Annie's Attic - Crochet on Campus!

Crochet on Campus!

by Gwen Blakley-Kinsler

The latest habit to hit college campuses nationwide is something positive, creative and energizing—needlework! Crochet leads in popularity as evidenced by the many young people who are taking up crocheting for charity, as well as just for a relaxing way to pass time and have fun! The onslaught of fashion magazines featuring crochet, as well as the number of celebrities seen wearing crochet, certainly has influenced the choices of the younger set.

Crochet hit the fashion runways from Paris to Milan to New York a few years ago and has since been translated into handmade versions in retail catalogues, driving the fashion sense of young people who shop at Delia’s, Wet Seal, Victoria’s Secret, Gap and Anthropologie. Their interest in making their own fashions is not about needing to make something to wear, it is about the satisfaction of being able to make something that expresses individuality.

Says Sarah Looten of Texas Tech University’s University Daily newspaper, “If you do crochet, you are inherently cool. I don’t understand how it works, but magically you get this fabric out of a ball of string and there is now something that you can use.”

From the Midwest to as far west as Portland, students are getting the opportunity to try their hand at crochet in a variety of interesting venues: Roosevelt University in Chicago, Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, and Nocturnal bar and lounge in Portland. All of these programs are on the cutting edge of what is becoming an absolute craze for college students nationwide: students and the needle arts!

Elyse Koren Camarra, a professor in the art department at Roosevelt University in Chicago, offers a Fiber and Materials Survey class each spring. It is widely popular and draws students from many disciplines besides art. Catherine Amoroso Leslie, Assistant Professor in the Fashion Design School at Kent State, generously spearheads a pilot program sponsored by the National NeedleArts Association (TNNA) in which students are exposed to a whole semester of exploring the needlearts. Portland, which boasts three art schools, supports a wildly successful Craft Night in a local bar/lounge called Nocturnal. Seann McKeel, who started Craft Night as a bit of a joke to boost sales of mixed drinks, found the response far beyond her expectations!

Although miles apart and different in concept, commonalities thread through these groups of students. They are looking with fresh eyes at a tradition my generation holds dear, and as they learn with gratifying enthusiasm, they are ensuring survival of the needle arts for their generation!

Dr. Leslie has introduced the basics of needlework to the students and professionals from the needle arts industry who volunteer their time to give in-depth exposure through “hands on” sessions so that the students can learn first hand from the best teachers. Elyse has generated excitement, interest and idea explosion throughout the semester as the students dabble in all sorts of fiber work.

She observes, “Working in the dye studio or with the weaving looms is an active process. The students are busy, moving about and loudly expressive. When they are crocheting, they enter a nice ‘zone tone.’ They are committed to the process and they connect and are content. They become metaphors for the process they are exploring.”

I was honored to be one of the featured crochet teachers for both university classes. With a broad topic like “crochet,” I wanted to put their experience in perspective by providing an overview of the popularity of crochet today and the relationship between traditional techniques and modern usages in fashion.

Comparing a tiny bit of vintage Irish crochet to a big and boldly colored shawl gave them an idea of the vast range and potential of crochet as an art medium. After practicing a few basic skills, I set about introducing the students to using crochet stitches to explore color and texture. By trying the free-form method of crochet, they were able to soar with their creativity.

Working in groups in “round-robin” fashion challenged their instincts, but set them “free” because in using this method there are no mistakes. The exclamations of delight were evident and many just could not stop. They needed to finish their creation with just a little more of their own touches!

Crochet Provides Soothing Relief for High-stress Student Life
As a part of the university’s Women’s History Month program at Roosevelt, the art department displayed Her Story, My Story, a hands-on demonstration of various fiber techniques. Gathered in a sun-lit lobby, the students from class had samples galore to share and some interesting things to say about their efforts, as well. Rachel, a self-proclaimed high-stress person, explained, “Crochet has really helped me a lot. The repetition is relaxing, and it is time I take for myself. I am under a lot of stress with graduation nearing, and I crochet when I need a break from my school work.”

