keep a freestyle sketchbook, and I'm
calling it a sketchbook. You can also obviously call it a
little notepad or so. And this is not for perfection.
This is just to note down what stitches you liked, you know,
what shapes you tried out or what accidental genius you
stumbled upon and think, you know, think crafting diary.
Basically, crafting diary meets chaotic lab notes.
Yeah. So give it a shot and see what
you end up with. It's weird yarn Monday and today
we are diving into a yarn that is quite tropical.
I would say meat coconut yarn, Yes, the yarn made from hairy
husks of coconuts, because apparently in the fiber world,
no fruit is safe. We already covered banana fiber
yarn. We already covered pineapple
yarn. Now we're doing coconut yarn.
We also did milk fiber yarn, which basically means that if we
crochet or knit with all of these fibers together, we can
make a pina colada project. And yes, that was the worst joke
I ever made. You don't have to laugh.
It's fine. I'm not laughing.
So let's go back to coconuts. All right, so coconut coir is a
fibrous material between kind of like the outer shell and the
inner fruit of the coconut. You've probably seen it in
doormats. You've seen it maybe even in
scrubbing brushes. But crafty rebels decided, hey,
what if we also made yarn out of this?
And now here we are. So let's break it down.
Rough, rustic, scratchier than all yarns you can never imagine.
This yarn is definitely not for cozy, you know, couch snuggles.
It's more of a tough love kind of fiber, you know, Think
exfoliating while you stitch. Imagine making yourself a pair
of socks, though. Sleep with them overnight, and
then in the morning you wake up with fresh feet.
OK, all right, OK, all right, let's get serious.
Here it is. It's a super durable, actually
mold resistant and biodegradable yarn.
So while you probably don't want to make, like I said, a baby
blanket with it, you could probably crochet a really,
really beautiful plant hanger or, you know, a rugged market
tote bag or the chicest 0 waste scrubby pad your sink has ever
seen. So coconut yarn is a waste, not
want, not icon. It turns what would normally be
a coconut trash into coconut treasure, you know, and since
it's naturally tough, no plastic blends are actually needed.
So what would I use this for? I mean, you know, like I
mentioned, of course you can make a beautiful plan hanger, a
nice scrubby pad for your sink, but also macrame, you know,
macrame is the way to go. Outdoor decor because it holds
up and like we said, mold resistance.
So if it rains or it gets wet or moisty, it's totally fine.
Coasters, placemats, even bath scrubbies actually, I really,
really think could make also a great cut scratcher.
Imagine making yourself like, you know, making your Kitty a
nice little scratching pull out of it.
Use it everywhere where you need that scrubby texture.
So there you have it. Coconut yarn, the exfoliator
overachiever of the fiber world. Not soft, not cuddly, but wildly
sustainable and totally fabulous if you're feeling bold and
extra. So if you've ever looked at a
coconut and thought, you know, hmm, yarn, I mean, you're not
alone. Maybe next week we're going to
cover yarn made from fermented soybean.
I'm just joking. Or am I?
But bestie, welcome to the Pattern Breakers Club trademark,
where we ask not what yarn should I use, but what rules
should I destroy today? So let's try and freestyle a
sweater or learn the basics of how to freestyle a sweater.
OK, sounds chaotic, I know, but it's actually a magical mix of
strategy of sketching and a little bit of gut feeling.
So here's how to break down a sweater so that you can actually
rebuild it your own way. Whether you're remixing a
pattern that you bought and you're kind of like not really
happy with it or you are making it up from scratch.
Step one is to understand the anatomy of a sweater.
So you have to think like a tailor before you actually think
like a yarn gremlin. So most sweaters have these
basic parts. It has body, sleeves, neckline
and the details, which is hem cuffs in color.
So the body obviously is made from front and back, sometimes
actually in one piece if you're knitting in the round, then has
the sleeves. These can be set in.
These can be drop shoulder or made from Raglan construction.
The neckline, it can be a crew, it can be AV boat, turtleneck,
you name it. And then the details, the hem,
the cuffs and the color. These are usually ripped or some
kind of edging. OK, know these parts and then
you can start playing with them like Lego bricks.
Step 2 is to choose your construction style.
So each construction methods has its own freestyle vibes.
We have a top down Raglan now. These are great for trying on as
you go and adjusting the length or width while you are basically
making it. Then you have the button mop.
Now these are super super super easy to Swatch for and to work
in pieces. Then you have side to side.
Super funky, perfect for playing with stripes or with color
blocks and eventually modular or granny square style.
