In “The Gift of Crochet III – Use of Multi-Color Threads for Crocheted Jewelry”, I designed a necklace called “The Litmus Test.” From that particular piece, I decided to make several more designs that explored the idea of the small crocheted motif and simple hand sewing.
The 5 necklaces Mountain Gold, Forest Candy, Seaside Butterfly, Dinosaur Eggs, and Chopsuey, represent my love for hand-sewing, for the sublime combination of crocheting and sewing. Somehow, I yearn for the repetitive, meditative act of sewing and I know that there are many crocheters out there who feel similarly.
Sewn seams have functions other than just making joins. I find that sewn joins have useful rigidity and can be adjusted to desired flatness or curvature of the crocheted fabric. While there are specific sewing techniques for seaming such as whip stitch and mattress stitch, I often improvise, taking into account the direction and tension of sewing and the effect on the fabric.
Join the motifs with pins, then turn over and sew at the back.
Hence, these necklaces explore the Crochetology problem of shape and sewing at a very simple level: covering/adornment to go around the neck. From these 5 examples, larger pieces may be created especially once the act of motif arrangement has been confidently performed.
The term “Crochetology” expresses my fondness for “the study of crochet”, the playful marriage between the lowly craft and the prosaic science, and the problem-solving approach that life teaches me each day. If you would like to see some explorations I have made and continue to make on the patterns in this book, just visit my website at http://www.crochetology.net/.
I hope that you enjoy The Gift of Crochet and that you continue to make and share.
Fatima Lasay
Crochetology.net
Chopsuey is made up of motifs leftover from other crocheted necklaces.
Chopsuey
I made “Chopsuey” using left-over motifs from these patterns: Seaside Butterfly, Forest Candy, Dinosaur Eggs, and Mountain Gold. All these patterns explore the idea of the small crocheted motif and simple hand sewing.
If you’ve tried any of the above-mentioned patterns, this time try making your own chopsuey mix!
Experiment with your own designs of enclosures!
Your crochet work is so lovely. My mother taught me 40 years ago, but never strayed too far from the afghan. I’m reired and just crocheting relaxes me mostly) I really appreciate your sharing, I may havr to stray…maybe freeform.
Thanks, Carola! I love afghans too, you know, if I lived in colder climate I’d probably be making plenty of those.
Crochet should be fun and relaxing. 
wow its amazing
Thank you!
I can’t find the pattern for Chopsuey. Help me find it.
Thanks!!
Oh there’s no exact pattern for Chopsuey but only a kind of description, that is, using the motifs from the other crocheted jewellery mentioned above.:)