Crochet Art Project

[VultureChow]

So here's my idea, but I could use some advice on how it would hold up.

I'm a Birgin, so I know... don't plan to do too much. What I'm anticipating is small and if it doesn't work, I won't shoot myself.

I was looking at some photos of random trash fence art and thought about crocheting a section of trash fence. Bright traffic cone orange and everything. Posts would be giant crochet hooks and a giant ball of yarn would lead off it.

Difficulties: I'm flying it, so weight and volume are limited. I'm solo, but at most setup should be two people. I figure a bottle of booze should be enough to coerce a volunteer if I can't do it myself.

Fence would be done ahead of time and the setup tested ahead of time. Wind shouldn't be an issue because it's so holey.

Questions:
1) Should I even bother? It sounds sort of boring in the context of everything else that people make, but I thought it would be cool to see.
2) Yarn. I imagine it will attract a ton of dust. I remember reading about a project that had knitted or crocheted leaves. Anyone have any experience that might help here? Acrylic vs cotton vs wool?
3) Ball of yarn. Obviously I don't want hundreds of yard of yarn to make this which means some sort of sphere as a base. If I ship stuff out, I'll just do it ahead of time. Otherwise I was considering using a smallish beach ball and then filling with a self expanding foam, not on playa, but in Reno(Planning on arriving Saturday mid-day). Then using that to wrap the yarn around. Any thoughts on this?
4) Placement. By my camp? Out by the Trash fence?

Worst case scenario, I wind up with a really weird afghan and burn my crochet hooks.

All suggestions welcome.

[Ugly Dougly]

Why the fuck not?
Cool name by the way.

[theCryptofishist]

1) Should I even bother? It sounds sort of boring in the context of everything else that people make, but I thought it would be cool to see.

Never, ever, ever let that dissuade you. Never. Ever. Ever.

Don't sit there and say that "Bliss" or "the Pier" is the only way to do art. If nothing else, you have read about dozens of projects by this time, so you can exterpolate that a very wide range of art is on display there. There is an old definition of Burningman as "the Special Olympics of Art". I don't like the definition, I think ti shorts both experiences, but it does get close to something about the burn, that all art is welcome. (Okay, physically damaging someone else permanently is probably not a good idea.) Go ahead and do it. A beachball is nice to pack in your bag, it's all deflated. Acrylic. It's cheapest and I'm sure it comes in Trash Fence Orange. And there's no fussing about dye lots if you don't buy enough.

[wh..sh]

You absolutelyfreakingmustforsure do this! And please, don't worry about people and what they think of it. Do the project for yourself.
That said, it would be really cool around your camp.

Last year I wanted to do a tiny project like that. Basically I wanted to write this on a placard and place it outside my camp (Nerd alert)

/* Hello World program */
#include<stdio.h>
main()
{
printf("HELLO WORLD");
}

But didn't do it (maybe this year). Don't be me.

[VultureChow]

You absolutelyfreakingmustforsure do this! And please, don't worry about people and what they think of it. Do the project for yourself.
That said, it would be really cool around your camp.

Last year I wanted to do a tiny project like that. Basically I wanted to write this on a placard and place it outside my camp (Nerd alert)

/* Hello World program */
#include<stdio.h>
main()
{
printf("HELLO WORLD");
}

But didn't do it (maybe this year). Don't be me.

You get a C++ from a fellow nerd.


Thanks for the encouragement everyone.

After I wrote that ridiculously emotionally needy first question, I thought about that masterpiece of American cinema Adam Sandler's Billy Madison.

"I drew the duck blue because I've never seen a blue duck before, and to be honest with you, I wanted to see a blue duck." I want to see a crochet trash fence. So I'll make one.

[wh..sh]

yayyyy!!!
Once you start the project, everything will eventually fall in it's place...

[junglesmacks]

ooo ooo ooo I finally have a place to use this photo:

[5280MeV]

1) Should I even bother? It sounds sort of boring in the context of everything else that people make, but I thought it would be cool to see.

Never, ever, ever let that dissuade you. Never. Ever. Ever.

Don't sit there and say that "Bliss" or "the Pier" is the only way to do art. If nothing else, you have read about dozens of projects by this time, so you can exterpolate that a very wide range of art is on display there. There is an old definition of Burningman as "the Special Olympics of Art". I don't like the definition, I think ti shorts both experiences, but it does get close to something about the burn, that all art is welcome. (Okay, physically damaging someone else permanently is probably not a good idea.) Go ahead and do it. A beachball is nice to pack in your bag, it's all deflated. Acrylic. It's cheapest and I'm sure it comes in Trash Fence Orange. And there's no fussing about dye lots if you don't buy enough.

+1000

Listen to the fish!!!!

The small art is more important than you can imagine. There are thousands of sculpture gardens all over the world where you can see all sorts of amazing things.

