Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirrors (with Bonus Crochet and Knitting!)

I recently attended the Infinity Mirrors exhibit by Yayoi Kusama, showing at the Seattle Art Museum. I love living in a city that is filled with such interesting and exciting things to do. This exhibit included many fabric-based pieces, so I thought it would be appropriate to share it with you. I tend to stick to fiber arts on this blog; if you'd like to see other interesting things I do and encounter, consider following me on Instagram. I waited in line for two hours to get a ticket to the exhibit. It is only traveling to a few cities in the United States, so I feel lucky to have seen it.

Yayoi Kusama is a Japanese artist who works with repeating patterns and colors. Her personal inspirations, philosophies, and experiences are quite interesting if you're inclined to do some internet research about her. She had a difficult upbringing and was a part of the counterculture. Today, she chooses to live in a psychiatric facility. Her exhibit is a wonderful example of the enrichment that those who struggle with psychological disorders can bring to the world, and specifically to art. Here are some highlights from my visit to her exhibit, along with a few extras from the rest of the museum. I even found some crochet and knitting!

On display were many interesting painted pieces. All of the chunky-looking work was done with stuffed fabric, with painted designs added. They felt like they were alive. One can only imagine how labor-intensive they would be to put together.

Here is one of the infinity mirror rooms, again populated by friendly, squishy, fabric lumps. The experience of being in this field of polka dots was very interesting. This particular room was quite cheerful. Since I went to the museum sans my boyfriend or friends this time, I got to skip many lines and enter with other groups. Thus, I got to experience the rooms over and over. Delightful!

Both times I caught this room on camera, it was green. However, the lights flashed and changed in rainbows of colors. It was spectacular! Each mirror cube limited you to a short period of time, usually 20 to 30 seconds. I think the artist wanted this for several reasons. First, there were many people who wanted to enjoy the exhibit, so times had to be short. Second, if you looked too long in the rooms your eyes and brain might habituate. This means you would start to notice reference points, like the seams in the mirrors, and a bit of the magic would be lost. Finally, infinity is made more special when we only get glimpses of it. I left the exhibit with a craving for more, which would likely please Kusama.

This whole section was love-themed and very sweet. I found this to be the most whimsical part of the exhibit. Also, I love the way that the horizon dips inside the mirror-sphere in the leftmost picture. It really gave me the sense that there was something beyond.

This is the Obliteration Room. It started out completely white. All of the dots that you see were added by museum patrons. I got to add my own dots, too!

This mirror room was my absolute favorite. It was so magical that my eyes misted over the first time I walked in. By now, you all know how space-obsessed I am. I think that this experience was the closest I have ever felt to being surrounded by stars. Since it was dark, you couldn't see the lines in the mirrors very much. It felt real, like I was really standing in a different realm for a few brief moments. I couldn't stop myself from using my singles-line privileges to view this room about five times in total. The whole exhibit was really wonderful.

Even though I had been on my feet for hours by this point, I made sure to stroll through the rest of the museum. Above is a small collection of art that made a particular impression on me, including a wood-paneled room from the late 1500s. I suppose I really do love immersive experiences! SAM is very nicely curated.

I promised you crochet, and here it is! There was a super interesting piece on display that was an amalgamation of fabric swatches sewn together by Nick Cave. It included many knit swatches and also crochet rounds.

My day at the museum was delightful indeed. I encourage anyone who gets the chance to go see Kusama's art.

Glamping with Your Fugly Scrap Rug

Hello! Welcome to my day on Crochetville's 2017 National Crochet Month Blog Tour. I hope you'll stick around and roast a marshmallow or two. Check out my post on Crochetville's page to learn more about me as a designer. Amy and Donna have put in a lot of work to make this blog tour possible, as have all of the featured designers, dyers, and yarn stores.

The theme of this year's tour is glamping, which is glamorous camping. I have to say, I've never been glamping... but I have been camping quite a few times. My favorite place to visit is Lake Trillium in Oregon. The scenery is stunning and the water is great for canoeing. It is named after the trillium flower. Some varieties of trillium are protected by law. They are very special and live especially long lives.

