Exploration Crochet

In this episode of Exploration Crochet, unravel the mysteries of Tunisian crochet with a deep dive into its 19th-century history, interesting historical names, and unique loop-holding mechanics. Meet early writers including Matilda Marian Pullan, Cornelia Mee, Mary Austin, and Mlle. Riego, along with modern authors who have expanded the stitch vocabulary. Learn step-by-step how the forward and return passes work, discover foundational stitches, and get actionable tips for beginner success. Then try a small first project and discover why Tunisian crochet can feel both familiar and wonderfully different.

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Fall is here, and while gorgeous sock yarn is calling your name, your hook might be raising some serious questions. Can you really crochet socks that feel comfortable to wear inside shoes, or do they always feel lumpy and stiff? In this episode of Exploration Crochet, we break down the engineering of crochet footwear, from selecting the right sock yarn to conquering tricky heels and sizing. We examine common maker complaints—from the dreaded "pebble underfoot" effect to Second-Sock Syndrome—and highlight top designers like Karen Whooley who are revolutionizing the craft. Plus, we explore exciting modern patterns and look...

In this episode of Exploration Crochet, host ReRe breaks down the detailed coursework behind the Craft Yarn Council’s (CYC) Certified Instructor Program for Levels I and II. Moving from foundational stitch control to advanced intermediate techniques, she explains how candidate swatches are rigorously evaluated on exact gauge, structural accuracy, and strict adherence to written instructions. The episode covers the step-by-step progression of the program's nine lessons, including chart reading, tapestry colorwork, and original lesson plan design. ReRe highlights the culmination of the program—a fully structured, professionally finished child’s cardigan—and reflects on how certification shifts a maker's...

In this episode of Exploration Crochet, ReRe begins her Craft Yarn Council Level I journey to become a certified crochet instructor. Drawing on her experience teaching others, advising Yarn Over Hook members, and working with elementary-school students, she explores the difference between knowing how to crochet and knowing how to teach it. ReRe explains the CYC certification requirements, including evaluated crochet work, lesson planning, pattern interpretation, and at least 15 hours of student teaching. She also introduces notable crocheters connected to the program, including Linda Dean, Karen Klemp, Marie Segares, and Elise Rose. Along the way, she discovers why returning...

Have you ever confidently announced, "I'm almost done," only to discover you completely omitted an entire section of a crochet pattern? You aren't alone. In this episode of Exploration Crochet, host ReRe confesses to making hundreds of crochet mistakes and explains why every single one of them is actually a secret superpower.

We step away from the pressure of perfectionism and explore the fascinating intersections of fiber arts, history, neuroscience, and even Star Trek. Discover how legendary accidental discoveries like penicillin, microwaves, and Post-it notes share the exact same DNA as your latest wonky crochet project. Learn...

In this episode of Exploration Crochet, ReRe explores the fear of the first chain and why many beginner crocheters feel anxious before they ever pick up a hook. Through humor, research, and Roman’s Skinny Scarf™ story, the episode looks at fear of failure, perfectionism, avoidance, cognitive load, and the emotional pressure of learning something new. ReRe explains why beginner crochet mistakes are not proof of failure but useful data that helps makers understand tension, stitch count, and technique. The episode also celebrates frogging as a normal part of the creative process and encourages beginners to start small, practice for...

In this episode of Exploration Crochet, ReRe uncovers the fascinating history of the American Red Cross, Florence Marshall, and the World War I "Knit Your Bit" campaign. Learn how ARC-400 helped standardize patterns, yarn, and production methods decades before modern craft standards existed. Discover how millions of volunteers created more than four million sweaters and millions of other garments for soldiers during WWI. Explore the surprising connections between wartime knitting, crochet, and the development of organized fiber arts charity work. This episode reveals how the Red Cross helped create the blueprint for modern crochet volunteer organizations.

