Posts Tagged ‘crochet’

Mixed media and multiple techniques

Tuesday, June 28th, 2011
Sleeping Dogs fiber art

“Sleeping Dogs” Kathryn Hathaway © 1976, mixed media

Done over 30 years ago while at Chico State, this is one of my favorite early pieces. Fiber art was added to the art program at Chico and I signed on. Having been focused on drawing, painting and printmaking previously, I was looking for a way to combine drawing and fiber art. I’ve combined drawing, quilting, and crochet with mixed materials of paper, wire, cloth, and thread.

The piece represents a time in my life when I lived in a small cabin and was able to sleep outside without worry of rain. The dogs are my protection, and the feeling of a simple life still appeal to me.

 

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Hyperbolic Crocheted Space

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

Margaret Wertheim on the beautiful math of coral from Ted.com.

Margaret Wertheim and her twin sister Christine began their Great Barrier Reef project after reading about the work of mathematician Daina Taimina. In this Ted.com talk, Wertheim uses her science background to explain the visual representation of hyperbolic space. It had been tried before and not achieved until Taimina crocheted a model in 1997.

I’m not totally sure how I got here to this particular Ted.com talk. I’ll try to hyperbolically reconstruct the chain of links that led here.

It started with someone mentioning a social web site for knitting and crochet patterns: ravelry.com. Which led to blogs about Ravelry.com. That somehow led to this web site on the Coral Reef project, and to The Smithsonian web site for the reef exhibit. Then there is the Institute for Figuring site, which is my new favorite math site.

Once you view this video, you will totally understand hyperbolic space, or become obsessed to learn more.

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Chain stitch

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

I’m not sure why, but I’ve been thinking about the chain stitch my Grandmother had me work on when I was first learning how to crochet. I had to crochet a chain at least a yard long to get the hang of the proper tension and consistency of the loops before she would even consider teaching me more.

Ask Aunt Esther

This video is pretty close to how I learned. Well, except for the dog, carpet and couch. (The kids playing in the background make me laugh.) I do like listening to her voice, though. Nice and calm, like nothing could ever get her riled.

I found her video on YouTube. Aunt Esther also has a blog and additional videos once you get the chain stitch down. It looks as though it has been a year since she has updated her blog, but I recommend you watch her videos for an easier way to learn than from a book.

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Yarnbombing—Public Fiber Art/Graffiti

Saturday, September 11th, 2010

After reading an article in the Oregonian about Portland Yarnbombers, I searched the internet for other photos and stories. It’s an art form I hadn’t witnessed or even heard of.

Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti by Mandy Moore.  (Yay! just picked up the book—will report later.)  Mandy Moore’s blog— Yarnbombing, is an exhaustive read on the subject and includes dates and locations for upcoming book signings. Photos of recent work done by Yarnbombers, links to Yarn Graffiti Around The World and Craftivists will use up all the procrastinating time you need on a rainy day.


 This photo is from Mandy Moore’s Yarnbombing site. Photo by Peter Regier taken in Vancouver’s Chinatown. Often only up for a day, this subversive art form is a colorful happenstance on an otherwise ordinary day.

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