Hana Pesut Does the Old ‘Switcheroo’…

Tags

Art, culture, Hana Pesut, iPhone, Photograph, Photographer, Photography, Portrait, Social Commentary, Switcheroo, Tallulah Bankhead, Vancouver

Sandra & Simon by Hana Pesut, ‘Switcheroo’ Series
(Images © Hana Pesut 2012)

They used to photograph Shirley Temple through gauze. They should photograph me through linoleum. (Tallulah Bankhead)

I come from a family of indifferent photographers. I remember a time as a teenager – back in the olden days, when you had to wait until your film was developed before seeing what your pictures looked like – when my father got some film developed and there was a span of almost ten years between the first and last image. True story.

My photographic skills are no better. I’m a snapper, really. Point-and-shoot cameras were designed with people like me in mind. All the images taken by me on this blog are done on my iPhone. Getting the picture…?

Actually, it’s really only since I started blogging that I have become interested in photography as an art form. The web is a great medium from which to share images. As a result, I’m sure followers of TSL will not be surprised to learn that I am completely captivated by the kooky images of Hana Pesut and her ‘Switcheroo’ series.

According to her bio, Hana is a self-taught photographer currently living in Vancouver. Her main focus in photography is getting the ‘little moments’ that people sometimes miss and later wish they had captured. She hopes to inspire others to take more photos in their day to day life. I reckon’ if I prove to be a better photographer than crochet-er, she’s converted one more person to her cause!

See what you think…

Amy & Joe by Hana Pesut, ‘Switcheroo’ Series
(Images © Hana Pesut 2012)

Sarah & Carl by Hana Pesut, ‘Switcheroo’ Series
(Images © Hana Pesut 2012)

Nick & Margaret by Hana Pesut, ‘Switcheroo’ Series
(Images © Hana Pesut 2012)

Mallory & Norman by Hana Pesut, ‘Switcheroo’ Series
(Images © Hana Pesut 2012)

Another simple yet inspired idea! There are loads more examples of the old ‘Switcheroo’ on Hana Pesut’s website here. I think her images are just fab’.

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Anna Garforth’s ‘Guerilla Gardener’ Graffiti Grows On You…

Tags

Anna Garforth, Art, Banksy, community, culture, Design, E M Crane, Exit Through The Gift Shop, Graffiti, Green Graffiti, Guerilla Gardening, London, Moss, Social Commentary, Street art, Typography

‘Park’ by Banksy (Los Angeles)
(Image from here)

A wall is a very big weapon. It’s one of the nastiest things you can hit someone with.(Banksy)

The word ‘graffiti’ stems from the Italian word graffiato, meaning scratched. It can range from simple written words to elaborate wall paintings and it has existed since ancient times. It often has a reputation for being part of a sub-culture that rebels against authority, and certainly, artists like Banksy have used it as a tool to spread their point of view in a clever and satirical manner*.

While I am certainly a fan of Banksy’s work, I’m loving this new trend of ‘green graffiti’ installations. It ticks all the boxes for me – quirky, clever, the tiniest bit subversive AND it’s environmentally friendly.

Anna Garforth is one artist who is worth a squizz when it comes to the growing art (ha!) of green graffiti. An artist who works with a diverse range of mediums, I reckon’ her wonderful moss typography pieces are just sublime.

Her ‘Grow’ moss typography adorns the wall of a secret spot she found in London behind locked gates in a disused plot awaiting the arrival of new flats… 

‘Grow’ – Green Graffiti by Anna Garforth
(Image © Anna Garforth)

‘Grow’ (Close Up) – Green Graffiti by Anna Garforth
(Image © Anna Garforth)

‘Spore Borne’ was Garforth’s first experiment in moss writing. She is quoting from a poem written by Elenor Stevens…

‘Spore Borne’ – Green Graffiti by Anna Garforth
(Image © Anna Garforth)

‘Spore Borne’ (Close Up) – Green Graffiti by Anna Garforth
(Image © Anna Garforth)

Although I suspect there is slightly more to Anna Garforth’s gorgeous installations, if you are just the slightest bit tempted to try your hand at green graffiti, wikihow has a great wee tutorial on just how to do it!

