I learned to weave in elementary school: place mats and Easter baskets. I can’t remember if I have done any major projects since then. I used to braid dandelions daisies and lilacs into crowns for fun.
We got into the bulrush leaves and wove some creations. Lorrie took care of preparing them. They dried for about two weeks. Then she soaked them all day. 8 to 12 hours is what was recommended.
Examples of twilling: On left 2×2; on right 3×3
I shot past the mark again. But I really like weaving. So I went ahead and started making a basket. I just experimented with plaiting. (Another word for the glossary. It means to pass over and under at right angles to each other).
It ended up being lopsided.
One of my classmates used a twining technique. It made maintaining the form of her basket (shown below) much more manageable.
My brother-in-law was recently injured and I was really stressed about whether he was going to survive. I wasn’t able to sit still during the other students presentations, so I just kept braiding. It was fast and mostly mindless.
It got pretty long. I thought I might coil it together into a vessel. But life happened and I didn’t get to it.
Susan also taught us how to make two-strand cord by twisting the leaves clockwise and then twining them around each other counterclockwise. Mine was really tight because I was so stressed.
I was glad to be there though. I really like weaving. I have thought a number of times about going and harvesting all the bulrush leaves before they get chopped down. I think I will make the second little pig’s house.
Dr. Susan Gerofsky joined us today. She told us about the Earthand Gleaners Society and how they make art from materials gathered from the environment. I was particularly interested in her account of artists using English ivy to make ephemeral art. I like ivy, and since it is intrusive, I can harvest as much as I want from the forest. FREE MATERIALS!
We gathered bulrush leaves and set them aside to dry. This was probably more hassle for Lorrie since we didn’t have to handle the logistics around storage.
I didn’t get to read the whole thing, but the part that struck me about idea generation was how they wanted to encourage divergent thinking. I can see why having multiple ideas is good and would try to encourage it in my students by asking them “How many ways can you solve this?” rather than simply “How can this be solved?”
I think in my own creative process I like to have one idea that I get very passionate about. I feel concern that this energy could be reduced if I shifted my focus from the eureka moment to multiple eureka moments. Maybe I would just need to enjoy each one. I wonder if my students would feel the same concern?
Other points that were brought up in class included the flipped classroom, and collaboration. I am going to read this in its entirety over the break.
Kelly, R., (2008). “Longitudinal Creativity: Understanding the Growth and Development of Ideas in an Educational Setting,” In Creative Expression Creative Education (pp. 21 -33) Edited by Robert Kelly and Carl Leggo, Calgary: Detselig Enterprise Ltd.
I have never felted before. I didn’t even know what roving was. Now I do. It is very peaceful to sit and stab a ball of fluff with a needle. Right until you get your finger.
I prefer additive sculpture over reductive, so I enjoyed this process. I made a caterpillar by felting several little balls and attaching them together in the form of an inchworm. Then I kept adding layers and adjusting the position. Layering the colours reminds me of working with pencil crayons. I never lay down one colour and often deliberately choose colour that contrast jarringly to get the effect I want.
I got wrapped up in needle felting and planned to do the wet felting at home. Sadly I got sick. So I didn’t get to it yet.
I made a little crocheted snowflake once. There was a lot of hand holding and I didn’t really learn how to crochet.
My friend taught me to cast on in the summer… sort of. But now, I have finally learned how to crochet. I made two samples and then I bought a pattern called Autumn Leaves. It was a fun and authentic way to practise a variety of stitches.
Wertheim’s goal “to communicate about science, technology, and mathematics in new and innovative ways, focusing on what I consider to be their poetic and aesthetic ends” p278 seems eminently worthwhile. It doesn’t focus on the “big” questions, rather it makes every day science accessible to everyone, even those of us who may not have an understanding of the formulae and terminology that typically frames this kind of discussion. For young students, it is essential for them to develop confidence in their ability to understand science so they may feel wonder and delight when they learn about it. This doesn’t mean that formulae should be rejected, but that they are only a part of science understanding and exploration–a cerebral part–that can be fueled and complemented by engagement through creative disciplines such as literature, art and music.
