Crocheting a Barbra Chapman Frenzy!

Marty's Raucous Purse, by LI Hertzi 2007

I am just in love with the textural quality of the wild-winging-it-but-deeply-artistic style of crocheting called "scumbling". I learned this technique from Barbra Chapman in a class at the Black Sheep in Encinitas, CA. Basically, you free form the stitching as well as the yarns, adding and dropping colors in mid-row, changing the stitch, bobbling, circling, backing-up and generally playing around as you go. How perfect for relaxing! No counting! Only noodling and "feeling" for what comes next.

Look at the texture! Now, this is a semi-monochromatic yarn selection... mostly oranges, reds and some purples, all huddled together on the color wheel, so it isn't as easy to show the tactile richness on a flat screen, but it is there.

I first heard the term "Scumbling" from my mother who used it to mean putting a light glaze of watercolor paint over a darker color to soften or give a glazed effect to a painting. This was when I was doing my graduation project in illustration and was flummoxed by making water ripple around a floating teacup!

The Free Dictionary by Farlex pontificates thusly:

scum·ble (skmbl)

tr.v. scum·bled, scum·bling, scum·bles

1. To soften the colors or outlines of (a painting or drawing) by covering with a film of opaque or semi opaque color or by rubbing.

2. To blur the outlines of: a writer who scumbled the line that divides history and fiction.

n.

1. The effect produced by or as if by scumbling.

2. Material used for scumbling.

In crochet, I like the idea of blurring the outlines, and I encourage you to get wild and fuzzy with those hooks this holiday season!

Visit my other fiber-delighted blog here: Art Doll Adventures Blog!
Visit the site for my book: Li's Book!

Thanks for reading, LI