In this episode of Exploration Crochet, ReRe decodes the world of crochet symbols and crochet charts, exploring why international crochet symbols are helpful but not always universal. Inspired by a German crochet pattern question, the episode explains how charts help crocheters move beyond written language and bridge differences in crochet terminology. Listeners will learn how common crochet chart symbols work and how Japanese crochet charts helped influence global chart literacy. The episode also explains why special stitches, amigurumi shorthand, designer preferences, and regional notation make the pattern key essential. Whether you are new to reading crochet charts or already...

In this episode of Exploration Crochet, ReRe explores why crochet has historically been viewed as controversial, overly decorative, too feminine, too homemade, and even “hostile to feet.” Comparing crochet to knitting across multiple historical eras, the episode examines how knitting was often associated with practicality and utility while crochet became entangled in debates about labor, class, domesticity, art, and taste. Topics include Irish crochet lace during the Great Famine, Victorian decorative culture, industrialization, gender expectations, modern fiber art, and online crochet discourse. ReRe also examines how crochet continues to face assumptions about acrylic yarn use, granny squares, crochet garments, and...

Yarn Bombing is a global fiber art movement that transforms public spaces through knitted and crocheted installations. While the term emerged in 2005 with Magda Sayeg and Knitta Please, the act itself predates the name, with earlier artists using fiber in public and environmental contexts. Over time, yarn bombing evolved from small “micro-tagging” interventions to large-scale installations, including iconic works like the Wall Street Bull and international community projects. Artists like Lauren O’Farrell expanded the practice into narrative storytelling, while Stephen Duneier brought it into wilderness spaces through temporary, permitted installations. Today, yarn bombing continues to function as art, protes...

Did crochet almost get standardized in 1911? Discover the “Council of Brussels” and why U.S. vs U.K. stitch terms split and confuse crocheters to this day.

In this episode of Exploration Crochet, we dive into the forgotten story of a 1911 international effort to standardize crochet terminology. Known as the Council of Brussels, this gathering of pattern writers, teachers, and textile thinkers set out to unify how crochet stitches were named across countries.

But what started as a push for clarity quickly unraveled into debate—specifically over one deceptively simple question: should a stitch be named...

Who made the rules that help modern crochet make sense? In this episode of Exploration Crochet, ReRe explores the history of the Craft Yarn Council of America and its role in shaping modern crochet. Founded in 1981, the CYC was created by the yarn industry to standardize communication, improve education, and support the growing yarn-craft market. The episode explains how the Council influenced crochet through the Standard Yarn Weight System, hook and label conventions, and the wider use of standardized crochet chart symbols. It also examines the CYC’s role in teaching, promotion, and industry support, including its connection to th...

Explore the fascinating history, craft, cultural significance, and technical brilliance of Irish Crochet Lace - one of the most beautiful and misunderstood traditions in crochet history. Host ReRe breaks down the unique construction method of separate motifs joined by intricate mesh. The episode traces how Irish crochet spread through organized teaching, print culture, women’s labor, and regional traditions. We also delve into the influence of pioneers like Nano Nagle and Mlle. Riego de la Blanchardière, as well as the world of regional and family motifs. Learn why Irish Crochet is considered true textile engineering and a living rec...

In this episode of Exploration Crochet, ReRe examines the long and influential relationship between crochet and cotton, showing how cotton helped define the craft’s visual identity, accessibility, and historical reach. The episode explores why cotton worked so well for crochet, especially in lace, thread work, and household textiles. ReRe also highlights the importance of Irish crochet, and the chemical revolution of mercerization. And finally, the episode addresses the complex ethics of the global cotton trade and its impact on the craft's accessibility including the ethical complexities that still follow the fiber choice today.

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In March Magic: The History of National Crochet Month, ReRe explores the origins and meaning of National Crochet Month through the lens of crochet history, community, and cultural visibility. The episode explains how National Crochet Month developed from National Crochet Week and why March became an important time for crochet education, advocacy, and public celebration. ReRe breaks down what National Crochet Month is and is not, including common myths about whether there is one “right” way to celebrate or whether the month is only about shopping and promotions. The episode also highlights how crocheters celebrate in real life through teac...

Explore the cultural and economic history of the Local Yarn Shop (LYS) in this episode of Exploration Crochet. Host ReRe traces the evolution of yarn retail from 19th-century general stores to modern-day community "sanctuaries." Learn about historical landmarks like Heindselman’s and School Products NYC while discovering how the 1970s craft revival reshaped our hobby. Today, the crochet-friendly LYS functions as a vital “Third Place,” preserving fiber literacy, mentorship, and intergenerational craft traditions. Discover why supporting your local shop is an essential part of the future of the crochet community.

If crochet is a chain of events…the yarn...

It’s never "just a hook." In this episode, we dive deep into the material science and global chaos of the crochet hook’s evolution. We explore how a simple notched stick transformed into a $500 luxury item. Crochet hooks are design history in your hand, shaped by materials science, industrial manufacturing, and maker culture. In this episode of Exploration Crochet, ReRe traces hook evolution to innovations that solved the “spinning” problem and you’ll hear how hook sizing became a global comedy routine - with millimeters becoming the most reliable modern anchor. The story then jumps to the early 20th century...

Mosaic crochet is one of modern crochet’s most "how-is-that-possible" looks. Mosaic is a bold, graphic colorwork technique that seems impossibly complex, yet is built on a simple rule: one color per row.

In this episode of Exploration Crochet, ReRe traces mosaic’s story from 1970s mosaic knitting into crochet’s evolving toolkit. We’ll highlight the contributions of crochet legend Lily Chin and modern designer Tinna Thórudóttir Thorvaldar. You’ll learn how it moved from experimentation to published instruction, then exploded in popularity through charts, tutorials, and crochet-alongs in the 2010s.

We’ll break down...

Discover the hidden history of George Washington Carver’s life as a prolific fiber artist and crocheter. While famous for his agricultural breakthroughs at Tuskegee University, Carver was a master of domestic arts who dyed his own threads using local Alabama clay and plant life. This episode of Exploration Crochet explores how his artistic training at Simpson College informed his world-renowned scientific career. We examine archival evidence, including rare 1937 footage of Carver crocheting, to reveal a man whose curiosity had no boundaries. Join ReRe to see why TIME magazine dubbed Carver the "Black Leonardo".

Edgar A Guest – Equi...

In this kickoff episode of Crochet: A Chain of Events — The People, ReRe introduces the Victorian-era publisher and pattern powerhouse Mlle. Eleonore Riego de la Branchardière, one of the earliest figures to make crochet reproducible at scale. We explore how crochet spread globally not just because it was clever, but because it became standardized, teachable, publishable, and commercially distributed. We look at how Riego treated patterns as professional intellectual property, protecting her works through mechanisms like Stationers’ Hall registration and “right of translation” notices.

We unpack her public-facing brand—from Great Exhibition prestige and “registered designs” to royal appoin...

In Exploration Crochet S2 Ep3, ReRe explores the technical and cultural history of the adjustable ring, also known as the magic ring or magic circle. This episode explains what the technique truly is—a starting method built from a controlled slip-loop foundation—and why it likely emerged organically rather than being invented by one person. ReRe traces the method from Japanese chart culture (including the わ / wa ring symbol) through the amigurumi boom, where eliminating the center gap solved the “stuffing leak” problem in cute crochet toys. You’ll hear how YouTube, Ravelry, and early internet crafting helped the technique go global, a...

In this episode of Exploration Crochet, ReRe kicks off a new deep-dive series on crochet innovations by tackling the craft’s most universal—and frustrating—beginning. We’ll explore the "Achilles' Heel" of crochet: the starting chain. This episode of Exploration Crochet traces the evolution of the starting chain and the rise of chainless foundation stitches like FSC and FDC. Host ReRe explores why the starting chain "won" the historical format war and why it took over 150 years to find a better alternative. We highlight the work of technical maverick Bill Elmore and designer Doris Chan, who fought editorial resistan...

