Working on the Show

My first art show is opening in less than a week and I'm extremely excited, not to mention incredibly stressed. I thought I had a lot of work to show, but the space is even bigger than I expected, so I've been working non-stop to get more done before the exhibition. I'm so thankful for such supportive friends, especially my roommates. You guys are so helpful :)

T-minus 4 days before the opening; 6 before the reception

EEEEEEEEEEP,
Rosie

Pictures from the show to come! Good ol' Chippy is going to be my show's photographer :D

Striped Fingerless Gloves

I fell in love with the multi-colored light blue/sea green/lavender yarn from the yarn self-portrait and as a result have done a slew of projects using it (if you haven't noticed already from the previous recent posts). Believe it or not, I used to hate this type of yarn because I guess it really turned me off that I couldn't control how the pattern would end up looking if the colors were changing at their own rates. I think awefully blotchy colors could end up looking bad... Anyway, now that I've gotten over that, I've started to buy more multi-colored yarn! Haha


I referenced a few patterns, but ended up just creating a simplified version of my own. The top of the glove doesn't have separate sections for fingers, and some shaping was done for the thumb and in the wrist area so it wouldn't be too loose. Fun and easy project that I finished while watching pick-up basketball. FYI, that's when Austen beat Loryn at Horse. Yea, I saw it happen.

<3, Dada

Crochet for Pay

These were made for people who offered to pay for my work. They're my first commissioned pieces of work! Colors and patterns were chosen by the customers.


Puff stitch slouch cap with a simple edging at the rim


This should be very familiar-- it is a copy of one of the first broomstick lace scarves I ever made. This look is pretty popular and I'm glad because I've been getting faster at making them!

:)

Love for my Roommates

Here are the scarves I crocheted for my roommates over this past Winter Break. I had done so much work related to art and sculpture the past quarter that I just wanted to get back to doing more practical projects. Oh, and of course, I wanted to give my roommates some gifts to celebrate the holidays!


This particular scarf uses the same pattern I had in the scarves I previously posted, but adds some fringe and a few inches of length. I love using this stitch because it's quick and easy and at the same time has such beautiful results! I'm glad Jane chose a beautiful shade of dark brown. Unfortunately, the pictures don't do justice to the richness of the color.


Next, Lindsey's scarf uses the puff stitch, which creates thickness, warmth, and texture in a scarf that otherwise would have been too thin to provide any protection from the cold (I know, I know, where's the need for a scarf in sunny San Diego? Well, it gets windy sometimes...). I used three colors which I alternated and varied so that each block of color would be shorter in length as they got closer to the ends of the scarf. I tried to take into account the different autumn and summer colors that Lindsey tends to wear in her everyday wardrobe, complimenting it with a little bit of brightness in the Salmon-like color.


Finally, for Karishma's incredibly long scarf, I utilized her favorite color and made up a pattern inspired by one of Natalie's scarves. Natalie's had 2 rows of simple flowers set on a background of crocheted mesh and outlined with 2 more rows of double crochet (in other words, a thick solid band). I simplified Karishma's scarf by using one row of similarly made flowers, keeping the mesh background, and outlining it with a thin band instead. I think the result is a scarf that looks pretty different, but at the same time retains the qualities of something that looks delicately made.

Writing this blog post felt as if I were writing descriptions for products for a catalog, but I really didn't know any other way to do it, so thanks for being interested if you were! It's been a while and I'm slow with posting, so I might make another post on some other projects I worked on during the break. Stay tuned, 9 followers! Hahaha

Happy New Year,
Dada

Yarn Self-Portrait

This project reflects an exploration of the idea of representation. While painting is a laborious approach to depicting a subject, crocheting offers an even more complex opportunity to create an image based on a subject. In that the traditional sense of crocheting has to do with creating a shape or form stitch by stitch, this piece utilizes self-representation through thoughtful and meaningful stitches that have been carefully planned to possess the color changes of the human face. The use of texture and some volume furthermore enhances the material quality of yarn, juxtaposing such qualities with photography, painting, and other forms of representation.

The process of creating this piece began with a photo of myself that I redrew onto a large sheet of paper. I then tracked tonal variations by coloring different blocks which corresponded to the lights and darks in the picture (I matched these with the limited colors I had in yarn). After crocheting as close to the "plan" as possible and finishing every color block, I ended up with an unsatisfactory project. I knew that with yarn there would be limits, but I was incredibly unhappy with the results as I was aiming for much more realism. After a couple of days, I ended up going back and crocheting free-handedly over the eyebrows, nose, lips, and hair to create more volume and 3-dimentionality. I also smoothed some areas where colors changed too dramatically from light to dark.

So where does this piece stand now for me? I'm not even sure anymore. I've worked on it for so long and have gone over it too many times. I know I may not ever be happy, but I feel like I can always do so much more. For now, it's "finished," but chances are, I'll go back over it once again. We'll see in weeks or months to come.

Reclaimed Islands

Class: VIS107A (Sculpture)
Project: Reclaiming the space atop Mandeville's trapezoidal blocks through personalized island-spaces
Group Members: 7


Pictured are some of the 7 island-blocks created. The 7 different islands were as follows:
- beach
- yarn world
- bbq picnic
- living room/indoors
- study/office
- tea party
- abstract structure/pathway.

My island included overflowing containers of yarn, a table with all my knitting and crochet tools, a floor made of granny squares, and a backdrop/curtain of crocheted banners. I completed the environment by wearing a self-made beanie and actively crocheting during the performance.

This piece represents my interpretation of creating a personal, yet highly publicized space. When thinking about the potential for making these island-spheres, I was inspired by the thought of a world engulfed by yarn and the craft of both crochet and knitting. Yarn as a medium has fueled many areas of my personal exploration in sculpture. As my first major group project, I am pleased to have had such a unique and positive experience. My group members were amazing!

*Note: the first and last photograph in this post were lifted from The Guardian's website (UCSD newspaper).

Crocheted Pigs

My friend Jen LOVES pigs, so for her 21st birthday I decided to give her a pair of them-- a mama and a baby.
I love this project because it's fun and easy, plus it gave me a lot of inspiration and insight into the possibility of shaping crochet into just about anything. YAY pigs! Credit to Claire Garland for the pattern

I was going to end this post with a list of more cute animals I want to crochet, but I'm afraid that list would never end. I'll probably have to consult Jane about list making.