New hat for warm ears

Crochet vendor sews up profits one hand-made hat at a time on 42nd Street

Hats for Sale, Hats for Sale, $20 a hat!

Click here to read more of this cool story about an enterprising artist.

Hyperbolic scarf

Spinning on the 7 train

Check out this movie, SPINDLE 7. I met the artist, Robyn Love, when she participated in Maker Faire out at the NY Hall of Science. She wrapped the rocket ship with a knitted/crocheted blanket.

Here's the blurb:
Carrying a tote bag filled with drop spindles and wool, artist Robyn Love rode New York City's 7 train through the most ethnically diverse county in the United States, the borough of Queens, talking to her fellow passengers and teaching them how to spin.

I really dug this movie. Since I take the 7 train to work all the time, it has special meaning for me.

Movie link: http://vimeo.com/15853937

Nice to see a present being used so well.

Maker Faire 2010: great fiber art

That's me, standing between two wonderful needle women at Maker Faire. Held at The New York Hall of Science, this festival had some pretty awesome fiber art.
Robyn Love (left) is the creator of this rocket/blanket display. I contributed a 12" square. Anna Hrachovec (right) was a guest "maker" in the NYSCI library.

Lion Brand Yarn sponsored Robyn's exhibit.

From their PR:

At the rocket ship a trail of over 300 knit and crocheted squares will be attached to flow from the rocket.

This interactive exhibit will allow visitors to write notes and pin them to the yarn crafted trail of squares with their personal “message to the universe."

After the event, the squares will be recreated into afghans to donate to the Warm Up America! Foundation"

Here's Anna in the NYSCI library. Her knitted creations are
featured in her new book, Knitting Mochimochi.

NY Hall of Science wanted to have a strong presence at Maker Faire, so as the Librarian, I invited makers that connected science and literacy to display their art in the library.

We also had Sarah Nicholls from The Center for Book Arts and Mary Carson, author of Let's Play Science. Shelby Arnold, who works with Pop-Up Master Robert Sabuda, gave a pop-up card workshop.

Anna's fungus are really adorable and exquisitely rendered. Quite a different feeling from my creations.
Here they visit on my table.

My display included the plarn bag, my fungus creations and of course my security gate sweaters (see previous post).

I was asked to wear the NYSCI t-shirt that featured the "scicons" - designed by Cara, our art director and my best friend at the Hall.

Karen, crocheter and NYSCI educator, made these adorable scicons.

Technology and robots were BIG at this event. Sure, I dig technology, why not?

Like this groovy device.

These pretty eggs were drawn on by a machine (eggbot) connected to a computer that had been programmed with a design. This is technology that spreads beauty.

Thanks, but no thanks!

Among the 173 exhibits I strolled by and kept strolling.

Amy Caterina crocheted this car cover from yarn that had a grass like look.

This is another Lion Brand project. Amy and I had a swell visit on Saturday, she is a thoughtful and joyful artist. Check out her website FreeRangeKnitting.

Red Cross Tent with two brand new crocheters who

learned at one of the many booths featuring lessons.

What's next?

How about my very own Lion Brand Yarn sponsored fiber art piece? Maybe four panels in the library, earth air fire water or winter spring summer fall. I made a connection with them, so we'll see how far it goes.

Maker Faire - thanks for the inspiration!

Security Gates Sweater - all finished for Maker Faire

These security gates will still do their beeping job if needed here in the Library at the New York Hall of Science.
As Librarian, this is only part of my contribution to Maker Faire this weekend. I will also display my mushroom creations.
The Library will be hosting some other Makers, including fab knitter, Anna Hrachovec (check out mochimochiland.com).

Here's my good friend, Ray, being supportive and ready to engage.

Comfy Cozy Security Gates

Maker Faire is coming to NYC. In fact, The New York Hall of Science will be hosting this enormous Do-It-Yourself Festival on Sept 25/26th. (300 exhibitors, 25,000 visitors).

The librarian (moi) will present several specially invited makers in the Hall of Science library, including a table of my mushrooms, lichen etc. For this special occasion, I plan to go the yarn bombing route and create a sweater for the security gates.


In the process now of making the "sleeves". One of the two will be reds/oranges and the other in the blue/green family. The vertical arms might be purple. Stay tuned.

There's another fiber artist who lives here

These are Friendship bracelets

Inspired while on vacation by the Long Lake logo!

Crocheting Adventures with Hyperbolic Planes

We went to hear and see the artist and mathematician, Daina Taimina at a Talk & Book Signing. She delivered a fascinating presentation at the Lion Brand Yarn Studio on West 15th Street NYC.






We were invited to "Enter the amazing world of Hyperbolic Crochet. Come be inspired with the sculptural beauty of what a little yarn & a little math can create."

Daina Taimina: “I thought if something can be made out of paper, it can also be crocheted, so I made my first crocheted hyperbolic planes in June 1997 by increasing stitches in constant ratio – after every two stitches I did an increase by one stitch. The number of stitches in each row grew exponentially, so after finishing my first small, very ruffled one I realized that to explore the hyperbolic plane I have to change the ratio of increase.”

The Land and the Sea

Her work is quite beautiful. In addition to illustrating the mathematical concept, these hyperbolic creations are just a pleasure to regard. I love the colors of this one, and the way she placed it in a nature setting.

Cairns

Birch bark from the Adirondack forest, pebbles from the beach at Blue Mountain Lake, glass beads and a crocheted cairn and crocheted growth of some kind. Combo Cairns!

Cairns for my mushroom creations

A cairn is an intentionally laid pile of rocks, carefully stacked without mortar (but with hot glue guns!). Cairns are thought to have some meanings associated with marking property ownership or control, such as a landmark, a territorial marker, or a grave marker. Or the meaning can be purely aesthetic, created merely for the sake of beauty.
... some of this info from http://archaeology.about.com

Long Lake items collected for compilation creations to be considered back in New York City

Camera case goes with my new shoulder bag

Real Lichen in Long Lake forest

So much different growth going on here in one place. Its not my intention to try to reproduce this with crochet, but its just so rich and fertile.... an inspiration.

Beautiful Long Lake in the Adirondacks in upstate NY