A foray into crochet

glissando {ɡlisˈsando, plural: glissandi, abbreviated gliss}: A musical term referring to either a continuous sliding one pitch to another (a “true” glissando), or an incidental scale played while moving from one melodic note to another. Italian, from French glissant, present participle of glisser, ‘to slip, slide.’
It’s the sound many people think of when they think of a harp. “Perpetual Gliss” is a small soft-sculpture crocheted harp that can be used to decorate any area. Due to the fragile nature of an open harp frame, it’s more appropriate as a decoration than as a toy. Make it for yourself or for your favorite musician. Note: Does not actually play music.

 
I've been crocheting since long before I learned to knit. To be honest, most of my early crochet revolved around oddly-hued granny squares that didn't necessarily get used for anything after they were finished, and once I learned how to knit, crochet didn't figure in my crafting for a long time. At times, it still calls to mind salmon tinted or pale blue acrylic purchased on sale from the local discount store.

However, because crochet fabric can be thicker and sturdier than knitted cloth, there are some items for which it is far more suitable. Case in point: my newest pattern, Perpetual Gliss.

Concert harps have such a delicate silhouette that to make an open crochet harp that would stand up, the fabric needed to be dense and sturdy. My solution? Single crochet, and lots of it, stabilized with plastic.

So what do you need to know to make one of these sweet little harps?

1. Use any yarn weight you want with the appropriate hook. All the harps shown in the photo have the same number of stitches; only the yarn and hook changed.
2. It's not necessarily hard, there are just a number of steps to follow. Most stitches are single crochet with a few half-double or double crochet for shaping. All the pieces are both written out and charted.
3. You can use plastic canvas or sheets from the craft store for the stabilizing pieces, but it's not necessary. I used straws in the pillar and pieces cut from leftover food containers for the flat pieces. Just be sure the plastic you choose is clean, dry, and not too brittle - the kind with a little flexibility.
4. The smaller the harp, the more stable the finished item. All three sizes are free-standing, but the larger size is a little wobbly. Because of the delicate nature of the open frame, they are more suitable as decoration than as toys.
5. Each harp shown is strung with a single long length of jewelry elastic. Strings were colored with permanent marker. 

So are you ready to try making your own?
Perpetual Gliss, $5.95
View details at Ravelry | Patternfish  | Sylvia Woods Harp Center