I was lucky enough to be asked to host a little Q&A with Tammy Hildebrand—Crochet Queen and all-around-awesome-person. Since this blog usually focuses on knitting, I was really excited to be able to cross the line (as it were) and bring Tammy on. I’ve crocheted longer than I’ve knit (I learned both when I was little, but spent my 20s crocheting almost exclusively) and have always been baffled by the needle-vs-hook divide that seems to have befallen our fiber community.

I don’t like that.

I resist.

And one of the best ways I can think of to do that is to show you this GORGEOUS BOOK Tammy wrote and share just how cool she is with you. What better way than by letting you see her responses to my questions. (I tried very hard not to ask her the same questions she’s been asked a thousand times… fingers crossed).

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Here are my questions for you:

1) The book is built for beginners, intermediates, and advanced crocheters. Lots of books say they are doing this, but you actually did. The progression is perfect. My first question for you, then, is—are you natural teacher or just a genius?

I absolutely agree. And I sure didn’t feel like an advanced crocheter would pooh-pooh the beginner patterns. They’re gorgeous.
2)  Do you have a favorite of the six specific techniques you highlighted in the book and if so, why? (The techniques are traditional crochet, motifs, hairpin lace, broomstick lace, Tunisian crochet, double ended crochet.

I can see why that’s your favorite. The motifs you have are lovely and I’ll be honest, the join-as-you-go with color changes especially, has made me nervous in the past. I think I’m ready to conquer that fear with your book at my side.
3) As a visual learner (which you note in the introduction) did you find it hard to limit your instruction-giving to the options available to you in a book? I’ve found this particularly hard in the WWMDfK? books. Did you make videos to go with the book or do you have any that you particularly recommend to newer crocheters? 

4) I love how you encourage crocheters to make these garments their own (e.g., new/different colors, bigger, smaller). Does Ravelry play into that stance or have you always treated your patterns like that?

Okay, you are now officially my favorite person this month. That is such an astoundingly awesome list of things to say “did that” it makes me want to tap dance…. but that’s on my list of things to learn.
5) Where do you stand on crochet charts? I know there aren’t any in the book, so this is more of a philosophical question.

They seem to be incredibly difficult to make, but they make so much sense to the organic way crochet is built. I hope someone comes up with a program to make it easy! (If you know of one, please link in the comments!)
6) Do you have a favorite pattern? Mine are Clementine Shells, Aredona Lace, and Zen Garden.

And I think that’s a perfect place for us to stop.

I hope you’ll take a closer look at Tammy’s new book. If you like, you can join the giveaway we having for a copy of the book on the CraftLit site for the month of February 2014.

And if you are interested in some of the brain benefits (ones you might not expect) of crochet, take a look at CognitiveAnchoring.com.