All the little stuff - surrounding you - almost burying you in millions of tiny displays of human creativity all overlapping and interfering in the midst of the most lifeless hellhole on the continent - this makes the event.

[Bob]

You could crochet a set of balls for the Man. About 18 inches, give or take.

Yeah, it's been done, but a sweater might not fit in your luggage.

[tamarakay]

My favorite thing to do was wander around and find all these little art pieces everywhere. They would just APPEAR and were all simply divine. As an older person (sorry I know I said I wouldn't bring up my age anymore but it's important to this point) who is new to the whole burningman experience and is just now discovering I may have a bit of creativity stuck down in my body, each one of these pieces were critical to me discovering myself. And yes, there were varying degrees of skill, but that is what is so exciting about it. These people were trying. Not just watching, not just wishing, TRYING.

I volunteer to help you set it up, but i'm sure you will find any number of willing helpers on the playa.

[theCryptofishist]

I miscalculated my bus schedule, and watched the buses roll by as I left the dentist office. Waiting for the next bus meant my transfer would expire. So I walked home, stopping halfway home for a latte and a muffin. Listened to a young lady talking over her big plans for the future with a couple guys, how she didn't want to "waste time" at Weber State, how she wanted to be an artist not an engineer, maybe teach some young kids art in school, or get a grant to learn art history in Europe. I was dying to butt in, I should have.

1. Do not consider teaching as a vocation unless you have a passion for education. Teaching should never be a fallback plan.
2. Weber State is a perfectly fine place to go balls to the wall for two years and get an Associate's degree, thereby locking in all your prerequisites for a 4 year degree.
3. Repeat after me: I am an artist. Now go make art, eat, drink, learn, discuss, study, read, absorb art daily. You are an artist. The commercially make a living part comes later, if ever, but never doubt: you ARE an Artist.

My teeth are clean, and my gaping hole with a crown post is ground down smooth. My walk home did not kill me, although the hernia isn't altogether joyous.

I think that's worth repeating over here.

Also, this seems like a nice twist on the idea of "yarn bombing" which is something I love. (I go for the guerrilla, but not graffiti, art snuck into our everyday world by people who just want to do it for art's sake.)

[VultureChow]

A beachball is nice to pack in your bag, it's all deflated. Acrylic. It's cheapest and I'm sure it comes in Trash Fence Orange. And there's no fussing about dye lots if you don't buy enough.

I was concerned that the beach ball might nit hold up to the exothermic reaction of the expanding foam, but the more I look at it online, I don't think that's the case. and I can insert some wire or stakes through the inflating valve to lock in an anchor for the ground.

[Drawingablank]

Sounds very interesting. I can envision it tacked onto an end of the trash fence looking like someone left off in mid stitch - but then hardly anyone would get to see it.

[VultureChow]

Sounds very interesting. I can envision it tacked onto an end of the trash fence looking like someone left off in mid stitch - but then hardly anyone would get to see it.

That was originally my idea as well. Actually, my original idea was for it to actually replace a section of the trash fence.

But I think I'll aim for it to be at camp along a road. We'll see how bored I get with the crochet work. the longer the better.

[Bob]

It's possible you could do something *useful* with this, in that some of the capital-A Artists often need fence around installations, generators, guy line anchors, etc. after-the-fact. Work up a prototype and send in a proposal.

[VultureChow]

It's possible you could do something *useful* with this, in that some of the capital-A Artists often need fence around installations, generators, guy line anchors, etc. after-the-fact. Work up a prototype and send in a proposal.

That would be awesome. My only concern is that I would promise more feet of yarn fence than I can produce. I have a weeks vacation coming up. I'll see what I can get done with a prototype and go on from there.

[Drawingablank]

Instead of yarn, why not use something thicker like 1/4 inch rope - I would think it would go much quicker.

[VultureChow]

Instead of yarn, why not use something thicker like 1/4 inch rope - I would think it would go much quicker.

Not sure how that would work with the hook, but I was looking at different cordage other than yarn, at first because of durability. I could use a chunky weight yarn and a larger hook, as well. I'm looking forward to Christmas. I'm jewish, so I'll have tons of time to try and work out a pattern. and try some different materials. I think a trip to Home Depot might be in order.

[Drawingablank]

Perhaps those hooks they sell that are approx 1 inch diameter (the ones that say you can make this scarf in 30 minutes or whatever).

[VultureChow]

Perhaps those hooks they sell that are approx 1 inch diameter (the ones that say you can make this scarf in 30 minutes or whatever).

They have some truly giant ones out there. I was actually looking at some of them as models for the posts. I'm aiming for a pattern that more than anything actually looks like the barrier fencing, but if I can come up with a chunkier cordage with a larger hook that looks right, I should be able to blow through some serious yardage.