When I go camping, I really dislike having dirt or sand tracked into my tent. I always have a small rug in front so that I can leave my shoes outside. When thinking about a blog tour project, I wanted to design a rug for this purpose. However, who would want to leave their lovely finished crochet project outside on the ground and put their shoes all over it? Finally, it hit me; the rug has to be ugly for you to want to walk all over it. Nay, not even just ugly -- fugly. I bring you the Fugly Scrap Rug!

This rug is a 2 for 1 deal. It will just eat up all of your worsted scraps while also providing you with a sturdy rug that you don't feel bad about stepping on. It was so effective at getting rid of my scraps, I was worried I would run out! Are you ready to learn how to make your very own fugly rug? 

The process is very simple. The only things you have to know are how to chain, single crochet, and weave in ends. You're going to be making your own thick yarn by chaining with regular yarn and then using a big hook to crochet with the chain. I recommend using a 5.5mm or 6mm hook for the chaining and a 9mm or 10mm hook for the crocheting.

Start by making a chain with one of your scrap balls and the smaller hook. Keep on chaining until you have used up all but the last six inches or so of the yarn. 

Next, attach your chain-yarn to the bigger hook with a slip knot. Begin chaining with the chain just as you would if it was regular yarn.

Chain with the big hook until you reach the desired width of your rug.

Now, just as with traditional single crochet, it's time to work into the starting chain. Turn, skipping one chain stitch. Work single crochet stitches into the chain. I worked into the back loops of the chain to make it easy on myself. Don't let your tension be too tight, which is the main challenge while working with such thick chain-yarn. Continue single crocheting, turning and chaining one at the end of rows.

When you run out of chain-yarn, it is time to attach your next scrap. Just go ahead and pull the new strand through the final loop and start chaining with it as shown in the photo above. You can tug on each end a bit to make it more secure. You will weave those ends in later when the rug is finished.

That's all there is to it! Keep adding chain-yarn and then single crocheting with it until your rug is the desired length. I made my rug with all worsted scraps, but you could use all bulky or all DK if you wanted. It might be cool to make place mats using this method as well. Don't worry about the materials that the yarn is made of. If some of it felts in the wash, it will just add to the delightful fugliness!

Review: Bali Sky Yarn from Mango Moon

Today I'll be reviewing Bali Sky yarn from Mango Moon. Disclaimer: I received this complimentary yarn in exchange for a review. I am not being paid to write this review and everything shared here is my real opinion.

Bali Sky is a very unique yarn. It is made from recycled sarongs, so it is good for the environment. It is also made by spinners in Indonesia who financially benefit from the fair business practices of Mango Moon Yarns. Very nice! Also, how cute is it that they sent me some tea with my yarn?

The yarn is very colorful and exciting. It is also very strong, so I decided to test it by working up several small projects that benefit from strength. Sometimes it can be interesting to figure out what to do with such an exciting yarn, so here are some ideas.

First, I crocheted a coaster. It turned out tight and sturdy, just as I thought it might. A set of these would be really cool, or I could have kept going and made a neat place mat that could sit under a decorative vase or similar.

Next, I knit a simple garter stitch headband. It turned out really funky and fun! The color striping came out much more rainbow-y than when I crocheted with it. Granted, I was working in rows instead of rounds. The colorway I was playing with is called Dawn.

Then, I really wanted to test the strength of the yarn, so I crocheted a mesh drawstring bag. The resulting bag is very unique and colorful and certainly lives up to my strength expectations. A wider base could easily give you a stand-out market bag.

Finally, I had just enough yarn left to work up a little crochet bracelet. If you gave one of these to a bunch of your friends, each one would be unique and different. You could even add beads.

I was pleasantly surprised with how far the single skein went. I love where the yarn comes from, how it looks, and what you can do with it. However, the one big drawback was the twisting. The yarn tended to twist up as I crocheted with it, making it so I had to stop and untwist it periodically throughout each crochet project. When I was knitting with it, the problem was much less pronounced. I do want to acknowledge that each skein is different and that the yarn came pre-wound for me, so it is possible that the twisting was a result of something that wouldn't affect other skeins. If you are dedicated to crocheting with it despite the twisting, the resulting projects are bold and exciting. If you want to knit with it, I'd say you have little to worry about.