You can learn more about the very talented Anna Garforth’s typographical work here. 

I shall leave you today with some good, old-fashioned bathroom wall graffiti…

I was here but now I’m gone
I left my name to carry on
Those who liked me
Liked me well
Those who didn’t can go to hell
(E.M. Crane)

* If you haven’t seen Banksy’s ‘Exit Through The Gift Shop‘, it’s an absolute winner. Seriously clever.

Aled Lewis Gives Toys a Snarky Story

Tags

Aled Lewis, Arts, Books, Born This Way, British Humour, culture, Design, Graphic Design, Humor, Humour, London, Toy Confidential: The Secret Life of Snarky Toys, Toy Stories, Toys, Victoria Wood

‘Some Similarities’ by Aled Lewis
(Image © Aled Lewis)

I know I’ve got a degree. Why does that mean I have to spend my life with intellectuals? I’ve got a lifesaving certificate but I don’t spend my evenings diving for a rubber brick with my pyjamas on.” (Victoria Wood)

What is it about the English and their humour? For some reason, it just seems to resonate…

With that in mind, have you come across the slightly kooky yet clever world of Aled Lewis, yet? He may not be a comedian in the traditional sense, but I reckon’ he’s a pretty clever social commentator. His ‘Toy Stories’ series is bound to give you a lift. Promise.

According to his bio, Aled is a “designer, illustrator and author based in London“. A life-long gamer, he is influenced and inspired by comics, film and television — and this shows in much of his work. The speech bubbles he adds to each of his toy images are insightful and funny.

Which one’s your favourite?

‘Body Double’ by Aled Lewis
(Image © Aled Lewis)

‘La Mode’ by Aled Lewis
(Image © Aled Lewis)

‘Born This Way’ by Aled Lewis
(Image © Aled Lewis)

‘Murder Mystery’ by Aled Lewis
(Image © Aled Lewis)

‘Holy Cow’ by Aled Lewis
(Image © Aled Lewis)

‘Maybe Next Year’ by Aled Lewis
(Image © Aled Lewis)

‘Lonely Wolf’ by Aled Lewis
(Image © Aled Lewis)

‘Grounded’ by Aled Lewis
(Image © Aled Lewis)

‘Competitive Advantage’ by Aled Lewis
(Image © Aled Lewis)

Aled is currently completing work on his first published solo project, a book called ‘Toy Confidential: The Secret Life of Snarky Toys’, which is due to be released before this Christmas. He started creating these wonderful images as a personal project for his own amusement, and then found it began to develop a life of its own. The toy stories have all been created with figurines that Aled bought in toy stores, found on eBay and was given by friends.

If you would like to see more of Aled Lewis’ funky ‘Toy Stories’, check out his gallery here. Selected gallery-quality giclée art prints of this series are available to buy from here.

Hirotoshi Ito’s Stonework is a Pleasure of Paradox

Tags

Art, Arts, Clever Art, Hirotoshi Itoh, Humour, Japan, Japanese Artist, Jiyuseki, Optical illusion, Sculpture, Stone, Travel, Trompe L'oeil, Visual Arts

Three Laughing Stones by Hirotoshi Ito
(Image © Jiyuseki)

Some things I love – trompe l’oeil, clever art and design that makes me smile, a sense of fun, originality, optical illusions, wondering “How do they do that?”… So, when I find an artist who achieves all of this with his art, I am totally captivated.

Let me introduce you to the incredibly clever world of Japanese artist and stonemason, Hirotoshi Ito. He carves sculpture out of stone. But, not just any sculpture. His work utilises the natural shape of the river stones he works with, and he then imbues them with his unique kind of warmth and humour. The result is both clever and enchanting.

I love all his work. Perhaps I’m leaning towards the plush stone being my favourite… What do you think?

