Are you a Fearless Crocheter?

I subscribe to the Knitting Daily newsletter, not because I'm such a knitting fiend, but because it's packed with information that I can use as a crocheter. Every day a KD newsletters arrives in my email inbox. Sometimes it's an advertisement for a new knitting book or magazine, but usually it's about the techniques of knitting. How is this helpful to me as a crocheter?
The easiest thing to notice is that looking at pictures of knitted sweaters, baby items, etc. gives me ideas of body shape, sleeve length, interesting edgings, buttons, etc. I print a lot of these out and make notes of how I could modify it for a crocheted garment. This is also a great way to start sorting out colors and color combinations that I might like to try in a crocheted item.
Next I like the galleries: a sweater for the magazine is brought in and everyone in the office tries it on and has her picture taken wearing it. Then all the pictures are put together in one newsletter with information about the sweater size. The models sizes are noted, with information about positive or negative ease, and then plenty of comments about how the style/size look on this person, and how that size could be modified to better fit and flatter the model. That's a lot of valuable information before you even start with a gauge swatch or a beginning chain!
Next are the detailed technique articles; such as positive and negative ease, fitting, short row bust darts, buttonholes, selecting buttons, color,... all of the information can easily be translated to our crochet work. I love the way knitted sweaters are designed to fit the human body, while so many crochet patterns are designed as rectangular pieces sewn together at shoulder and side seams. Crocheters know how to make short rows, even if they don't know that's the name for the shaping.

Remember the top I made this summer in NaturallyCaron Spa? The design was based on square motifs joined into panels, edged and then the panels were joined. The picture in the magazine was beautiful with a center panel down the center front of the top. When I got to the final construction of the garment, I found that the larger size that I needed had two panels down the center front and two down the center back. I was not at all happy with the look, and knew that I wouldn't wear it like that. Even though I had only 6 or 7 rows of edging to complete the top, I insisted on unstitching several seams, reworking two panels, and inserting the modified panels between the front and back panels to create a side/underarm panel. This put the beautiful center panel straight down the front. I really love the final garment. I used information from KD articles to jump right in and modify a pattern so that it fit me.

I am a big fan of Knitting Daily and it's positive influence on my crocheting. I proudly display the KD Fearless Crocheter button!