Croshiko
/cro-she-‘ko/
noun
- Geometric embroidery on crochet, inspired by the Japanese art of sashiko
- Portmanteau first coined by Jana K Gusich in an Instagram teaser in 2021
“When one kind of stitchin’ leads to another.
My #croshiko collection of patterns and step-by-step guides is coming this summer.”
What’s in a name?
Portmanteaus are kind of my thing. JAKIGU (technically an abbreviation and a portmanteau), macrachet, Silvergence…
And it’s not because I think they are cool.
It’s just that it is precisely how my brain works.
Ideas, concepts, inspiration, techniques and possibilities – they all collide and churn and mix & mingle, as my mind daydreams and mulls and contemplates, until it’s impossible to tell where one ends and the other one begins.
This pillow is such a perfect example of blended inspiration and intersection of crafts.
Crocheted textile embroidered in saskiko style, inspired not by traditional Japanese motifs but those found on wooden houses and folk costumes from the a village of Čičmany in Slovakia.
Despite its location mere 50 miles from where I grew up, I never had a chance to visit – but the countless pictures I saw left a profound impression on me (and also made me believe that those houses were made of gingerbread until I was at least 10).
I continue to nurture the big plan of creating a whole series of croshiko designs that can easily be adapted to different sizes and for different purposes. When that happens, you’ll find them here.
