Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Part II

My apologies in advance for all the photos! I visited the Smithsonian Natural History Museum this weekend (after we determined we could not see or hear anything at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Feer!) to check out the crocheted coral reef exhibit. I went in expecting to spend a lot of time trying to find my one little piece, but I found it pretty fast! Enjoy the pictures and I look forward to posting about my upcoming holiday projects in the coming days.

History of the project:

"Healthy" coral angle:

More of the healthy reef:

And....my piece was just behind the railing from the picture above: (hint - my piece is light green with an orange fuzzy accent!)

Crochet Coral Reef

This summer, I was browsing through my local yarn shop's weekly email and noticed a very cool project - a crochet coral reef! The Fiber Space had sessions throughout the summer to teach folks how to crochet pieces of coral for an exhibit at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum. I was so impressed with the skills of all the talented people making pieces for this exhibit.

Mine is just a small coral inspired by my first experience snorkeling in St. Lucia this summer:

The exhibit is now open and runs through April 11, 2011. I haven't had a chance to see it yet, but I hope that my piece is visible among all the crocheted coral reef pieces. This project was a community effort - local yarn shops, schools, and the museum all worked together to create a coral reef out of yarn.

If you are in D.C. between now and April, I hope you will check it out!

Colorwork Crochet Bag

I had been working on this colorwork crochet bag since last spring and I finally finished it last weekend! My first goal was to finish it before my wedding (June 5), then before the start of law school (August 30), but October 11 just had to do! I found the pattern for this "Finest Hops Bag" in the Summer 2008 issue of Interweave Crochet (near the bottom of the page). I wanted to try experimenting with many colors in one piece and also different embroidery techniques.


I plan to use some of the embroidery techniques in future crocheted and woven projects.

I love the Lantern Moon handles for this bag! Also, there are two outside pockets on this bag under the embroidered flowers. I definitely plan to use the pocket techniques in future projects as well. Thanks to Millicent's Yarn in Cumberland, MD for all the supplies for this project!

Woven Rag Rugs!

I know it has been a very long time since I have posted and I probably don't have any readers. Last spring I was busy planning a wedding and this summer I got married, traveled a bit, and I recently started going to law school at night (in addition to my day job!). However, I somehow managed to weave a couple of rugs along the way.

I have always wanted to try my hand at a rug. I got tired of making scarves! I had no guidance on this process and just made this up as I went along. I used an unmercenized cotton warp and strips of cotton sheets for the weft. You may not be able to tell from the photo, but it is about the size of a doormat. I love the way they look and as a result, do not want to use them!



In addition to my weaving, I always have a few crochet projects in the queue. I hope to post more on those in the coming weeks and months. Until then, for all my DC readers, Crafty Bastards is this Saturday! Also, a great new yarn shop opened in Dupont Circle - Looped Yarnworks. Enjoy!

Weaving Nook

Since I moved last fall, I have enjoyed having a space for my loom in the bedroom, but last week, it got even more like an official weaving "nook." Jon installed a shelf above my loom to display some of my more attractive yarns. It adds some great color to the wall, and it makes my space feel more official. I still envy the wonderful studios of my fellow weaving bloggers, but this is what you get when you're a poor urbanite! Now if I could just find the time to actually weave!

This weekend we made our way to Western Maryland for a mountain getaway. I had to stop at a yarn shop along the way called Millicent's Yarns in Cumberland, MD. I highly recommend this shop to any knitters/crocheters/yarn enthusiasts. Not only was the selection wonderful, but they had a large library of books and a wonderful staff. The shop was packed with the young and old alike, yet the staff was still able to help everyone in the store. I picked up a number of items for a complex crochet project that I hope to finish before the summer.

Snowed In Projects!

I have been snowed in since Saturday in two (!) freak blizzards that have hit the D.C. area. I have taken the time to relax, catch up on sleep, and of course, make things! I managed to get to the ArtSpace yesterday to work on my new rag rug project. I'm all warped up and will be ready to weave next week. I also wound up some yarn to make an overshot scarf on my LeClerc at home. We are snowed in again today, so I will be starting that project today.

Here are some items that I have crocheted over the past few days:

For some reason I am having trouble uploading the rest into blogger, so you can check out the other items I have made in my crochet photo album.

What are your favorite snow day projects?

ArtSpace Fundraiser

I learned how to weave at the New Community ArtSpace in Washington, DC. Today, the ArtSpace needs your help to continue to provide community art classes. AIGA DC is sponsoring a fundraiser to raise money for the ArtSpace and I have donated a woven chenille scarf for auction.

Read more about "Dollars For Degas: An AIGA DC Party to Benefit New Community Artspace" here.

This is what I will be contributing: