There’s no legislation in any country that says men can’t crochet. It’s a hobby and craft that’s open to anyone who is willing to try. But the majority of crocheters seem to be women, and we have yet to stumble upon a crocheting book that’s written by men.

In some respects, women are fortunate creatures. They’ll climb the corporate ladder like a man and fight tooth and nail to get management to notice them, or if they’re made of a softer fiber, they’ll take the fiber route and weave their talents in quieter and domestic activities such as knitting, quilting or crocheting.

We don’t know about the knitting and quilting industries, but crochet seems to have held its own. It’s many centuries old and has its own history; it hasn’t folded up despite our preoccupation with – and entrapment within – our push-button lifestyles.

Somehow, crocheting survived it all. It didn’t buckle down to the technological upheavals that have forced many other industries to disappear from the scene. Oh yes, the staying power of hook and yarn is apparent. They’re very much alive and have not been relegated to attics collecting dust and memories.   From doilies and pot holders, crochet has graduated with flying colors, coming up with its own slew of innovation styles. Just look around - how many of the objects you see have been made by the adroit fingers of a devoted crocheter?

As we said, women are fortunate creatures. When they burn out in the office and no longer want to analyze profit and loss statements or inventory lead times, they have the alternative of changing jobs or testing their entrepreneurial leanings.

Some love to cook and go on to catering, some adore jewelry and go on to bead making or gemstones (so they can specialize in creating Reiki gemstones for instance) or some take up crochet and go on to setting up boutiques or leaving their work with handicraft merchants. Or some take up crochet for its therapeutic qualities – and only for that reason. And if it’s true that crochet is conducive to daydreaming, well…why not indeed?

To get you warmed up to crochet, we encourage you to begin with simple projects – a doily for example is like lasagna. It’s the first thing an individual wants to whip up as soon as she learns the rudiments of cooking. The doily must be the most basic work you can crochet. And then when you get better, you may want to do a shawl or even children’s dresses.

The books listed in the references section are excellent sources of projects – from the most simple to the most complex. Their ISBN numbers are also listed.

For those who do can’t make it to the library or the bookstore, there’s the Web. We have dug up a few web sites for you. These web sites – given below - offer free patterns complete with detailed instructions. They do not require you to purchase anything or sign up for their newsletters. They provide patterns for a whole gamut of projects – personal garments, dog garments, decorative items, etc. with no strings attached.

And when you do get good at crocheting, then you’ll probably see the light about how to hook that favorite person of yours so you can welcome him into the loop!

1.http://crochet.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://    www.geocities.com/dress%5Fyour%5Fchi/springfever.html
(this web site will teach you how to crochet something warm for your dog.)

2. http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/projects/project_more.html
This is the web site of the Craft Yarn Council of America (there are free patterns for cardigans, shawls, scarves, vests, scarves, etc)

3. http://www.allcrafts.net/crochetknit.htm#freeprojects
This web site will indicate skill level required, materials, and clear written instructions. You have projects to choose from.

4. http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/directory/tutorials.php
This is another good web site that has a section especially for beginners. Some instructions are illustrated.

REFERENCES

De Dillmont, Thérèse. The Complete Encyclopedia of Needlework.  Courage Books, Pennsylvania. 1996. ISBN: 0-7624-0388-8

Eaton, Jan. Crochet Basics. Barron’s Educational Series. New York. 2004. ISBN: 0-7641-5678-0
Ehrlick, Laura. Diven, Gail. Young, Mary Ann. Wills, Linda. Big Book of Needle Arts and Crafts (Idiot Guide Series). Alpha Books. New York. 2004. ISBN: 1-59257-280-4.

Fisher, Joan. Joan Fisher’s Guide to Crochet. Triune Books.London, England.
ISBN: 0-85674-015-2

Kooler, Donna. Encyclopedia of Crochet.  Leisure Arts Inc. Arkansas, USA. 2002.
ISBN:  1-57486-282-0.

Readers’ Digest. The Ultimate Sourcebook of Knitting and Crochet Stitches. Readers’ Digest Association Inc. New York. USA. 2003. ISBN: 0-7621-0405-8
      
Ryan, Mildred Graves. Crocheting for Pleasure. Doubleday & Company, New York, 1983. ISBN:  0-385-18518-9

Swartz, Judith. Hip to Crochet. Interweave Press, Colorado, USA. 2004.
ISBN: 1-931499-52-7.

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