Hybrid Crochet: Exploring Integrating Digitally-Fabricated and Electronic Materials with Crochet
Kaja Seraphina Elisa Hano, Valkyrie Savage
TEI WIP 2024

Human-computer interaction research with yarn-based crafts has concentrated on those that can be done by machine, like knitting and weaving. Crochet, on the other hand, has received little attention in HCI, because it cannot be automated. We explore integrating both electronics and digitally-fabricated materials---like 3D prints---into handcrafted crochet objects. We use 3D printed structures to guide crochet stitches by constraining stitch sizes and placement, and infill patterns to change the works' form, stiffness, and appearance. We also explore printed ring structures that bridge soft crochet and hard electronics, and whether different conductors can be crocheted. We demonstrate combining these primitives to build crocheted input devices like buttons and an interactive octopus. Our techniques can help crafters design and create interactive crochet objects.