In the Season 2 premiere of Exploration Crochet, ReRe officially introduces herself with a crochet creator Q&A inspired by Rachel from The Faded Wildflower Crochet YouTube channel. ReRe shares how she learned to crochet at 8 or 9 years old—three stitches, one spirally hair tie, and a lifelong love of making. You’ll hear why ReRe refuses to pick a single “favorite thing” to crochet (because the answer is basically… yes), what yarn she’d choose if “forever” means a zombie-apocalypse-level forever, and the one project she can’t see herself ever starting, let alone finishing.

ReRe also talks about where...

In this episode of Exploration Crochet, host ReRe takes a thoughtful look at the first four episodes of Game of Wool: Finding Britain’s Best Knitter, exploring what the show gets right and wrong about knitting, crochet, and craft culture on TV. Speaking as a crocheter-who-has-knit, a non-Brit, and a non–reality-show person, she unpacks the title, the “new generation of knitters” tagline, and the way crochet is folded under “knitting.” ReRe walks listeners through each challenge—highlighting where crochet shines and where the format distorts how these crafts actually work. She also looks at the production side: extreme time limits, y...

In “Twisted Sisters: S, Z, and Your Crochet Sanity,” ReRe unpacks the hidden world of S and Z twist and why it almost never appears on the label. You’ll learn how S and Z twist developed through industrial spinning, why most commercial yarns are still S-twist by default, and how that history accidentally left crocheters out of the design conversation. ReRe explains how twist direction interacts differently with right-handed and left-handed crochet, why some yarns split, fuzz, and “fight back,” and how different fibers—wool, cotton, acrylic, and shiny plant-based yarns—behave under each twist. The episode also explores why m...

“Weight a Minute: An Exploration of Yarn Weights and Whys” demystifies yarn weight

systems for crocheters, connecting industrial terms like tex, denier, and Nm to

everyday labels like DK, Worsted, and Bulky. ReRe explains why yarn labels

differ across countries, how to use WPI and swatching for smart yarn

substitution, and shares a simple five-step checklist so your projects keep

their intended fit and drape.

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Access a free Yarn Weight

Conversion Sheet PDF to make...

Episode 10 of Exploration Crochet asks: Acrylic yarn—superhero or super villain? ReRe traces acrylic’s origin from 1940s lab fiber (polyacrylonitrile/PAN) to 1950s brands like Orlon®, explaining how it’s spun, crimped, and dope-dyed for bright, colorfast, machine-washable results. You’ll learn where acrylic shines—afghans, granny-square throws, amigurumi, donation and outdoor projects—and where to rethink (high-heat kitchen use, hot-climate garments). The episode balances benefits (affordable, warmth without weight, reliable dye lots) with tradeoffs (pilling in budget grades, thermoplastic heat sensitivity, microfiber shedding) plus practical blocking and laundry tips. Verdict: acrylic isn’t hero or villain—it’s a fit-for-purpose...

Step into the flickering candlelight of Exploration Crochet for “The Ties That Bind — Fiber Arts, Folklore, and Magic.” In this Halloween special, host ReRe unravels the myths and mysteries spun through history’s threads — from Celtic knots and Slavic storm-binding to the Greek Fates, the Norse Norns, and the Navajo Spider Woman. Discover how cultures across centuries believed yarn, string, and fabric could shape fate, summon protection, or seal a promise. Then watch that legacy come alive in modern crochet, where each loop becomes an act of creativity, connection, and quiet courage. With stories of witch’s ladders, red-string lovers, and...

