Solarita

I was thinking of the sun, margaritas, and very warm, autumnal shawls when I designed this crescent wrap. I'm even cold in the summer sometimes. Especially after dark, or in late August when the weather starts to shift. Thinking of the summer sun setting as I sit outside with friends, chatting and watching the sky change color - this is when I start to shiver and look for something warm like the sun.

So I drew up a shawl like the setting sun in my sketchbook. It has a bold border with triangles and finger-like fringe. I found another use for my crazy stripe stitches that did not need color changes to show up. 

Surprisingly, the finished shawl looks almost exactly like the drawing, That rarely works out so well.

The yarn is Brooklyn Tweed Loft, a very springy yarn with bright flecks of orange and green undertones.

The best part is that it matches my favorite (only?) formal dress. No more cheap ugly cardigans or cold arms.

If you are interested in this pattern, you can check it out on Ravelry or buy it here.

Beyond Dead

The term for ironing the texture, stretch, and loft out of acrylic fiber is killing. Killed acrylic had good drape and feels smooth and almost silky. A few months ago, I started to experiment with the idea of heat setting acrylic swatches into more interesting textures than their usual flat form.

This pink swatch is in a fold pattern called a Miura-Ori. It was ironed into folds in the compact position on top. when you open it up, the crease pattern is visible. Because of the shininess of the yarn after ironing, the folds really shine in the sunlight.

This second piece in aquamarine yarn has an unstructured texture. It was crumpled and baked to get this unusual, almost organic topography. It almost looks like the mountains on a map. I hit one side with green Montana Gold  spray paint to create a different effect on the back. The shine of the yarn is really nice with this texture, and the crumpled effect creates an elasticity in the fabric.

The goal of these swatches was to take a fiber which is not generally considered desirable and to transform it into something where the artificiality and cheapness become positive attributes. These two effects can only be achieved with a synthetic fiber  and are quite beautiful. I'm thinking up some patterns that might use this sort of textile, so if you like the look and have some ideas, please comment.

These techniques are going to be the topic of a tutorial which shows how to heat your acrylic safely and with style. Hope you all liked the examples.

Feelological Bacterial Growth

 For readers who are not familiar with the ongoing project, Feelology started as my senior thesis project. The goal was to create a set of products which keep us grounded in physical space even when we are preoccupied with our mobile distraction devices. As life moves further from reality and becomes inseparable from the internet and the computer, we cannot forget to satisfy our senses. Life is about more than touching a screen, it is about feeling and being aware of your environment.

Since May, I have been refining the manufacturing process behind the feelology felt rug. The first version was a rectangular shape made only with a felting needle and wool. This new set involves a bit of adhesive, but saves me strained arm muscles and pricked fingers, not to mention about 20 hours of work.

 I made these new floor mats round because the shape works better with the bubble pattern. When choosing a layout, I wanted it to look natural and somewhat random, not arranged. I looked at the growth patterns of bacterial cultures in petri dishes, they tend to grow in clusters and in many cases have very beautiful patterns.

You can see the similarities.

In order to make sure that I can definitely use colors other than white, I made one round with green felt. The color is really close to moss, which makes walking on it a lot like walking barefoot in my backyard. Moss is a very enjoyable texture memory for me.

 So check them both out on etsy, and remember that I am now able to fill custom orders in various colors and sizes up to 5'x8'.

carpet planning...

More carpets are in the works, made using a more precise and less dangerous process (I got tired of felting needle wounds). They are also more water resistant and durable.

If anyone is interested in seeing samples, send me a note.

terrible picture of progress

This is a picture of the feelology throw pillow experiment which I started yesterday. It looks pretty good for a test, but the quality of the picture is awful.

ID view 2011

feelology

These are the final images of the products made for my feelology project. The project started with the intent to introduce textures to the backs of electronic devices in order to make them more tactile. While sketching in silicone, I realized that though it is interesting to make a device feel good in the hand, it is not going to change how people interact with their electronics. Tactile surfaces have more impact when they are not directly competing with the functional screen side of the device.

I branched out into other materials, incorporating my love of textiles and craft into my experimentation in feelology. The result is a group of three products (plus a bunch of silicone sketches) which add an element of tactility to an environment.

The quilt is a new interpretation of the classic trapunto technique. The pattern of stuffed areas is unevenly distributed and is therefore more interesting to feel in some areas than others. By emphasizing the texture of an object that is already used as a comfort object, the user may become more aware of the physical object which they are interacting with, or maybe not.

The carpet, made entirely out of wool, has a similar concept to the quilt. The lumps of varying size are placed unevenly so the texture is more noticeable. In the process of sketching, I found that a uniform texture is the tactile equivalent of white noise: You can feel it, but the sensation is constant that after a while you no longer notice it. The bumps kind of massage the bottoms of your feet. They feel pretty good.

The third product in the series is kind of the odd duck of the group. This is the hoodie that I posted about earlier. It has an inset pocket with a texture inside. The idea is based on the observation that people reach into their pockets and jingle their change or their keys when they are nervous or bored. The hoodie took on an unusual form because I wanted to make it look cozy and inviting. I also have an affinity for strangely shaped garments. The adult size has a beard of texture, the kid's (not shown) only got texture in the pockets. There is a bit more work to be done on this garment, but for the purpose of school, all of the ideas are there. More versions can be expected.

So, one week from now there will be a show/critique at Pratt Institute. I think it might be open to visitors, so drop by room 44a in Pratt studios at 1:30, Wednesday, May 4th if you want to see my work and some really cool stuff from my classmates. I may have some more to show.

the rug

This is a small textured rug that I am working on for my final. The bumps massage your feet and make you more aware of your sense of touch.

first casting

 These are the first rubber textures that were successful, yet the small dots are having a serious bubble issue.

Help on the bubble thing is welcome. I am going to try out the vacuum chamber soon.

Textures in puff paint

I have never had puff paint before, but when I saw it at the art store, I knew it would be a great way to show texture without getting too delicate or detail oriented. So far, I am not sure if it is too helpful, but it certainly is fun.