Kyla, who said she was always a very active kid and today is a multitask sort of person, uses her crochet projects to focus during lectures that would otherwise put her to sleep. “My Sociology teacher understands that my mind would be off somewhere else if I weren’t crocheting in class.”

An English professor stopped by to observe the displays and demos and was quite intrigued by the mechanics of our technique. He told us he enjoys restoring old clocks, and although he didn’t want to try his hand at crochet, he watched intently for a while and proclaimed with great respect, “It is a kind of constructive doodling.”

Bethany, a frequent rider of the Chicago “L” system, decided to relax with her crochet during finals week rather than study on the ride home. Three teenagers and an older woman watched as her hands flew, crocheting a last-minute birthday scarf for a friend. Finally one of the teens whispered, “Do you think we make her nervous with our staring?” Bethany looked up and smiled and a human connection was made. Conversation ensued: “How do you do that? You make it look so easy.” The older woman explained that her grandmother had tried to teach her to crochet when she was a child, but she could never catch on. They all continued to watch with interest and when the woman came to her stop she vowed, “That is so pretty, I am going to go home and get out my crochet and try again.”

Generous yarn donations from manufacturers made it possible for Kent students to explore all aspects of needlework with exciting and colorful resources to inspire their creativity. Each week they were introduced to a different form of needlework and given a chance to learn and compare.

Here’s what they had to say about crochet: “The crochet class was fun because I know how to crochet and learning new and different crochet techniques was pretty cool. I’m getting the hang of crochet … woohoo!” said one student. “It’s funny how at first I was so wrapped up in the technique that I was thinking about every little thing. … how I hold the hook, the yarn, which hand I should use for what … and suddenly about an hour into class last week, I realized that I wasn’t ‘thinking’ anymore, I was just ‘doing!’” said another student.

Students Enjoy Crochet as a New-Age Social Networking
As a final activity for the semester-long class on needlework, students in the Fashion School at Kent worked with TNNA to sponsor a daylong open house to promote needle arts. Their clever promotional materials advertised: “Exercise your Creativity: Come to the NeedleWORK OUT!” Over 100 students came to learn. Their enthusiasm and appreciation of the opportunity was quite satisfying. This kind of experience didn’t happen in their formative years, and it was evident that they had caught on that something important has been missing.

McKeel, age 28, is a booking manager/art director at Nocturnal bar and lounge. She recalls, “Business used to be terrible on Wednesday nights; I guess tango dancers don’t drink a lot! We had very few customers, and when I realized that the waitresses were knitting to kill time and the cook was cutting out dress patterns on the bar, I decided to start Craft Night as a way to increase business. On the first night in December 2002, I got a call from the bartenders frantically asking me where the extra tables and chairs were. The place was packed and it was a resounding success!”

Crocheting with others is a great way to bond. Just hanging out to relax and crochet is a kind of new-age networking. Seann says, “There are a lot of art students in town. They come to Nocturnal to work on school projects and have a beer. There is something to be said for doing something besides just drinking! Crochet is very portable, but they even bring the sewing machines and dremel tools. They are smart, clever and creative and they don’t have to come up with pick-up lines!”

Young people in the college phase of their lives are beginning to enjoy and appreciate what we of another generation hold so dear. As they pass time at menial jobs, so essential during their college years, or make those inevitable long road trips home during breaks, the distraction of crochet is a benefit.

“Our road trip for spring break was long and if we didn’t crochet when we left, for sure we were busy at it on the way home!” Life is so fast-paced, it is important to have something in life that goes slowly. The rhythmic motion of crochet becomes a soothing meditation for them.

All of these dynamic women who promote the needle arts agree:“It’s a hip crowd that is enjoying crochet these days. Rather than just running to a mall for a gift, it is much cooler to give something handmade. It is a tension-reliever and a challenge enjoyed by smart young people.” ••