Issue 37, work small
and bigger ideas will come
hey everybody,
Summer continues, so my focus is still on freeforming small things to suit my short attention span. Playing with smallish scrumbles and working on ideas for the Study Group emails sent me down a few rabbit holes last month.
You already know about the scrumbles that got turned into “rugs” for yarn bowls, pottery, a refreshing summer beverage, etc. These are the perfect things to experiment with when it’s too hot to focus on anything big and complicated, and they’re ideal for using unexpected color combinations or trying new techniques or making the most out of very short leftover bits of yarns too precious to throw away.
While noodling away on these scrumbles, I learned about a community crochet projce in my area. The Mandala Sky group in Raleigh, NC is working towards an installation of mandalas that will be assembled into a canopy to display in the Glenwood South area close to downtown. They’ve surpassed their goal of 500 mandalas, three of which are mine:
Appropriate yarn for an outdoor project (straight up acrylic) was provided, and crocheters were invited to use mandala patterns or improvise their own. They’ll have a variety of sizes, but all three of mine are 12 inches when stretched on to the metal rings.
When the canopy is in place in September, who wants to meet me for lunch in Glenwood South and take a stroll under the mandalas?
One of the Study Group emails last month was about experimenting with a magic ball. The basic idea is to take pieces of different yarns, tie them together, and roll or wind them up into a ball. Then you freeform with it, changing the stitch or the direction when the yarn changes. Here’s a magic ball spiral in purples:
You might not be surprised to hear that putting the magic ball together was just as much fun as the freeforming itself.
Somehow I also got caught up in playing with crocheted linen stitch.
And now there are three more freeform projects in my studio in addition to the ones that were already on vacation for the summer. When the ideas pop up, they shouldn’t be ignored.
artists for inspiration
Annie Rogers is a textile artist, and if you look at her Instagram, you’ll see her inventive work and so much color inspiration.
Lots of leaves, lots of spirals, so much to look at.
a few more things you might like
What I’m watching: Billy Joel: And So It Goes on HBO Max.
What’s on my playlist: Billy Joel classics and the newest Broadway soundtrack of Sweeney Todd.
My current obsession: Annaleigh Ashford as Mrs. Lovett. She is superb.
That’s it for today, thanks for reading!
Lisa
PS: The Freeform Yarny Things newsletter is sent once or twice a month, and it's free to everyone. Thank you for subscribing! For more information about the Study Group paid subscription, visit the Study Group tab on my website: ldoherty.substack.com/p/freeform-crochet-study-group