This is basically building it out of squares or building it
out of hexes or other motifs. You know 0 shaping stress there.
For my own experience, I think that top down is your BFF if you
want to wing it but still stay kind of like in control.
Also because it's easier when you want to start from pattern
and then kind of adjust it and remix it to make it your own.
Now Step 3 is swatching. Now, Freestylers, I'm so sorry,
babies, but you will have to Swatch.
It is not about, you know, making the perfect Swatch.
It's just to give yourself an idea.
It's about gauge estimate. So are you close to a typical
sweater gauge or are you just flying loose and lazy?
A Swatch also helps with the draping test.
You know, does your fabric flow? Is it stiff?
Will it stretch? You know, and also of course,
Speaking of frog ability, frog ability, is it froggable?
Froggable. Can you easily undo and redo?
Or is this, you know, yarn? A diva swatching gives you
actually freedom later. It's like tuning your
instrument, you know, before you go jamming.
And if you've made a sweater using a specific type of yarn
before, then you are already ahead of the game.
But if you're thinking about using a yarn that you haven't
before, then it's a good idea to Swatch.
Step 4 is grab a Garmin blueprint.
So find a sweater you love in your closet online.
Take some key measurement. Measure the bust or the chest.
Measure the sleeve length. Measure the armhole depth,
obviously the overall length and the neck width.
This gives you a template to follow while you're still
leaving some room for for chaos. You know, Think of it as jazz
improv, but it with yarn. Step 5 is to plan your big
moments. So ask yourself, ask yourself
stuff like, do I want the sweater to be cropped?
Do I want the sweater to be oversized?
Do I want the sweater to be fitted stitches?
Do I want plain stitches? Do I want this sweater to look
like a classic sweater? Do I want it to have a lot of
texture? Do I want it to be made with
lace yarn so that it's extremely drapey?
Do I want to make color work? Do I want a combo of different
things? Do I want cables?
You know, that's that's you know, that's also something you
have to also consider. Where do I want my eyes to go?
So when somebody sees your sweater or when you look at
yourself in the mirror, where do you want your eye to go?
Do you want it to go to the stripes or the texture bubbles?
To cables? These are all super attention
grabbers, right? And if you don't have an idea
where you want to start, just start simple and you don't have
to freestyle everything. You know, you can pick one or
two elements to make your own. So you can start with a sweater
that you already have bought a pattern for and or that you've
tried before already and you've done before.
And then just adding your funky little details here, you know, a
funky sleeve or make it in a completely different stitch
pattern. And then step 6 is math, but you
know, gentle math. So use a basic sweater formula
or a pattern like I said that you like plugging your gauge and
your measurements and you don't need exact stitch counts, just
kind of rough estimates to guide you, you know, So I have this
kind of a mantra like the stitch count should be kind of equal
between measurement and inches or centimeters multiplied by
stitches per inch or centimeters.
So if your test is let's say 40 inches and your gauge is 4
stitches per inch, then aim for 160 stitches across the bus.
Then kind of like a just as you go, obviously you are allowed to
change your mind halfway through.
You are the boss. And another tip actually is
using AII mean. This is definitely something
that has really, really made a big difference for me because I
I suck at math. Boy do I suck at math.
I will manage to turn the simplest math into the most
complicated. So I use, I use AI religiously
for this. Now it's really, really simple
to just sell it like, hey, this is how many stitches I have in
my gauge Swatch and this is the measurement of my bust.
How many stitches do I have to cast on blah, blah, blah, blah,
blah, blah, blah, blah, blah to meet my chest measurement?
It can really, really help you. And then you can just ask it
like you would ask a friend, you know, or please, you know, tell
me step by step, I would love to make a sweater using this yarn
and I get these many stitches and these many inches or
centimeters. How do I start?
How do I, how do I start the neck construction?
So that's, you know, that's a little tip here.
And then step 7, of course, is freestyling, but with
checkpoints. So as you crochet or knit, try
it on often, you know, put it on, especially if you're working
top down or modular. Try it on as often as you can
and just get a feel for it. Adjust your stitch count if it's
getting too wide or too tight. This is also really, really good
because if you keep trying it on, then you you can spot the
I'm not going to call them mistakes because they're not
mistakes, but spot the bits where you need to frog a little
faster. Keep notes or you can also keep
voice memos. That's also really, really easy
future. You will thank you when you're
making the second sleeve, and I mean, do not panic, you know,
pause, rethink, tweak. Remember, it is your own
sweater. You can do whatever you want
with it. You can also start with a fitted
sweater that will turn out into a beautiful oversized sweater
and what you know, whatever freestyle and isn't about, you
know, being scared of the chaos. It's about the confidence.
