10 Cool Techniques that Put a Twist on Crochet

Crochet is a needlecraft that has been around for the past couple of hundred years. It is differentiated from knitting by the fact that it uses a single hook instead of two needles to work yarn into loops that are connected together to make a fabric. The basic technique is very easy to learn. What’s really cool about crochet, though, is that there are a lot of advanced techniques that you can try. These advanced techniques provide crafters with a chance to learn new skills as well as to create non-traditional crochet items that vary greatly in style and appearance.

Here are ten cool advanced crochet techniques:

1. Mosaic Crochet. One of my personal favorite types of crochet to look at is Mosaic Crochet, which is also known as Tapestry Crochet. In this type of crochet, you work with several different strands of colored yarn at the same time, creating patterns by carrying the yarn over in different places. The result is a cool pattern that can vary in appearance ranging from looking truly like a mosaic picture to producing simple but striking graphic patterns. Rachelle Vasquez is an example of a crochet artist who creates pictures with tapestry crochet.

2. Tunisian Crochet. In this type of crochet, you use a type of hook that is different from the traditional crochet hook and this allows you to create different techniques that result in different products from traditional crochet. The hook is more like a knitting needle in the sense that it is long and thin and can hold a lot of loops on it at once, as compared to a traditional crochet hook, which holds fewer loops. Many people say that this type of technique combines crochet and knitting. A recent product on the market that does something similar is called The Knook.

3. Double-Ended Crochet. This is another type of crochet that differs because of the tools that are used to create the product. Clearly, as the name suggests, in this case you are using a crochet hook that is double-ended (with a hook on each end). The hook is longer than a traditional hook, similar in some ways to the Tunisian crochet hook. The cool result of this type of advanced crochet technique is that you produce a two-sided reversible fabric. In traditional crochet, there is a “right side” and a “wrong” side.

4. Lace Crochet. There are many, many different types of lace crochet that you can learn to add to your crochet repertoire. Each type is unique in its own way and some types produce more dramatically unique results than others. For example, broomstick lace creates a very unique pattern that results from working your crochet loops around an object (historically a broomstick) to create open areas in the work. Bruges lace, Irish lace and hairpin lace are other examples of lace crochet.

5. Filet Crochet. This is considered by some to be a type of lace crochet because it is based on filet lace but in my opinion it differs a bit in terms of the techniques required and the results produced. In any case, filet crochet is worked using charts instead of written instructions so it’s a great type of unique crochet technique for people to use if they are more visual than wordy in the way that they learn!

6. Crochet Weaving. This technique, also called woven crochet, combines weaving and crochet work. The crochet is worked in a fairly traditional style. Then a needle is used to weave additional yarn through the work to create a unique fabric. If you are interested in creating crochet that has a plaid or tartan look to it then crochet weaving is a type of technique that you might want to try.

7. Crochet Cables. This is sometimes also known as Aran Crochet. Cables are frequently used in knitting but have more recently become a technique that can be done in crochet as well. The result is a heavily textured piece of fabric that has great decorative colors but can be all in the same color if that’s what you want. Very classy. My favorite pattern for learning different types of crochet cables is the Pam’s Comfort Cables Afghan, an afghan in which each square has been designed using a different crochet cables pattern. Incidentally, profits from the sales of this pattern go to help pay the medical bills of a crochet designer who went through cancer treatments.

8. Wire Crochet. As you can probably guess from the name of this technique, this is crochet that is worked using wire instead of yarn. It is a technique that is used for making crochet jewelry. There are many different types of wire crochet. For example, there is a type that comes from India called zari crochet in which zari thread (thread wrapped with metal) is worked using a crochet hook. The result looks like fabric crochet but of course is structured and metallic.

9. Bead Crochet. Another type of crochet technique that is used in jewelry making is bead crochet. In this type of crochet, you add beads to your work as you are crocheting. This requires that you take some steps that you don’t normally take in your crochet work to add the beads to the pieces. In some cases it may affect which yarn or thread you use. In either case, bead crochet provides you with new options for exploring your creative side through crochet.

10.Freeform Crochet. This is a cool type of crochet in which you break all of the rules that are in the other types of crochet. You work different types of stitches and techniques together in whatever way that you see fit. It’s kind of like abstract painting using a hook and yarn instead of a brush and paint. It is often used to create crochet art although it can also be used to make fun wearable crochet items.

The world of crochet is a world of never-ending options for those who want to delve into all of the many different advanced crochet techniques that are available!