Exploration Crochet

ReRe
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Exploration Crochet is a storytelling podcast that dives deep into the art, history, and culture of crochet—exploring the craft itself as an evolving art form that connects stitches to stories, makers to math, and yarn to humanity. Hosted by ReRe of the Yarn Over Hook Network, each episode unravels fascinating threads—from folklore and fiber science to fairs, community and culture, and the future of handmade craft. It’s part history lesson, part maker’s circle, and all heart—celebrating crochet as both a creative act and a living tradition.

  1. 9 HR AGO

    Who Made the Rules? The Craft Yarn Council and Modern Crochet | S2Ep12

    Who made the rules that help modern crochet make sense? In this episode of Exploration Crochet, ReRe explores the history of the Craft Yarn Council of America and its role in shaping modern crochet. Founded in 1981, the CYC was created by the yarn industry to standardize communication, improve education, and support the growing yarn-craft market. The episode explains how the Council influenced crochet through the Standard Yarn Weight System, hook and label conventions, and the wider use of standardized crochet chart symbols. It also examines the CYC’s role in teaching, promotion, and industry support, including its connection to the Crochet Guild of America and Warm Up America! This episode reveals how one industry organization helped make crochet easier to publish, teach, learn, and understand across modern American craft culture. LINKS | *FREE* Reading Basic Crochet Charts Cheat Sheet | https://yarnoverhook.com/crochet-stitches Craft Yarn Council | craftyarncouncil.com Crochet Guild of America | crochet.org SOUND ATTRIBUTION | YOH Tune | https://dova-s.jp/EN/_contents/author/profile162.html Jazz Lounge Elevator Music by Mykola Odnoroh - | https://pixabay.com/users/ikoliks_aj-48415707/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=332339

    18 min

  2. 18 MAR

    Irish Crochet Lace: History, Craft, Survival

    Explore the fascinating history, craft, cultural significance, and technical brilliance of Irish Crochet Lace - one of the most beautiful and misunderstood traditions in crochet history. Host ReRe breaks down the unique construction method of separate motifs joined by intricate mesh. The episode traces how Irish crochet spread through organized teaching, print culture, women’s labor, and regional traditions. We also delve into the influence of pioneers like Nano Nagle and Mlle. Riego de la Blanchardière, as well as the world of regional and family motifs. Learn why Irish Crochet is considered true textile engineering and a living record of Irish resilience. LINKS | CrochetPodcast.com | Crochet People pt. 1: Mademoiselle Eleonore Riego de la Branchardière Ulster Folk Museum | https://www.ulsterfolkmuseum.org/stories/lacemaking Lacis Museum of Lac and Textiles | Irish Crochet Lace: 150 Years of a Tradition Sound Attribution | YOH Tune | https://dova-s.jp/EN/_contents/author/profile162.html The Girl from Ireland - https://pixabay.com/music/folk-the-girl-from-ireland-177450/

    18 min

  3. 12 MAR

    Crochet and Cotton: The Relationship That Helped Define the Craft | S2 Ep10

    In this episode of Exploration Crochet, ReRe examines the long and influential relationship between crochet and cotton, showing how cotton helped define the craft’s visual identity, accessibility, and historical reach. The episode explores why cotton worked so well for crochet, especially in lace, thread work, and household textiles. ReRe also highlights the importance of Irish crochet, and the chemical revolution of mercerization. And finally, the episode addresses the complex ethics of the global cotton trade and its impact on the craft's accessibility including the ethical complexities that still follow the fiber choice today. Sound Attribution | YOH Tune | https://dova-s.jp/EN/_contents/author/profile162.html Brahms: String Sextet No. 1 in B-flat Major Op. 18 4th Movement

    30 min

  4. 5 MAR

    March Magic: The History of National Crochet Month | S2 Ep9

    In March Magic: The History of National Crochet Month, ReRe explores the origins and meaning of National Crochet Month through the lens of crochet history, community, and cultural visibility. The episode explains how National Crochet Month developed from National Crochet Week and why March became an important time for crochet education, advocacy, and public celebration. ReRe breaks down what National Crochet Month is and is not, including common myths about whether there is one “right” way to celebrate or whether the month is only about shopping and promotions. The episode also highlights how crocheters celebrate in real life through teaching, crochet-a-longs, guild events, charity makes, and public advocacy for crochet as a technical and artistic craft. This episode offers a thoughtful, empowering look at National Crochet Month as both a celebration and a living historical record of modern crochet culture. LINKS | National Crochet Month | https://nationalcrochetmonth.com 2026 New Year, New Blanket Charity CAL | https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPHDi4h-nGwvt0K0JgbrvgmPrfs1j6U_4 Exploration Crochet Substack | ExplorationCrochet.com SOUND ATTRIBUTION | YOH Tune | https://dova-s.jp/EN/_contents/author/profile162.html Music by Viacheslav Starostin | https://pixabay.com/users/viacheslavstarostin-50153119/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=382067