Laughing Stone by Hirotoshi Ito
(Image © Jiyuseki)

Peel by Hirotoshi Ito
(Image © Jiyuseki)

Metal Age by Hirotoshi Ito
(Image © Jiyuseki)

Cooking Stone by Hirotoshi Ito
(Image © Jiyuseki)

Stone Coin Purse by Hirotoshi Ito
(Image © Jiyuseki)

Plush Stone by Hirotoshi Ito
(Image © Jiyuseki)

Shirt of Autumn by Hirotoshi Ito
(Image © Jiyuseki)

While scratching my head and wondering, “How does he do that?”, I am seriously lusting after a piece of stone sculpture made Hirotoshi Ito. Sadly, I don’t think I will get to Gallery Jiyuseki in Nagano, Japan any time soon.

If you’d like to see some more examples of his work, check out his website here. Amazing.

Vivid Sydney – Lights, Music, Ideas & LOTS of People…

Tags

'The Cut', Art, Art Installation, Arts, Australia, Colour, culture, Design, Festival, Florence + The Machine, Ideas, Light Show, MCA, Music, Photographs, Sydney, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House, Travel, Vivid Sydney

LM attempting ‘mysterious’ against lamp-post with the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background at Vivid 2012
(Image by TSL)

This post is especially for to the lovely Layyla all the way over in Poland, from Layyla over the rooftops of the world, in honour of her “Hopscotch” post. Wish you were here to see it in person, Layyla!

Sydney has once again been transformed into a spectacular canvas of light, music and ideas as Vivid Sydney kicked off last night. This year, the festival runs until 11 June, and if you’re in town it is well worth a visit.

Colouring the city with creativity and inspiration, Vivid Sydney highlights include the hugely popular immersive light installations and projections; performances from local and international musicians at Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House and the new Vivid Ideas Exchange at the MCA featuring public talks and debates from leading global creative thinkers.

Vivid Sydney is a major celebration of the creative industries and the biggest festival of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, attracting over 400,000 attendees in 2011. I think many of them were out again last night, checking out all the goings on for 2012, in and around Circular Quay. It was just buzzing with activity – filled with people young and old, not to mention lots of tripods as photographers vied to take the best shot.

LM and I braved the hordes to bring you some of these images…

Amazing Light Installation on the Sydney Opera House for the Vivid Festival 2012 (while Florence + The Machine performed inside)
(Images by TSL)

Light show installation at entrance to the newly renovated MCA During at Vivid Sydney 2012
(Image by TSL)

Seriously impressive light show installation on original section of MCA during at Vivid Sydney 2012
(Image by TSL)

Circular Quay Train Station coloured red during Vivid Sydney 2012
(Image by TSL)

Sydney Harbour Bridge & Opera House from Cahill Express Way
(Image by TSL)

The MCA & Sydney Harbour Bridge 
(Image by TSL)

3 changing light installation images from ‘The Cut’ at Argyle Street, The Rocks (‘The Cut’ is a large archway hewn by convicts in the 1800s)
(Images by TSL)

Now heading into its fourth year, Vivid Sydney was ranked in the Top Ten global ideas festivals by the influential Guardian newspaper in the UK.

I’ll leave you with a wee taste of what I’m sure would have been a pretty fab’ performance inside the House last night. Florence + The Machine performing ‘Never Let Me Go’

If you would like to learn more about Vivid Sydney, check out the website here.

TSL Hits 100 Blog Posts! Blogging Lessons Learned

Tags

100 Posts, Benjamin Disraeli, Blog, Blogging, Blogging Lessons, Chris Garrett, Darren Rowse, Ed Sheeran, Feedback, Nike, ProBlogger, Rita Mae Brown, Starting a blog, Sydney, Thank You, Wordpress

I began ‘This Sydney Life’, my ‘starter blog‘ on 2 February. That’s almost four months ago now. Today is my 100th post. It’s a bit of a milestone for me, so I thought perhaps it might be time for a few moments of navel gazing reflection…

Good judgment comes from experience, and often experience comes from bad judgment.  (Rita Mae Brown)

I had been thinking about starting a blog for a while. If it wasn’t for LM suggesting I ‘just do it’ (Nike – you can pay me later), or for WordPress offering such an easy entry into blog-land, I would probably still be thinking about it. Often, it is best to learn by doing. You’ll make mistakes along the way, but that’s all part of the learning. That was my first lesson.