It's about trusting that you know enough to try or know
enough to fix the mistakes you know or know enough to know your
own craft. There's no sweater police here.
There's no stitch police. There's no, there's no police
here at all. Only creativity and fibre
besties cheering you on. So go forth, Swatch.
Super weirdly, sleeve weirdly and boldly.
And if it turns into, like I said, a wearable blanket instead
of a fitted cardi, then whatever.
Congratulations, you've invented a new genre.
Now we interrupt this episode to bring you what's trending.
Buckle up, bestie, because we are diving into the hottest,
coziest, and sometimes strangest trend sweeping the yarn yarn
world right now. Here's what's trending.
So what's trending this summer? Because this summer she is
sheer. She is soft.
She's got ribbons on her shoes. Yes, we are talking about sheer
summer crochet and also crochet ballet flats.
So let's dive it. First up, sheer crochet.
It is all over TikTok. It's also in in in all of my
feed. Probably yours too.
It's also in that, you know, boutique or store or brand that
is charging you, I don't know, $300.00 for a tank top made of
chain stitches. And honestly, I do get it.
I get it. The vibe.
The season is basically negative space baby.
You know, think breezy mashed tops and Beachy tunics and
dresses you throw on over a swimsuit or a cute bralette or a
nice tight T-shirt. And yeah, we are talking cut and
yarn. You know, we're talking lace
weight threads, big airy stitches that say, yes, I am hot
and yes, made this myself. And I mean, designers are
definitely leaning a lot into this.
Let's call it open work, you know, fillet and mesh and
Solomon's knots. Like we're going out, you know,
out of style. Which they're not, by the way.
But the best part, you don't have to be a pro to get in on
it. I feel like as long as you go up
a hook size or grab a yarn like you know, rainbow lace and then
just let the air flow flow, you know, it's giving Coastal
goddess who also shops second hand and makes her own clothing.
OK, but what about crochet ballet flats?
Because once again, TikTok is heating them up now these are
cozy, they're customizable and super, super cute.
They've got, you know, stretchy cutting uppers, espardilla style
soles and sometimes even a little bow, you know, or a
little ribbon. And I've I love it.
I love it. I've also seen the ones that
this have these like long, long chained stitches that you can
tie around your leg, kind of like a pirouette across the leg.
And some folks are even crocheting them directly onto
flip flop soles. You know, you just kind of make
holes around and bada BIM, bada boom, there you go.
Talk about sustainability, right?
I think that these, even though they seem a little bit maybe
complicated, they're actually quite beginner friendly.
Friendly. They're beginner friendly.
OK, They are beginner friendly. Surprisingly durable as well
because cotton, well, cotton is quite durable.
And they definitely, you know, they give up.
They give off that Jane Birkin, you know, meets Gen.
Z style. You can style them with flowy
skirts, with white, like pants and honestly, you know, even
with pyjamas, go for it, you know, you do you.
And if you're thinking but yeah, where do I even start?
I mean, don't worry. I feel like there's so many
designers that are just dropping patterns just like hotcakes.
So just find yourself some souls and get to it.
You know if your summer whips are feeling heavy and it's
taking ages to finish them, you know this is your sign.
You know this is your sign to lighten up.
Literally. Make something meshy.
Go sheer. Go soft.
Put some bows on your toes. Make something ridiculously
simple and easy as long as it has flowy, meshy vibes.
So that was it for this week's What's Trending?
Now back onto our main topic. Right after I go Swatch
something meshy, mightily and practical too, but full of
vibes. Let's go now, Bestie, you know
that I love an example. So if you love color chaos, if
you love texture, and if you love creative freedom, here are
some designers that you can actually look into to get a
little bit inspired. OK, starting off with Lindsay
Deegan. Now, I stumbled across Lindsay's
work, I could say fairly recently, and because I am a
huge fan of Katie Jones's work. So I was actually looking into
more designers that would have that mixture of bold textures
and funky colors. And wow, I felt like Lindsay is
everything about that. She has the irregular holes,
unexpected silhouettes, sculptural knitwear, beautiful
work. She also released this pattern
back in 2021. It's called the Baby Eyes
Sweater and Vest because it's kind of both.
And I actually this summer bought it for Albert because I'm
going to actually make that for him for Halloween.
It's super, super cute sweater with eyes and it's super
sculptural. It's so funky.