I am looking forward to deciding who to gift the above projects to! Thank you to Mango Moon for the chance to work with such cool yarn.

Urban Craft Uprising Summer 2016 and Seattle Pride 2016

WOW. So, this past weekend was super busy and very fun! I am so fortunate to live in a wonderful city with so many opportunities to get out and about.

The first event I went to was Urban Craft Uprising's 2016 summer show. I've been to UCU a few times in the past, so this year I decided to skip getting up early and waiting for a grab bag. I think I'll go stand in line again come the winter show, though. I missed having the thrill of opening that mystery bag full of goodies!

There weren't as many fiber offerings this year as there have been in the past, but they did have a bunch of new vendors and it was fun to see new types of crafts. People are endlessly creative! It's beautiful. Here are a few highlights.

By the time I got there in the afternoon the crowd had thinned out a little. It was nice and leisurely.

One of the first awesome fiber booths that I visited was Loome. What a cool tool! I'm on a limited budget right now but I couldn't help buying one for myself. I'll just share introductory pictures today because I want to spend an entire blog post sharing my upcoming Loome experiments with you.

Look at those fun pom poms and tassels!

Diana was back again with her lovely line of jewelry, MOSS. I really respect threadies; that is, crocheters who love to work with thread. Her jewelry is just lovely. You gotta love those doilies, too!

I found more fiber jewelry, including this funky knit chain scarves, over at Twyla Dill Design.

This isn't fiber art, but I can't resist sharing it with you. Fernworks had stunning artwork and jewelry for sale. It was so multidimensional, with layers inside each piece. 

More than a few items were space themed. Look at these necklaces! It's not enough that I have a space dress, space leggings, space skirt, space purse, space scarf, and space earrings... I need one of these necklaces, too!

Wonderful.

This weekend also held the annual Pride celebration here in Seattle. I attended both the Capitol Hill Pride street fair on Saturday, the same day I went to Urban Craft Uprising, and also the parade and various parties on Sunday. 

At Capitol Hill Pride this lovely, friendly woman was selling crochet festival wear. Look at her amazing rainbow shorts!

Here is a shot of the start of the parade on Sunday. I didn't take more pictures because I was too busy having fun! 

I hope your weekend was as amazing as mine was. Between all of the friends and fun I'm afraid I didn't get much crocheting done! I am almost done with a pattern and I am super excited to send it to testing...

Showing My Support: Two Rainbow Projects

Like most of the US (and I imagine those abroad as well), I am disgusted and crushed by the events that occurred in Orlando this past weekend. Having recently lost someone close to me, with grief still living inside my chest and leaking out when I least expect it... I am finding it hard to fully conceptualize the grief felt by all of the families of those who were killed. Each of those lights shown on so many people around them; their families, their friends, their communities. An act of inhuman hatred that has sent a shock wave across the nation. I'm not going to get too political here because I want my blog to be a place that welcomes people of all backgrounds and viewpoints. However, I will say this: If you are a person who believes is it okay to hurt someone that you don't agree with, to hurt someone who is different from you... you are wrong. That is a bad way to be. I don't want followers or customers who think that hurting innocent people is okay. No one deserves to be hurt.

It's hard to know what to do in a time like this. There are many political conversations that you can participate in, and I encourage you to jump into those that you feel touch your heart and to take positive action in the way that feels right to you. However, there are still those quiet moments, the moments when we are sitting at home and wondering how our world can be filled with so much sadness and pain. What do we do then?

Pride is coming up in cities around the world. Pride is a time when the LGBTQ community and their allies get together to remember, to talk, and to celebrate. We remember the Stonewall riots and the intense, overt discrimination that led to them. We talk about our communities, the discrimination and violence that still exists within them, and what we can do to encourage love and understanding. We celebrate people just as they are.

If you find yourself in a quiet moment and you've got some scraps of yarn, here are two projects for you to consider. You can use them to show your awareness and support for the Orlando LGBTQ community, to show your happiness as you celebrate at a Pride event in your city, or to start a conversation. I hope these rainbows can help remind us of the good that exists in people.

