Hooked on Crochet: Q&A with Emma Varnam, Author of 10,000 Hats!

Question: What got you into crocheting and knitting as a way to express yourself creatively? Answer: So, I have always been crafty. As a child my happy place was to be making and I would often take myself off to make clothes or bags or knit by myself. The hours would rush by and I wouldn’t even notice. My grandma taught me to knit - I think I was around 6 or 7 on the squeakiest yellow plastic knitting needles. But we were also taught at school. I made a few things in my teens and then in my mid-twenties my close friends started to have babies and I felt compelled to knit for them. When we had our own son, I started designing knitwear for him because I couldn’t find patterns I liked. I then began to design knitwear for magazines and started blogging about it. After a while I thought it would be great to learn to crochet so that I might be able to whittle down my yarn stash. How wrong I was…my main designing work is now in crochet and my yarn stash is bigger than ever.
Question: How did you come up with the idea of crocheting 10,000 hats and what made you turn it into a book project? Answer: It kind of started as a dare. I was talking with my publisher and editor and they were thinking of this book. I said ‘It might work for knitting…but I don’t think it will work for crochet!’ But then like every fun adventure… the concept began to fester in my brain. I began to dream about hats in my sleep and then I would wake up early and start experimenting. That’s always how it starts! There are 23 hat designs and when you interchange all the options it makes a possibility of 10,000 different designs. It’s crazy, but lots of fun.
Question: Your book lets people get super creative with their hats by mixing up stitches for the top, middle, and brim. Could you explain how that works and how readers can make their own one-of-a-kind hats? Answer: So the book has a really funky quality of mixing up the crown, the body of the hat and the brim. The pattern for each size has the same number of stitches, so it means you can mix and match the patterns for each section. Unlike a knitted hat, where you tend to start with the brim, with a crochet hat you have the option to start at the crown. You can seamlessly start increasing your stitches so you get to the size for your head and then begin the body of the hat. You might like a certain design for the crown and body and then think…’well, the person I know would really prefer a rib edging for their brim’. The interchanging flipping of the designs means you can swap out the original brim design for an alternative pattern. It is so fun!
Question: Could you give us a peek into your creative process and how you came up with all the hat patterns in your book? Answer: I honestly start with what I would like to make. The stitches I like using, the colour palette I enjoy. For this book I have tried to celebrate the unique qualities of crochet. Crochet has a great festival vibe. It manages to take clashing colours and make them into something beautiful - instead of pushing against that and trying to replicate a fine knit, I have designed hats which embrace and celebrate the unique qualities of crochet.
Question: What’s your hope for how your book will make an impact in the crochet world and among crochet enthusiasts globally? Answer: I hope taht crocheters find a design that is their go-to favourite ‘gift hat’. The perfect thing is that if you want to bless someone you turn to your yarn stash and create a fun and really practical present. I also hope that the book encourages people to have a go at mixing and matching techniques. Perhaps it will help more people feel that they can be a designer.
Question: If someone’s itching to dive into crocheting, what advice would you give them? Answer: Find something you would love to make…something you dream about. Choose your favourite colours and don’t be afraid to jump in. If you get stuck go to your local yarn store or knit night and ask for help on how to crack the problem. Yarn people are so generous - they love to share their hobby. You will be flying before you know it.
Question: How do you huggle your love for crocheting and knitting with everything else going on in your life and career? Answer: Well I think we are fortunate with both crochet and knitting that it is such a portable hobby. If I sit down at the end of the day, I will always automatically pick up whatever yarn project I am currently working on. I usually have 2-3 projects on the go at any one time - at least one knitted and another crochet. Crochet is the ‘work’ and knitting are the hobby. I do have friends who believe that I have a time machine, but if I have it’s in the shop for a service…
Question: What’s the best part about spreading the joy of your craft, whether it’s through your book or other channels? Answer: I simply love sharing our craft. Being able to crochet is such balm for the soul. I love seeing the colours people choose and the satisfaction that people get from finishing a project. I find meeting craft people so inspiring - there is a connection between us all. It doesn’t matter what country you come from - you have that shared joy of making and you can connect on a deeper level of understanding.
Question: Do you have any go-to crochet techniques or stitches that you absolutely love, and what makes them stand out? Answer: So, I do love amigurumi - working in the spiral - the ability to create a seamless shape is so exciting - it is perfect for toy making. But… then I love a shell edging. I will be honest you are lucky i Don’t put it on the edge of all my patterns… really, I am addicted. Finally, my top, top tip is to block your crochet - it makes everything look so professional. The simple act of dampening, pinning out and then allowing to dry ensures all the stitches bounce back to an even look. It makes all the difference for a professional look.
Question: So, what’s on the horizon for you post “10,000 Crocheted Hats”? Any exciting projects or adventures you don’t mind spilling the beans on? Answer: I am really excited to launch one of my own patterns which is a crochet doll. I have been working on it for on/off two years and this spring I have finally got round to finishing it. I am so thrilled to share it with toy makers. I am also launching this year my Crocheted Flowers book. Gardening and flowers are such a huge part of my life. I am so inspired by flowers and so creating that book was such a creative rush. Also, in the autumn I have my 3rd Granny Squares book launching. This one has a wealth of ‘vintage’ or ‘Cottage core’ inspired patterns. These are all my favourite designs rolled up into one book. I can’t wait to share it.

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