I am so excited to actually get started on that one in my summer
vacation coming up soon. Then I have Morai Knit.
Now, Morai Knit doesn't have a lot of patterns out there yet,
but she does have one that I'm obsessed with and it's called
the Puzzle Sweater. It's an Antarsha top down
shoulder design with a shawl collar featuring this beautiful
deep neck or kind of kind of deep, but not too, too deep and
constructed from basically bits and pieces from parts.
So each pattern requires about 20 gram of yarn or each pattern,
I mean each part, each part pattern requires about 20 grams
of yarn. So it's really, really a nice
project if you have a lot of leftover yarn to make with.
Then we have James and Watts. I mean, this, this designer is
on my list here because he has beautiful, vibrant knitwear that
has so much personality mixing textures and colors that really
lean towards that intentionally unhinged look.
OK, what I love about these designs is that it's the mesh.
I think it's the mesh and it's a lot of he's funny.
I guess that's it. And I guess that also because he
is doing a lot of designs with knit mesh.
So I see a lot of crocheters working with mesh this summer or
this year actually, but not a lot of knitting designers doing
so. So I feel like, you know, his
work for me really stood out and yeah, he's super funny.
So check it out James and Watts, and then we have Katie Jones.
Of course, of course I have Katie Jones on this list.
How could I not? You know, now Katie is is
basically the queen of maximalist crochet.
She is is super known for her joyful color exploding designs
where she kind of blends these bold palettes.
She blends these playful textures and very vintage kind
of inspired silhouettes into handmade pieces that are, you
know, as wearable as they are quite artful.
So think granny squares turned glam and chunky florals with
punk energy, you know, crochet that looks like it's throwing a
rainbow garden party. You know, her work is basically
what happens to DIY when DIY meets, you know, high fashion, I
would say. And I'm, I'm really obsessed
with her work and also obsessed with her as a person.
You know, the first design I made from her was the no Shades
of Grey cardigan. It was a part of a super fun Cal
from about, I would say almost two years ago ish, maybe 3.
I, I maybe 2. And you can still download that
pattern from the Hobie site where we feature other patterns
of hers. So check it out, check it out.
She is the sunshine of a person. She will be on the show, I
believe in next season. So I'm excited for for you for,
for that and for you to meet her.
And last but not least, I have on my little list here Lac
Kebaga. Now for my last inspo.
I chose Lac Kebaga because living in Scandinavia, how could
I not be, you know, crazy about her work.
You know, when she launched her first book, she made a huge bang
with it. It was so different than all of
the Scandi styles that you saw out there.
You know, the Nordic designs you see out there, they're very,
let's call them, you know, toned down.
They're very desaturated and quite classic in in the approach
of choice of textures and and so forth.
But like she has a full on, you know, different philosophy, you
know, bursting with with scrap friendly chaos, embracing
designs. You can think asymmetrical
shapes and she plays a lot with texture and she puts a lot of
emphasis on crafting with what you have.
So whatever you have at home, you know, let's just get
started. Let's let's do it.
And also I love the way she is connecting the yarn.
She has a specific kind of knot she makes to connect the yarn,
the different yarns together. And she leaves the knots in, you
know, knots invisible. Like full on punk, super
beautiful. No perfectionism allowed.
And these designers share the love of stepping outside of the
box, using yarn to create vibrant, expressive pieces.
Freestyling is quite ancestral. It is quite instinctual.
We got this in our DNA. So do not be scared to give it a
go. The more you do, the easier it
gets, you know? You'll start recognizing your
signature stitch combination, or you'll start designing
intuitively with shape and tension, and you will get a
really, really big boost in confidence.
Freestyle crafting becomes not just a style, but a mindset 1
where you let go of the rules, you get curious about the
process, you remember that every mistake is just another stitch
on the journey. And you don't need to be a
designer, you don't need approval.
You just need to start on something.
So whether you're a total beginner or a seasonal stitcher
looking to shake things up, I hope today's episode gave you
the permission you didn't need. You are allowed to make weird
stuff. You are allowed to make
beautiful stuff. BLOB shaped stuff.
Patternless, chaotic, chic, joyful fiber art.
Go for it. Go forth freestyle.
Let your hooks, let your needles lead the way.
No map required. If you love this episode, share
it with your other yarn besties, tag me in your freestyle project
using #skeenentel or Hashtag Hobby Podcast, or leave a review
or a comment to help more rebels find our cozy corner of the
crafting world. Until next time, keep your
stitches wild and your yarns tangled just a little bit, OK?
Love you bestie. Bye.