The forgotten crochet bikini | Why I’m glad I never stopped being creative

Things that happen when you’re an arty farty creative person:

• You have cupboards and cupboards full of yarn/paints/needles/your tools of choice but can never find the ones you need
• You have endless mini sketches and notes that you can’t make head nor tail of
• You find 90% completed projects in the bottom of a bag that you’d forgotten existed

Guess which applies to this one?  Yep, found amongst a bunch of other bits and bobs in an almost-complete state.  I have no idea why I never got round to finishing this crochet bikini I started last year, but I didn’t waste any time with the finishing touches this time round!  Casting my mind back, I do actually vaguely remember following a pattern I found on Pinterest and adapting it a little to make it my own.  Why 2016 Lily didn’t finish the job I’ll never know, because I’m very happy with how it turned out.  Admittedly a crochet bikini isn’t the most practical of items as swimwear goes, but serves perfectly well as a bralette and poolside bikini.

I’m seriously glad that I never let the deeply ‘uncool’ stigma attached to knitting and crochet ever keep me from doing it.  Whilst I don’t exactly churn out items on an industrial scale, I love being able to make something unique every once in a while.  I discussed knitting and its stereotypes in one of my early blog posts in 2014 and my thoughts are still pretty much the same – it’s a shame more young people don’t see the benefits of making the DIY version of the knit and crochet items that are everywhere, especially during the last couple of summers.  If only more people realised how cute a piece you can make with only the most basic stitches.

Take a cruise through Pinterest or Instagram and it doesn’t take long to come across a photo of some Aussie babe in a crochet bikini (or dress, or top) twirling on a beach; the trend is still going strong.  Obviously I take inspiration from imagery – who doesn’t – but I definitely haven’t just jumped on the bandwagon just because knit and crochet is everywhere you look now.  I’m all for budget fashion but buying crochet pieces is something I could never bring myself to do, knowing I could DIY a perfectly fitting unique version.  It also makes me seriously eye roll every time I see ‘knit crochet top’ to describe an item of clothing that is clearly neither!  Making clothes in one way or another has been my ‘thing’ since I was literally 10 years old, and will ALWAYS remain so.  Whether it’s making use of a 5 hour car journey to whip up a crop top, or working on a lace project for absolutely ages, I’ll always have something on the go.  This blog in its original incarnation was a craft blog belonging to my Mum, and whilst clearly topics have changed an awful lot in the past 10 (!!!) years, snippets of crafty blogging will always crop up here and there.  Like now!

I love the mixture of creativity and maths that comes with knitting, crochet, and sewing.  I’ve always been OK at drawing but never anything special, and I couldn’t stand creative writing at school, but this particular form of creativity works perfectly for me.  Creative but neat, calculated and geometric – and a creative piece you can actually wear rather than just look at.

And on that note, I’m off for a quick run along the shore of the Austrian lake I’m staying at for a few days (come see on Instagram it’s BEAUTIFUL) before dressing myself in a handmade top to head out for the day. 🙂

Lily Kate x

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