    16 min

  5. 26 FEB

    The Rise of the LYS: Crochet’s Third Place | S2 Ep8

    Explore the cultural and economic history of the Local Yarn Shop (LYS) in this episode of Exploration Crochet. Host ReRe traces the evolution of yarn retail from 19th-century general stores to modern-day community "sanctuaries." Learn about historical landmarks like Heindselman’s and School Products NYC while discovering how the 1970s craft revival reshaped our hobby. Today, the crochet-friendly LYS functions as a vital “Third Place,” preserving fiber literacy, mentorship, and intergenerational craft traditions. Discover why supporting your local shop is an essential part of the future of the crochet community. If crochet is a chain of events…the yarn shop should be one of its strongest links. Colossal Yarn Crawl of 2026 | crochetyarncrawl.com Shop links | Yarn Shoppe Denver | https://yarnshoppedenver.com/ Fibre Space | https://fibrespace.com/ Yarning Fiber Arts | https://yarningfiberarts.com/ Gauge Yarn | https://www.gaugeyarn.com/ World Yarns | https://worldyarns.com/ The Quilted Skein | https://thequiltedskein.com/ Scout & Skein | https://scoutandskein.com/ The Quarter Stitch | https://www.quarterstitch.com/ Sound Attribution | YOH Tune | https://dova-s.jp/EN/_contents/author/profile162.html Music by Music Word – Spring | https://pixabay.com/users/musicword-39191707/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=193127

    18 min

  6. 19 FEB

    From Bones to Burls: The Crochet Hook Chronicles

    It’s never "just a hook." In this episode, we dive deep into the material science and global chaos of the crochet hook’s evolution. We explore how a simple notched stick transformed into a $500 luxury item. Crochet hooks are design history in your hand, shaped by materials science, industrial manufacturing, and maker culture. In this episode of Exploration Crochet, ReRe traces hook evolution to innovations that solved the “spinning” problem and you’ll hear how hook sizing became a global comedy routine - with millimeters becoming the most reliable modern anchor. The story then jumps to the early 20th century, when crochet shifted from lace to garments and aluminum became the lightweight “space-age” hook material for bigger yarns. Rounding out the episode, we'll take a look at WWII “blackout” hooks, modern ergonomic grips, and today’s luxury hook culture. Links | Conversion Chart: https://explorationcrochet.com/p/yarn-weight-conversion-chart Sound Attribution | YOH Tune | https://dova-s.jp/EN/_contents/author/profile162.html Steel Drums 90bpm Key of A.mp3 by AjubaMusic -- https://freesound.org/s/320806/ -- License: Attribution 3.0

    17 min

  7. 12 FEB

    Mosaic Crochet: Making Simple Look Stunning | S2 Ep6

    Mosaic crochet is one of modern crochet’s most "how-is-that-possible" looks. Mosaic is a bold, graphic colorwork technique that seems impossibly complex, yet is built on a simple rule: one color per row. In this episode of Exploration Crochet, ReRe traces mosaic’s story from 1970s mosaic knitting into crochet’s evolving toolkit. We’ll highlight the contributions of crochet legend Lily Chin and modern designer Tinna Thórudóttir Thorvaldar. You’ll learn how it moved from experimentation to published instruction, then exploded in popularity through charts, tutorials, and crochet-alongs in the 2010s. We’ll break down the two main types—Inset mosaic (often lighter with fewer ends) and Overlay mosaic (crisp, structured, and famously end-heavy). And lastly, explore why these methods are the ultimate high-payoff project for the modern maker. Links | Tinna Thorudottir Thorvaldar | https://www.youtube.com/@TinnaThorudottirThorvaldar Sound Attribution | YOH Tune | https://dova-s.jp/EN/_contents/author/profile162.html Music by ArtManzh https://pixabay.com/users/artmanzh-3855363/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=330440

    14 min

  8. 5 FEB

    George Washington Carver - Crocheter: The "Black Leonardo" | S2 Ep5

    Discover the hidden history of George Washington Carver’s life as a prolific fiber artist and crocheter. While famous for his agricultural breakthroughs at Tuskegee University, Carver was a master of domestic arts who dyed his own threads using local Alabama clay and plant life. This episode of Exploration Crochet explores how his artistic training at Simpson College informed his world-renowned scientific career. We examine archival evidence, including rare 1937 footage of Carver crocheting, to reveal a man whose curiosity had no boundaries. Join ReRe to see why TIME magazine dubbed Carver the "Black Leonardo". Edgar A Guest – Equipment excerpt – “Courage must come from the soul within The man must furnish the will to win. So figure it out for yourself, my lad You were born with all that the great have had. With your equipment they all began Get hold of yourself and say “I can”” Crochet Sampler: Tuskegee - https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Carvers-crochet-samples-Tuskegee-Institute-National-Historic-Site-Image-by-Curtis_fig3_283353138 TIME 1941 – “Black Leonardo” https://time.com/archive/6603680/art-black-leonardo/ Color film of Professor Carver - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_yn6Qz81Y8&t=1s The Henry Ford Museum: What if an Artist Becomes a Scientist - https://www.thehenryford.org/explore/stories-of-innovation/what-if/george-washington-carver GWC Recites “Equipment” - https://archive.tuskegee.edu/repository/digital-collection/audio-collections/george-washington-carver/george-washington-carver-recites-poem-1942/ PBS – George Washington Carver: An Uncommon Life - https://klru.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/booker-t-washington-invites-carver-tuskegee-video/george-washington-carver-an-uncommon-life/ Sound Attributions | YOH Tune | https://dova-s.jp/EN/_contents/author/profile162.html Duke Ellington - Black and Tan Fantasy (1927)

    17 min
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About

Exploration Crochet is a storytelling podcast that dives deep into the art, history, and culture of crochet—exploring the craft itself as an evolving art form that connects stitches to stories, makers to math, and yarn to humanity. Hosted by ReRe of the Yarn Over Hook Network, each episode unravels fascinating threads—from folklore and fiber science to fairs, community and culture, and the future of handmade craft. It’s part history lesson, part maker’s circle, and all heart—celebrating crochet as both a creative act and a living tradition.

Information

  • Creator
    ReRe
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 Exploration Crochet
  • Show Website
    Exploration Crochet

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