My second lesson is that even a technologically challenged girl like me can blog. You don’t have to be a whiz on the computer. And, while it may not be perfect, it’s actually not that hard. Near enough sometimes can be good enough. Not always, but sometimes.

My third lesson in this ‘learn as I go‘ blogging adventure was that ideas for blog posts are everywhere. Almost all of these ideas are not new and have already been written about before. The challenge is to put my handwriting on it. Add my voice. I think we human beings are naturally drawn to things that are more personal, but as a blogger, I’m still coming to terms with this. It continues to be the hardest lesson for me. I’m sure I’m not alone in this – it requires a level of bravery to share bits of yourself when you write. What if people don’t like it? What I do know is that the more of myself I put into a post, the more comments I get*. And, comments are blogging gold. I love it when you guys take the time to comment. Thanks for every time you do.

I feel a very unusual sensation – if it is not indigestion, I think it must be gratitude. (Benjamin Disraeli)

Before I took my leap of faith into blog-land, I had done some reading on the subject of blogging. I even went as far as to read Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett’s ‘ProBlogger’ book. A girl should always be prepared, I reckon’. Every article I read said I needed to find my ‘tribe’ or ‘posse’. The people – often fellow bloggers – who would stick with me as I fumbled my way through learning about blogging. I had no idea how I was going to achieve this. I didn’t even know where I should look. It turns out I needn’t have worried. They found me. My blogging buddies are the biggest reason I am still blogging and (inside my head) I thank them for their support every day.

My band of blogging buddies come from all over. Some have been with me almost since I started, and some have come on board more recently. Their blogs are dedicated to a variety of things – food, health, photography, every-day life, quirky finds, design, and more. To date, I have never met any of them in the real world. I don’t even know what most of them look like. Yet, they check in with me almost like clock-work. They tell me when I have written a good post, when a post has made them laugh or when I have made a particularly special find. I can often tell when a post hasn’t been as successful by what they don’t say. They are warm. They are supportive. They are funny. They are consistent. They know who they are and I thank them, every one.

(Image sourced from here)

The other thing all the articles and books say about creating a blog is to find your niche. I’m not so sure I’ve been entirely successful in this. ‘This Sydney Life’ is written from Sydney, but it’s not exactly about Sydney. It has morphed into a blog about stuff (read: design, good craft, art, performance and very occasionally food) that turns me on. I’m sort of OK with that; it is my blog after all. But, I am interested in learning what you think I could make better? What do you like? What don’t you like? Is there anything you think I should change? Do you have a favourite post? I would greatly appreciate some feedback from the people who matter – those who check in and read my blog (that would be you!)… And, if you do, I thank you (in advance!)

One last thing before I finish up. If you have somehow made your way here because you’re thinking about starting a blog (and you’re still reading – Wow!), all I can say is ‘just do it’! Really. If I had known how much enjoyment I would get out of this blogging gig, I would have started so much earlier. I just love it.

That’s it for the navel gazing. We will resume our usual programme tomorrow!

*Please note I said comments. Not hits. If I just want hits, I’d be posting lots more about things like a video clip of Ed Sheeran‘s Lego House!

Presenting Annie Vought’s ‘Paper Cut Letters’

Tags

Annie Vought, Artist, Design, Handwritten, Letters, Michelangelo, Paper Art, Paper Works, Penmanship, The Written Word, Twitter

‘Get out of Study Hall’ by Annie Vought (2009)
(Image © Annie Vought)

‘Get out of Study Hall’ (Close Up) by Annie Vought (2009)
(Image © Annie Vought)

Genius is eternal patience. (Michelangelo)

If Michelangelo was right, then Annie Vought must be a genius. Her work surely requires endless patience… Can you imagine the hours each intricately cut piece must take? I think it is absolutely beautiful and I would love to see it in person.