Maybe orange paracord would look right.

[Stitch]

I was involved in building a satellite reef for the hyperbolic crochet reef project, so I came across this problem when I needed to cover a lot of ground quickly and cheaply for the display. I found the easiest way to bulk up a large section with crazy brain coral was to use thick upholstery piping (1/2" or so is about 30 to 40 cents a yard). It can be crocheted with an extra large sized hook (blue plastic one sold at Michael's or Mal-mart, unsure of size) or with your fingers. It's cotton, so it can be dyed and doesn't slip when making knots like rope or cording might.

I was a total beginner and using the piping was a piece of cake. If you know what you're doing, I'm imagining a crocheted dome taking maybe a week to make. Good luck with the project and happy hooking!

[VultureChow]

I was involved in building a satellite reef for the hyperbolic crochet reef project, so I came across this problem when I needed to cover a lot of ground quickly and cheaply for the display. I found the easiest way to bulk up a large section with crazy brain coral was to use thick upholstery piping (1/2" or so is about 30 to 40 cents a yard). It can be crocheted with an extra large sized hook (blue plastic one sold at Michael's or Mal-mart, unsure of size) or with your fingers. It's cotton, so it can be dyed and doesn't slip when making knots like rope or cording might.

I was a total beginner and using the piping was a piece of cake. If you know what you're doing, I'm imagining a crocheted dome taking maybe a week to make. Good luck with the project and happy hooking!

Thanks for the advice. I'll experiment with a bunch of different yarns/cordage and see what works. I'm a bit torn on where to go with the pattern. I can do a simple mesh, like for a a reusable shopping bag and probably make enough to ring the whole damn city, but I feel like doing something a little more detailed.

[Drawingablank]

I just had this crazy vision of making this interactive by using rope and a humongous hook (large enough to need several people to make each stitch - 2 on the hook, one on the rope).

Edit - or go for the record for worlds largest crochet stitch or something like that.

[KodiakM]

I love this idea.

Have you considered using plarn?
http://www.myrecycledbags.com/2007/02/17/instructions-for-cutting-plastic-bags-creating-recycled-plastic-yarn/

Or used bicycle tubes?
http://www.crochetconcupiscence.com/2011/10/plarn-is-so-yesterday-eco-friendly-crochet-with-bike-tire-tubes/

As soon as I saw your post, I thought it was an amazing project idea. Especially after seeing plastic bags caught in fences like so; http://www.cawrecycles.org/files/images/plastic-bags_fence.jpg

Why not use plastic bags to make a trash fence, since so many of them end up as trash on fences?

[VultureChow]

I love this idea.

Have you considered using plarn?
http://www.myrecycledbags.com/2007/02/17/instructions-for-cutting-plastic-bags-creating-recycled-plastic-yarn/

Or used bicycle tubes?
http://www.crochetconcupiscence.com/2011/10/plarn-is-so-yesterday-eco-friendly-crochet-with-bike-tire-tubes/

As soon as I saw your post, I thought it was an amazing project idea. Especially after seeing plastic bags caught in fences like so; http://www.cawrecycles.org/files/images/plastic-bags_fence.jpg

Why not use plastic bags to make a trash fence, since so many of them end up as trash on fences?

That is really cool, but I don't think I have enough time to do the fence idea. Though I might have to make some reusable bags that way as some gifts.

[VultureChow]

An update on my project. Tried a few patterns, and didn't like any of them. The mesh bag pattern would have been fast, but it almost didn't look like crochet. Then as I got away from doing a spot on reproduction of the trash fence and started thinking about other ideas, I decided to play around with granny squares, and I like the result. It's modular, so I can stop whenever I feel like it, simple and I can do more complex squares or add crocheted appliques to make it a little more interesting. I figure I'll whipstitch them to a grid of orange paracord for added strength.

It's not exactly the trash fence, but the color is right (hard to see in the photo) and with sufficient length, say 20-40 feet, and the correct height (48" is standard barrier fence), I think most will know what it is supposed to be.




The yarn ends will obviously be stitched in for the final project.

[wh..sh]

A-MAZING!!!

[VultureChow]

A-MAZING!!!

Thanks. I will sort of work in 10 foot sections, which means 165 squares. So once the first batch is done, I'll finish it off with the paracord and decide,

1) If I like it
2) If I will stop because I never want to do another granny square

I'm aiming four 40 feet cause I think this needs some scale to look really cool, but we'll see what kind of patience I have with this. Did 15 so far this weekend.

[wh..sh]

we'll see what kind of patience I have with this. Did 15 so far this weekend.

I already see how cool this is going to be!
I have been doing peyote bead weaving. I understand the patience you are talking about.
Take breaks every now and then to maintain sanity (15's great!)

[lazerfox]

this is awesome! your dedication is just wow