To make this simple Pride Patch, you will need worsted scraps of yarn in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. I used Cascade Cherub Aran, which is similar to Bernat Satin. You will also need knowledge of simple color changing. With a US size H8 5mm crochet hook and the purple yarn, chain 25. Starting in the second chain from the hook, work 1 single crochet into each chain across. Chain 1 and turn. Work another row of purple. Continue in this manner, chaining one and turning after each row, and work 2 rows in each color in reverse rainbow order (from the bottom to the top). I crocheted over my ends as I went along. Fasten off and weave in the ends. You can use your Pride Patch as a sewn-on patch for a jacket or bag, as a bookmark, or as a decoration. Mine measures 4 and 3/4 inches by 2 and 1/2 inches.

To make this Pride Bracelet, you will need worsted scraps of yarn in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Hold all 6 strands together, making sure to leave the strands attached to their skeins/balls. Tie a slip knot with about 8 inches of yarn to spare before the knot. Using a US size M13 10mm crochet hook, work chain stitches with all of the strands held together until you achieve the desired length. My chain measures 5 inches for a women's size small wrist. Fasten off. Leave 8 inches of yarn on the remaining bracelet end and cut the yarn. Finally, separate the yarn strands into three groups of two on each side and braid them, tying an overhand knot to secure them. Trim the ends. My ties measure 3 inches each.

I hope these small, meditative projects brighten your day just a bit in a world that can be pretty scary. My deepest condolences go out to the families of the victims of the Orlando shooting.

Finished Knit Willow Cowl

I recently finished the Willow Cowl by Amelia Lyon. Many of the wonderful women in my Sunday stitching group have worked on it at one point or another. Others' versions were so pretty and fun that I decided to tackle it myself. Honestly, this is the first knit item that I have made that makes me feel like a knitter. If I remember correctly, it is my sixth project. I learned some new skills, got frustrated at times, but also triumphed.

My version of the cowl is altered. It seems that I just can't keep myself from making each project personal and changing it a little. I didn't do any of the decreases that the original pattern called for, making my cowl bunchy, squishy, and more open than the designer's. I also did fewer repeats. The reason I made these changes is that I have a weird thing about accessories being too close to my neck, and the original version pretty much hugs the wearer's neck. In fact, I often take my necklaces off halfway through the day, even if they are down past my collarbone! A necklace extender may be in order...

The beautiful yarn was given to me by my friend, Toni. It's Blue Moon Fibers Sox that Rock. This pattern is really good for a single skein of multicolored yarn, as a glance through the project pages will attest.

All in all I am quite pleased. However... I think it's time to go back to crochet for a while! My hands miss it.

Color Squish Beanie Crochet Pattern

I am so, so excited to be releasing my new pattern, the Color Squish Beanie. Remember when I got that gift card yarn a while ago? Here's what I did with it! The pattern is available on Ravelry and Craftsy.

It has texture, style, and squish that will brighten your day and bring on the compliments! It’s quick and fun to work up, making it the perfect charity project or gift. Make it in any size. The heart adds that little bit of love that makes it so special. Clear written instructions and photos ensure that your crocheting experience is awesome. Hook it today!

A Deliciously Colorful Package

I got an Amazon gift card a while back and then promptly forgot about it. Then, when I was cleaning the living room, I came across it and got excited! You'll never guess what I bought with it... yarn! I mean, who could have seen that coming? ;)

Here's my recent acquisition. I've been eyeing it for a while and a gift card was the perfect excuse to buy it. It's Crystal Palace Mochi Plus in Babyface.

So pretty! *Cue heavenly choirs singing* Okay, now that I've got it, what shall I make with it?

Journaling Through Crochet

A while back I featured an awesome Remix of the Amineko Cat pattern. Karin used the temperature of each day to craft a one-of-a-kind cat.

Temperature projects like blankets, scarves, and this cat are a form of journaling through crochet. Taking a moment of each day to work on a single project slowly over time can provide a very different kind of satisfaction than working on a project for hours at a time and finishing it much more quickly. Interested in trying out this type of project for yourself? Here are a few ideas!