As someone who loves receiving a handwritten letter or note in the mail, for me Annie Vought’s work celebrates the handwritten word in a way that is impossible to appreciate with the more impersonal immediacy of the type-written electronic communication. And yet, here I am sharing her story with you on a blog…

Email, text messages and Twitter provide us with the ability to stay in touch as never before, but with it we lose “fragments of individual histories. In the penmanship, word choice, and spelling the author is often revealed in spite of him/herself. A letter is physical confirmation of who we were at the moment it was written, or all we have left of a person or a time”, says Annie.

For the last four years, Annie has meticulously recreated notes and letters that she has found, written, or received. She does this by enlarging the documents onto a new piece of paper and intricately dissecting the negative spaces with a blade.  The handwriting and the lines support the structure of the cut paper, keeping it strong and sculptural, despite its apparent fragility. She says that in these paper cutouts, she focuses “on the text, structure, and emotion of the letter in an elaborate investigation into the properties of writing and expression. Penmanship, word choice, and spelling all contribute to possible narratives about who that person is and what they are like.”

‘In the Beginning’ by Annie Vought (2009)
(Image © Annie Vought)

‘Dear Annie’ by Annie Vought (2007)
(Image © Annie Vought)

‘Dear Annie’ (Close Up) by Annie Vought (2007)
(Image © Annie Vought)

‘I took the girl to walk in circles’ by Annie Vought (2012)
 (Image © Annie Vought)

Annie Vought’s work features in Paper Works which is available on Amazon here.

Go and check out her website here. She looks like a groovy chick, and has also started a whimsical looking collaboration, entitled ‘Double Zero, with fellow artist and friend, Hannah Ireland.

Woop Studios and their Corker Collection of Collective Nouns

Tags

animals, Arts, Collective noun, Gifts, Graphic Design, Harry Potter, Interior design, Limited Edition Print, Natalie Dee, Shopping, Visual Arts, Woop Studios, Words

LM has a birthday coming up. It’s in July. I have to get organised because, as we’ve already established (here), it is almost impossible to find a suitable (read: meaningful, gasp-worthy-in-a-good-way, unexpected, tasteful and/or funky) gift for him. I am not exaggerating. He’s a guy – if he wants something, he gets it for himself. And, before you suggest I make something, my response to that is:

1. have you seen my recent post on learning to crochet, and
2. I have, on more than one occasion, made something (which could possibly fall under my ‘haberdashery‘ label).

Exhibit A: the teepee embroidery I made for LM (based on a Natalie Dee Cartoon)
(Image by TSL)
And yes – I did all that embroidery by hand and it took me a hell of a long time*.

Anyway, in my search for the right gift for LM’s birthday, I came across the awesome design team that is Woop Studios. Their website says they are the graphic designers of Harry Potter, so they must be cool! In addition to the Harry Potter connection, Miraphora Mina, Eduardo Lima, Harriet Logan, and Mark Faulkner have a love of words, specifically collective nouns and terms.

They have created gorgeous alphabets of limited edition prints to reflect their love of collective words. Even better, their website also offers the visitor the opportunity to learn about and have fun with the images and phrases. Each of the images is accompanied by fascinating facts about the animal depicted.

So, the one that caught my eye first was the ambush of tigers…

‘Ambush of Tigers’ by Woop Studios
(Image © Woop Studios)

Did you know that an adult male tiger eats 150kg of meat per month? – or, that the roar of a tiger can be heard more than a mile away? – or, that tigers don’t purr? – or, that tiger stripes are like fingerprints in that no two are alike? – or even, that a tiger’s saliva contains antiseptic?

I didn’t know any of that.

Here are some more of their seriously groovy images:

‘Bale of Turtles’ by Woop Studios
(Image © Woop Studios)

‘Mob of Kangaroos’ by Woop Studios
(Image © Woop Studios)

‘Gaze of racoons’ by Woop Studios
(Image © Woop Studios)

‘Aurora of Polar Bears’ by Woop Studios
(Image © Woop Studios)

‘Zeal of Zebras’ by Woop Studios
(Image © Woop Studios)

If you want to go and check out the full collection, you can find it here. It is well worth a visit. I promise.