In describing Daina’s crocheted models, Wertheim says “you can actually see the space, and feel it, and explore it with your hands.” p279
The Method
“…all you have to do is increase stitches in each row: knit-(n) stitches, increase one; knit-(n) stitches, increase one. When you increase stitches every two stitches, for example, you get a model that gets crenellated very quickly; if you increase every twenty stitches, on the other hand, you get a form that is relatively flat and a lot less frilly. That was the complete initial discovery—utterly simple and utterly brilliant. But Christine and I gradually found that when we began deviating from that original formula the models started to look quite different and a lot more organic. For instance, we tried increasing every three stitches for a while, then every four, then every five, then back to three for a while, and we found that the forms changed quite substantially. So, what we’ve come to is that this is like an experiment in practical evolution; you have this simple, underlying code, but slight shifts in the code make radical differences to the morphology of the finished form.” p281
The play tank “literally, physically playing with ideas”
I am not sure if my ideas of knitting and crochet as art have changed, since I already had a pretty inclusive idea regarding what could be considered art. I do know that a lot of people have traditional ideas about art, not realizing that the things they do include were often rejected by the artist’s contemporaries. My ideas around the validity of crochet as a means to represent science, and as a means of furthering research into science and mathematics has changed. I think it is important to point out that while they are playing with ideas that those who are planning to share it with the academic community will be striving to maintain rigour in their process and documentation practise.
Another thing that this has helped me realize is how separate we keep different disciplines.
From an artistic point of view, the crocheted reef is astonishingly beautiful. It is sophisticated, complicated, but the whole work can be experienced without being overwhelmed by the details. The scale is part of what makes it magnificent. It is very effective at communicating what will be lost do to misuse of the planet. I prefer this manner of social commentary over those that show the garbage piling up around us. Rather than using guilt, it is like someone is teaching you to care. Saying “look” “please”
As always, I kinda want to soak them in ceramic slip and fire them up.
Buszek (Ed.), Extra/ordinary: Craft and contemporary art (pp. 175-183). Durham and London: Duke University Press.
So, I already knew how to do the knit cast on. My dad taught me and one of his parents taught him.
I learned how to do the Single Cast on method. It is faster, but I struggle to pick up stitches when I start trying to knit them. So it probably doesn’t save me any time.
I like the long tail cast on, but I forget how to do it every time I learn it. I think this is the one my grandma used, but she did it so fast, I couldn’t really follow it.
Knit Stitch
Purl Stitch
Garter Stitch (knit everything) I made a lot of unfinished scarves in garter stitch when I was a little girl.
Stocking Stitch (k row, p row) I like how this one curls up. I want to try and design some leaf patterns that curl using this stitch.
Seed Stitch (instructions) The seed stitches have a fancy look, and they are simple to make.
Rib Knit (instructions) This is an example of two by two knitting. I used it before on the one baby sweater I ever actually finished.
Basketweave Stitch (instructions) This stitch is crazy. I didn’t enjoy it much, probably because I switched to cotton yarn that didn’t stretch very well. I also don’t understand why they didn’t use double pointed needles instead of pinching the stitches. I have learned how to pinch stitches now though, so I now have greater facility when cabling.
Spring (instructions) This is my favourite, so far. It is adorable.
I want to explore the process of knitted lace much more than I have. I got out some books from the library, but I didn’t have time to explore them yet.
I saw this online image of a cozy, little fire hydrant all tucked up in a knitted hydrant sweater. I thought it was one person pulling an isolated prank. It turns out I was wrong; yarn bombing is a “thing.”
It is quirky and makes me laugh. It is subversive in its association with graffiti, but it is cute and mostly harmless. No property is damaged, but a mark is definitely left behind.
I suppose it could get even more subversive depending on the things referenced by the graffiti artists.
Would I ever yarn bomb?
I think I wouldn’t. It seems like a lot of work that I would be leaving behind. Maybe I am more attached to my product than I realize.
Prain, L., & Moore, M. (2009). Yarn bombing: The art of crochet and knit graffiti. Vancouver, BC: Arsenal Pulp Press.
“My ethnicity does not matter to me. Being Chinese or Canadian is irrelevant. I only know that I am an individual living in this world.”
“Nostalgia defeats people. It destroys achievement and makes people lose sight of a better future.”
“If you want to change your life in some way, the path can be a difficult one. But you have no choice but to face such difficulty directly. By doing so you will become a better person.”
“…in this process my ideas are born. None of this, however, can be expressed artistically until the artist has developed technique.”
“Life provides me with experience; art provides me with a way to find my inner self.”
How will identity affect my work?
I put myself … my ‘self’ back together after struggling through 7 years of depression. So much of my art centres around flawed worthiness and I depict it through beautiful, broken things. My struggle with perfectionism competes with this. “The conflict should generate some powerful work,” she muttered in a voice laced with irony.
Gu, X., (2008). “In My Own Words,” In Creative Expression Creative Education (pp. 65-75) Edited by Robert Kelly and Carl Leggo, Calgary: Detselig Enterprise Ltd.
Examples of twilling
: On left 2×2; on right 3×3
My brother-in-law was recently injured and I was really stressed about whether he was going to survive. I wasn’t able to sit still during the other students presentations, so I just kept braiding. It was fast and mostly mindless.
I saw this online image of a cozy, little fire hydrant all tucked up in a 