In this episode of Exploration Crochet, ReRe takes listeners on a

fiber-filled road trip through the world of Yarn Crawls —

community-driven events where crafters visit multiple local yarn shops armed

with hooks, passports, and plenty of enthusiasm. From the origins of the crawl

tradition to the first official LYS tours in the late 2000s, we explore how

these creative adventures connect makers and strengthen the fiber community.

Along the way, ReRe highlights global yarn crawls from the U.S. to South

America, where shop-hopping and sk...

In Twisted Tales: Frogging Crochet Stereotypes, host ReRe unravels the myths that have long tangled around crochet and the people who practice it. From the outdated “grandma’s hobby” image to gender stereotypes, and undervaluing of handmade work - this episode challenges every threadbare assumption. Listeners will hear how crochet bridges generations, cultures, and creative disciplines while resisting labels that try to box it in. Warm, witty, and enlightening, this episode redefines what it means to be part of the global crochet community.

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Funny...

Step right up friends, ReRe is taking you on a stroll through the exhibition halls where crochet has shined for more than 170 years. From the lace collars of the 1850s to the amigurumi dragons of today, fairs have showcased crochet’s blend of precision, creativity, and heart.

Along the way, you’ll hear how 4-H and Girl Scouts kept the craft alive for young makers, how yarn companies and magazines turned everyday crocheters into national prizewinners, and how modern fairs celebrate originality as much as skill.

With stops at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and the 20...

At just over 200 years old crochet, the “new kid” of thread crafts, learned from its elders—especially the rustic bridge of Shepherd’s Knitting—and stepped into its own in the early 1800s. It leapt from tambour embroidery’s on-fabric chains to free-loop fabric you could build anywhere with just a hook and yarn. In famine-era Ireland, lacework became both livelihood and art, then traveled with immigrants to homes across the Americas and beyond.

Over time it settled beside quilting and knitting, shaping heirlooms, wardrobes, and community projects across classes and cultures. The 1960s–70s revived it in riotous col...

The Granny Square is more than just a crochet motif—it’s a cultural icon. In this episode of Exploration Crochet, ReRe takes us on a journey through the history, evolution, and surprising staying power of the Granny Square. This humble motif has proven itself timeless-- reinvented across decades of fashion, home decor, and fiber art. From its early appearances in Victorian pattern books to its explosion on the runways of the 1960s and 70s, the Granny Square has always found a way to stay fresh.

We’ll explore its global revival fueled by the internet, its modern...

Welcome to The Codex of HOOKSPEAK: Crochet's Secret Language

In this episode, ReRe opens the great folklore glossary of crochet—a living lexicon stitched together by humor, frustration, triumph, and mischief. We’ll travel from WIPs to TOADs, face the peril of yarn chicken, and meet the heroes and tricksters who embody these tales: Knights sworn to single quests, Bards who sing stitch by stitch, Dragons hoarding glittering stashes, and Tricksters who yarn-bomb the village square. This is more than slang—it’s myth-making, a language born from circles of friends and amplified by guilds, forums, and hashtags...

In this episode of Exploration Crochet, host ReRe takes listeners on a fun and surprising journey into the hidden world of math woven through every stitch of crochet. From the geometry of flat circles and ruffles, to Fibonacci spirals, symmetry, fractals, and even hyperbolic planes, discover how crochet patterns are living algorithms and wearable math.

Whether you’re a yarn enthusiast, a math nerd, or just curious, you’ll see how numbers and stitches team up to create beauty, rhythm, and cozy comfort you can wrap around your shoulders.

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Join ReRe in Episode 1 of Exploration Crochet as she asks “Why crochet?” and uncovers the joy, creativity, and community behind the craft.

In this very first episode of Exploration Crochet, host ReRe shares her personal journey with crochet and explores the deeper question: Why crochet? From sparking creativity to building community, crochet is more than just yarn and stitches... It’s a way of life.

Whether you are just picking up your first hook or have been crocheting for years, this episode will remind you why we keep coming back to the craft we love.

T...