*So that you have some context for the embroidery, it should possibly be mentioned that LM doesn’t have a lot of hair on top. In the past, when I have suggested it may be time for a hair cut, he has been known to threaten to grow the sides so long that he will be able to form a tepee out of his hair. This would be an alternative to a comb-over, if you will. He then believes he could create little dioramas inside this ‘head tepee’ which could reflect different holidays or celebrations throughout the year. For example – Guy Fawkes, Hanukkah, Easter. This has turned into a bit of a running joke.

I think I may be in trouble for over sharing…

The Amazing Hand-Embroidered World of Paschbeck Fummel+Kram

Tags

Accessories, Caro & Co Concept Store, Clothing, Colour, craft, Design, Embroidery, Paschbeck Fummel + Kram, Scarf, Scarves, Shopping, Silk, Surface Design

If you had not already worked it out after reading a few of my posts (here and here), I love scarves. Maybe it’s because I really love colour but tend to wear a lot of monochromatic clothes? I don’t know. What I do know is that accessories are my friend.

I have just discovered the fabulously funky world of Paschbeck Fummel+Kram. Perhaps I have had my head in the sand and the rest of the world has already discovered the hand-stitched and appliquéd doodle-like designs that oh-so colourfully adorn scarves and bags and shirts and more; or perhaps I can introduce you to the super-stylish Paschbeck Fummel+Kram for the first time…?

Let’s begin with a couple of their wonderfully generous scarves. These are core pieces for the label and are made of quality cotton or silk, hand-woven and hand dyed. The colourful embroideries are elaborately manufactured by hand. “The production of a single piece takes about 6 weeks”, according to Angelika Paschbeck.

Paschbeck Fummel+Kram’s Scarf ‘My Dog’ in Petrol
Hand embroidered cotton scarf with silk appliques and lots of wee tassels
120cm x 120cm
(Image sourced from Fummel und Kram)

Paschbeck Fummel+Kram’s Scarf ‘City Map Hong kong’
Screenprinted scarf topped with hand embroidery
110cm x 110cm, hand wash
(Image sourced from Fummel und Kram)

And then there are the hand embroidered clothes. Yes, I said hand-embroidered!:

Paschbeck Fummel+Kram’s Simple Top in Grey
Light summer top with hand embroidery and lace appliques on both sides
30% silk, 70% cotton
(Image sourced from Fummel und Kram)

Paschbeck Fummel+Kram’s T-Shirt ‘Rich Summer’
Front and back are hand embroidered. Each t-shirt is unique.
100% cotton
(Image sourced from Fummel und Kram)

Paschbeck Fummel+Kram’s Knit Cap in Dark Grey
100% alpaca, hand-knitted in Peru with and finished with hand embroidered silk
(Image sourced from Fummel und Kram)

I’m seriously lusting after one of these beaded bags. (sigh)

Paschbeck Fummel+Kram’s Glitter Bag
Canvas covered in hundreds of beads, sequins and silk embroidery
24cm x 22cm
(Image sourced from Fummel und Kram)

And, if – like me – your budget doesn’t quite reach to one of the hand-crafted items shown, every time you purchase one of these notebooks, you sponsor a street child in India for a month. I think they’re just beautiful.

Paschbeck Fummel+Kram Notebook in Pink
Also available in purple, orange and grey
Hand-crafted notebook with 2 different papers. Both the cover and the back are hand embroidered.
(Image sourced from Fummel und Kram)

Angelika Paschbeck is the founder, owner and head of design at Paschbeck Fummel+Kram. She founded the label back in 2003 (where was I?). At the beginning, the label consisted of only a small line of hand-made pieces. Today there is a full-scale collection made up of selected vibrant scarves, bags, womenswear – all full of humorous designs, embroidered (and sometimes dyed) and made from high quality natural fabrics and inspired by influences such as childhood memories and current affairs.

You can purchase items from the Paschbeck Fummel+Kram range online here. I’m starting to save my pennies now…

In Sydney, there is a small selection of Paschbeck Fummel+Kram available at Caro & Co Concept Store in Westfield Mall, Pitt Street.

