Cat Mad Crochet

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Estimated rock hunting time: Unknown

Hannah has found a very nice rock, which is not surprising because Hannah has been a rock collector since she was very young. She is a connoisseur of rocks that are pleasing to hold and enjoy, even if they are neither beautiful nor innately valuable. Their value comes from a place deep in her soul and, if you can see it, then your life will be richer for understanding.

This rock isn’t a special sort, that I know of, and, quite frankly, I wouldn’t know, but it sits in the hand very nicely and likes to warm as you hold it. I think a lot of rocks fit this description, but I am not concerned with other rocks. I promised her I would make a crochet embellishment to hold her rock, and it is time to act because the perfect yarn has just emerged. 

Have you ever needed to use your stash because moths are bastards who eat what doesn’t belong to them and the rotten things have gotten into your house? Yeah, well, my house is infested with the winged horrors, and we are trying to hide all of the non-damaged fiber from them. Hannah used to spin yarn and is busy taking things off of spindles and balling up bobbins full of it that had been hanging as pleasant decorations in our living room. None of her spinning has been attacked yet, thank goodness, but we are being cautious. 

Somehow, the nasty, mean, smelly moths missed a beautiful bit of plied, lace weight, merino yarn that was on a drop spindle. Hannah balled it up and I have made off with it. It’s going to be lovely for the rock’s covering. Here’s why: 

*It’s thin. The rock is not big and a large yarn is going to look clunky and strange on the rock. 

*It’s plied. The rock is a bit rough and the plied nature of the yarn is going to make it a bit more resilient to both touching the rock and being worn and removed frequently, as is the life of necklaces. A plied yarn is a stronger yarn and I hope this one will hold up to its new life with a rock.

*It’s cream. I think perhaps it is undyed, which means it will lend a really natural feel to the necklace. That last bit is a personal choice on my part. Perhaps, if you make a crochet and rock necklace, you will like the juxtaposition of rock against neon pink. To each their own. I like the look of undyed wool against the natural rock. I think it’s pretty and natural and clean. 

*It’s z twist. If you don’t know, yarn can be spun in either an s twist (best for knitting and the way most plied yarns are spun, though singles are often z twist) and z twist (best for crochet and hard to find plied on the commercial yarn market). Hannah used to spin me z twist yarns, both singles and plied, which means she spun the singles in an s twist and then plied in a z twist. It is wonderful to crochet with. It does not split, it frogs easily, and it creates a nice sharp stitch because the plies don’t unply a bit with the natural motion of crochet. It can be really difficult for me to work very small stitches with s twist plied yarns because they split. This z twist ply is so friendly to work with. It really makes the project so much nicer.

I used a 1.75mm hook for this project because I wanted something that would keep the stitches tight and sharp. The stitch pattern I chose (Crazy Picot Mesh from The Crochet Stitch Bible by Betty Barnden) is very open, so I was not worried about creating a stiff fabric with my small hook. I was significantly more worried about creating solid stitches that would not be worn and damaged by the rock. It’s a smooth rock, but it is made of, well, rock. Historically speaking, rocks have not always been kind to finely spun yarns, so sturdy stitches made with a smaller hook will be more resilient in this case.

The lace pattern I chose is mostly open space because I wanted the yarn to create a pattern over the face of the rock instead of covering the entire thing. Think lichen or sun dappled shadows. An open pattern is also really good (and forgiving) for stretching around the irregular shape of the rock. It’s also really forgiving if I miscount stitches and have to fudge the count between stitches sometimes. You know, if that should happen. It certainly wouldn’t, but just in case.   

Instead of making the neck chain one long strand of crochet, I’ve made it tie. This is so extra bits can be added as desired. Perhaps the day will call for a rock and an acorn in its own cozy? Or another, smaller rock? If you have ties then you can add bobbles until your neck hurts and the ties are strained. 

If you, too, would like to take a little piece of nature with you everyday as you forge your way through the world of manmade things, give it a try. If you choose an open mesh pattern, the crochet can conform to the shape of the rock and keep it safe from horrors like it dropping out. It also means you don’t have to do as much shaping, which can be super fiddly when you are dealing with an irregularly shaped object. I suggest small yarns and tiny hooks, but give a try to whatever moves you. Drop a picture in the comments if you try it out. I would love to see what you make.