Sampler Afghan 
Work up a different, large afghan block each month and combine all twelve at the end of the year for a special blanket.

Mood Project
Select a different color of yarn for each mood (happy, sad, angry, bored, excited, etc) and then work up a row on a scarf or blanket in the appropriate color each day.

Skill Builder
This is a great one for beginners. Choose a small pattern like a flower motif. Work the same pattern once every month for a year. At the end of the year you'll be able to see how much your tension and accuracy has improved. You can then use all of the bits and pieces together in a big project.

Have any other suggestions for journaling through crochet? Share them with us in the comments!

Friday Focus: Susan Carlson aka Felted Button

One of the best things about yarn is that it comes in so many pretty colors. It's so delightful to softly run those colors through your fingers as you make your masterpiece. Today's featured designer, Susan Carlson, is a master of color. Her patterns capture the best face of the yarn with lovely textures. Don't take my word for it! Feast your eyes on the splendor that follows.

Who taught you to crochet? How long have you been doing it?
I was taught to crochet by my left-handed granny. Since I'm a righty, I'm still not certain how she pulled it off with a distracted and squirmy 9 year old, but I'll admit I found the process intriguing. From there I made only one thing that I can really recall...a hideously long, squeaky black scarf for my dad. See, my granny never taught me how to fasten off, so I just kept going until the entire skein was gone. That whole "not knowing when to stop" was a problem I faced in school, too, as my teachers confirmed. Indeed, I immediately got distracted--for over 30 years--with things like running hurdles, teaching high school sciences, and learning a lot about other crafty things. But then, being inspired by a number of crochet blogs, I found the hook my granny had given me and bought A LOT of yarn. Again, not knowing quite when to stop, I made the most ginormous blanket! But I was "hooked" and have been crocheting ever since! 

Why do you crochet?
I have what I call a very "noisy" brain. I crochet because it quiets the noise. And I remember as a child feeling the NEED to create something... anything. With crocheting, not only do I get a quiet mind, but also a wonderful, colorful, original handmade item to enjoy or share. Plus, do you realize how many colors of yarn there are?

Crochet Favorites
COLOR!! Anything colorful makes my wee heart sing! I love colorful yarn and my rainbow set of Clover Amour hooks! I love soft and colorful cotton, colorful feltable wool, and colorful buttons—hence Felted Button! Why designing and writing patterns? To have someone with their own hands translate and make a tangible creation from what started out as only an idea in my head, well, it’s magical!! Plus, I never have to make the same thing twice—it’s that distraction/focus issue again. 

For me, I tend to be more focused on the art of the design than the current style or trend. That’s probably why I am drawn to blankets and rugs as they are essentially a huge canvas on which to "paint" or "draw" with colorful yarn!

A few finished objects...
Like the Painted Pixels Blanket which is made with 7 colorways of a self-striping yarn. This one was taken on as a challenge to myself to see if I could make these 7 disparate balls of yarn actually look good together.

Or the Rainbow Sprinkles Blanket which came to me as I imagined little sprinkles of color falling against a neutral background gaining more color as they fell into a colorful pile of happiness!

Or the Pointillism Posie Blanket which dawned on me while reminiscing upon my sixth grade art class where we learned about pointillism. Each of the 29 colors of motifs—busted from my stash--makes a little spot of color that adds to the image of the huge flower!

Texture and color are vital elements in my designs, but never at the expense of crocheting that is not pleasurable, as I believe the fun is in the action of hook and yarn in hand, not merely the finished product. So I strive to make my patterns friendly for various skill levels with any unusual stitches and techniques shown in detail. It has to be fun to make, right?!

What are you working on right now?

I am adoring this hooky adventure I am on and hope to continue designing, crocheting, and sharing some happy colorful creations with the world. I love meeting other like-minded crocheting fools geniuses like me and am looking forward to challenging myself with new designs and colorful creations! Now if I could only get focused on just one design at a …squirrel!

Find Felted Button colorful crochet patterns on Ravelry, Craftsy and Etsy. Stay in the “Button” loop with me on Facebook, Pinterest or at Felted Button.

Just stunning, Susan! Thank you so much for joining us today.