Learning to Crochet; a lesson in perseverance

Tags

Art, Arts, Aurélie Mathigot, Calico & Ivy, Colour, community, craft, Crochet, Crochet Class, Crystal Gregory, Design, Emily Barletta, Fiber art, Knitting and Crochet, Margaret Oomen, Nathan Vincent, Olek, Purl Bee, Sophie Digard, Surface Design, Sydney

Crochet has morphed from homespun to hot. (Janet Bennett Kell)

Regular TSL readers will know that I am attempting to learn the craft of crochet. I’m adding it to my growing list of ‘haberdashery classes‘. Last Wednesday, I had my first crochet class. Apparently, anyone can learn to crochet. This is according to my lovely crochet teacher, Jane. I think I may be the exception. I’m not kidding. There are four of us in the class. For the purposes of this post, let’s call my fellow students Lucy, Hermione and Elle*.

Lucy, I already know. She and I went to surface design school together, She is an amazingly talented seamstress, who also knits. I can’t knit. I can’t be taught to knit. This is a fact. I have accepted this failure in myself. Everyone says crochet is easier. I think they are lying. Anyway, back to Lucy… Of course, given her previously listed talents, you know I’m going to tell you that she is a natural. Her crochet sample looked perfect. It was flat and symmetrical. Her tension was consistent.

Then, there is Hermione. Hermione seems just lovely. It may be a front, though – Hermione has ‘taught herself to crochet from You Tube‘. Seriously. I think she’s our girly-swat. There’s one in every class. In addition, she has almost completed the blanket from the Purl Bee that was one of my inspirations for learning to crochet and attending a beginners crochet class. This just blows my mind. Here it is:

The ‘one of my reasons for learning to crochet‘ Granny Stripe Blanket from Purl Bee
(Image sourced from Purl Bee)

I kid you not – Hermione has almost completed this gorgeous blanket.

And, then there’s Elle. Elle, who is a hoot, has decided she has reached an age where she should take up some form of craft. I hope I’m not giving any of her secrets away when I say she bought back her two recent knitted contributions to the school fair. It does mean that she can knit, which is a lot more than I can do. But, Elle gives me some hope…

I know you think I am exaggerating about my incompetence. That’s because you’re all so lovely and generous. I’m not exaggerating. Here is the evidence:

The TSL Crochet Sample
It is supposed to be a neat rectangle. Jane thinks it looks like a fish.
(Image by TSL)

Just in case you’re wondering, class ran for 4 hours. This tiny wee sample is the sum total of my efforts. 

The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it (Molière)

I have determined, thanks to my mate Molière, that I am not (yet) going to let the craft of crochet beat me. I will persevere. I am so in awe of many of the incredible fibre artists out there.  Here are just a few examples of why I will continue to try and learn the, possibly futile, art of crochet:

Little Urchin Covered Sea Stones by Margaret Oomen
(Image sourced from Purl Bee)

I am so enamoured of these beautiful sea stones. I’d like to make a bowl-full.

Crochet Piano by Olek
(Image © Olek)

The amazing Olek and her incredible crochet installations are inspiring.

Foundation 1 by Crystal Gregory
(Image © Crystal Gregory)

I love how Crystal Gregory’s crochet art explores ideas of pattern and gender within domestic spaces.

Radical Linen by Aurélie Mathigot
(Image sourced from Feel the Yarn)

I would like a few pieces of Aurélie Mathigot’s imaginary forest from her Radical Linen installation.

Male Symbol by Nathan Vincent
(Image © Nathan Vincent)

I would love a piece of Nathan Vincent’s work for my wall.

Flesh Spot by Emily Barletta
(Image © Emily Barletta)

I have already blogged about the very talented Emily Barletta here.

Alpaca Brooch by Sophie Digard
(Image sourced from Art at Heart)

And, the delicate works of Sophie Digard here.

If you live in Sydney and you would like to learn how to crochet, Calico & Ivy run classes for the absolute beginner.

I’ll keep you posted!

*Names have been changed to protect the innocent