The Shirt that Started it all
For the duration of my recent pregnancy with my daughter, Olive, I was miserable. And when I say miserable, I mean feeling-trapped-in-my-body miserable. Between the itchy feet from Cholestasis, the consistent vomiting throughout, and unyielding IBS from medications, I struggled to maintain my sanity. To top it off, my life lacks a motherly presence. When you’re pregnant, it’s a time when you miss your mother the most, and the absence of one becomes a black hole, dense and heavy. I needed a project to keep me from surrendering to the pull of this weight, so I decided to crochet something I could wear.
I have been crocheting all my life, but the only evidence that I have that this is true is unfinished blankets, scraps of Red Heart yarn that I can’t stand to touch, and weathered crochet books that my grandmother bought me.
As I’ve said multiple times, the hardest part is starting. Sometimes knowing where to begin can be hazy, and interwoven into a confusion cloud that’s too daunting to untangle. This unknowing, paired with the pretentious critic in my mind demanding perfection, is the perfect duo for conjuring feelings of defeat and apathy. It’s much easier to succumb to the notion that everything will fail and blow up in my face instead of trying and seeing what the reality would be. Do I continue to allow this figmented voice to tell me what the future holds - my demise? Or do I decide to pave a path for myself, regardless of the outcome? Messy beginnings do not signal messy failures. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Messy beginnings shed light on the truths of humanity, and this light teaches love. In turn, the inevitable failures are met with grace. So as I picked up my hook again after years of it collecting dust in the blue memory bins tucked away in my garage, I started crocheting a shirt without realizing it would lead to so much abundance.
I started Stitchcraft & Sorcery to bring people together and find the individuals who valued growth and learning. The summer lace shirt was my first finished garment reveal, and I was able to extend my reach to different parts of the world. It has been a joy to see the excitement from the crochet community. The warm embrace from the community has been an amazing experience, and I’m eager to experience all the fiber arts world has to offer.
Shirt Details
The summer lace shirt that I created is made with Lion Brand truboo yarn. I have a love-hate relationship with this yarn, but ultimately, the finished product is hard to dismiss. It drapes beautifully. Some hindsight notes about the construction: use a bamboo/cotton blend instead of 100% cotton. It needs cotton to help with the durability, but the bamboo will help keep the drape. This was an easy and quick project. It is built in two panels, the left and right, that fold in half over the shoulder. It's a great beginner garment pattern, but not for beginner crocheters. The Pattern is by Crochet Beja. She used a solid color cotton yarn and made it more of a crop top. I created a small Tutorial for anyone interested in attempting to recreate it.
What to expect
If you’re still reading, that means 1 of 2 things. Either you’re committed to following my journey, or I’m entertaining enough to keep reading. Maybe even both…? Either way, I appreciate your undivided attention and all your support as I make my way through this yarn journey. Here are some things you can expect from this blog:
- Crochet Patterns/Crochet Inspiration
- beginner lessons and announcements
- Yarn reviews
- project/business updates
- Podcast thoughts
- Raw rants while I process my next moves
- A little bit of humor
- A whole lot of love.
If you’re a creative individual who enjoys deep conversation that could be a little random, yarn, books, mental health, and video games, I’d say this blog is for you. If you’d like to follow me on other platforms, everything is linked at the bottom of my website!
Until next time,
Alyce