Handmade Merchandise
The Crocheters of SU Press
If any of you follow the SU Press on Instagram, you know we have a huge emphasis on personal, handcrafted production and a love for anything that blends literature with art. We currently have two crocheted products: the adorable amigurumi ghosts by Sarah Ledet and our brand-new and forth-coming crocheted oysters, designed by me.
Crochet was first introduced to the press during the Fall ‘23 semester, when director Jess Masterton showed an image of a crocheted ghost as an aside during a discussion about what products to bring to the AWP Conference. It was Sarah, part of the Fall ’23 cohort, who raised her hand and volunteered to make it a reality. The prototype was finished a week later, and the ghosts were officially launched at AWP in February ’24. After they sold out at the conference, Sarah created the pattern for the slightly larger ones we sell now.
In Spring ’24, the idea for the oysters was hatched during the first project I worked on for the press. The pitch was received very enthusiastically by the class, and after dropping some heavy hints to Jess, she finally got me the materials to develop them.
While the ghost pattern was created entirely from scratch, I began with the free pattern my project group had found and modified it to suit our vision for the product. I scrapped the original shell pattern and devised a new one that more closely resembled the shape and texture of our press logo, and I modified the mollusk (or pearl) to use the same hook and yarn size as the ghosts. Though the resulting pattern, completely revamped from the original, might be considered “intermediate,” it still only uses classic stitches like slip stitches and treble crochets.
As a graduating senior, I plan to make as many crocheted oysters as I can before the end of the semester. Currently, I work on them in the evenings whenever I need a break from other schoolwork—it gives me an opportunity to decompress while still being productive, which is something I really appreciate. I’m so grateful to SU Press for allowing me to use crochet to support the literary arts—two forms of creativity I absolutely adore.
Sarah agrees. “Crocheting for SU Press has been such a great experience,” she says. “It was so gratifying to see everyone at AWP giggling and bopping the ghosts on the head, regardless of whether they purchased one or not. I really love being able to contribute handmade products to the press.”
A few of my classmates have expressed concern about the sustainability of crochet at SU press, but I’m optimistic. In my cohort alone, we had three experienced crocheters who were all excited to pitch in, and I don’t think that trend will disappear. As a junior, Sarah has agreed to continue her work with the crocheted ghosts into next year, and as for me, a graduating senior, the crocheted oyster I designed won’t end with me. That’s one of the wonderful things about crochet—it’s easy to share. Whether through events like our recent Stitch & Bitch or through class-time planning and shenanigans, crochet is a wonderful way to build community with each other and with those exploring the creative arts around us. I know the press has much more in store.
Amelia Alexander (’24) is a native Rochesterian who recently graduated from Susquehanna University with a BA in Creative Writing. She loves writing about unsettling, everyday moments, both real and imagined, and has received awards for both Short Fiction (2022) and Creative Nonfiction (2021). Her prose has been published by Cabbages and Kings and Hidden Peak Press, and her plays have been performed multiple times by The Sixth Act in Rochester, NY. When she isn’t writing, she paints realistic pet portraits on commission, enjoys rigorous hikes through the woods, and battles her mother to see who can quote Jane Austen with higher accuracy. She is currently working on her second original crocheted sweater pattern.