CasaSugar

Inspired: Cassie's Edgy Take on Crochet

CasaSugar — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:00:07 -0700

Singer Cassie rocked an edgy, punk crochet look at the BET Awards last night. I love how glam the lacy pattern looks in black, and Cassie's punk-inspired half-shaved head accentuates the singer's beauty while letting fans know that she's not to be trifled with. Inspired, I set out to find some similar looks.

Of course, my hero Tord Boontje would have a lamp that would fit Cassie to a T. His Artecnica Come Rain Come Shine Light ($4,950) has the same lacy, edgy glamour as Cassie's BET Awards ensemble.

For some other, less spendy ways to get a similar look, read more.

Etsy Find: Crocheted Metal Pomegranate

CasaSugar — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:00:41 -0700

Long thought to be a symbol of fertility, luck, and abundance, the pomegranate is also connected to the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, which just ended. If you're not a fan of eating pomegranates, though, I've found one for you that, while inedible, is certainly delicious to look at. This metal pomegranate ($65) has been crocheted from orange metallic wire. I love the sculptural element of this object. It would be a great mantel piece, or, grouped in clusters, would make an impact on a warm, wood table, such as the Brasilla. It'd also love to see a few tufts of pine or some colorful Fall leaves tucked into it. This art piece, from Etsy seller Yoola, is also available in a number of other colors.
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Artist of the Day: Carol Hummel

CasaSugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:00:45 -0700

An overt sign that the growing crochet trend has been taken to new heights, literally, is artist Carol Hummel's Tree Cozy. As part of a two-year exhibition of eight works by sculptors in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Hummel crocheted a cozy with brightly colored nylon and synthetic material for a tree in front of Cleveland Heights City Hall, which wouldn't impede "the growth of the tree or [harm] wildlife." In her artist statement, Hummel refers to the tree cozy as "an emphatically handmade blanket representing femininity and comfort" which covers "a natural object representing masculinity and strength," a piece that personifies the tree "keeping it cozy and colorful throughout the year, enhancing the beauty of nature," and evokes "memories of bygone times and places when life was good," as well as "softens the strong tree form while also emphasizing it." She says, "The cozy covering the tree fluctuates between comforting blanket and suffocating cover-up; it conceals as much as it protects; it hides as much as it reveals." Tree Cozy was on display from 2005 through 2008, and landed Hummel an award as the winner of the Heights Public Art Competition. There's more to learn and see about this project, so read more.

Hummel has also "cozied" a companion tree in India to the one in Ohio, bound another tree in India with rope, was commissioned to crochet a tree in Orlando, Florida, macraméd a mountain in Utah, and has also been known to dress trees in underwear. Hummel's Cleveland Heights Tree Cozy, which took her 500 hours and the use of a hydraulic lift, recently spawned a tree crochet movement in Yellow Springs, Ohio, which has become a community art project and conversation piece, "made up of panels of yarn knitted individually by residents and visitors alike."

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Cool Idea: An Update on Crochet

CasaSugar — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:08:30 -0700

Even though crafting has become cooler, the art of crochet is still seen by many people as belonging to little old ladies with big bags and crochet hooks. Even knitting is now vastly cooler than crocheting. Leave it to an innovative lady to turn that idea on its head. With her crocheted sculpture work, Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos has added a touch of the avant-garde to cotton crocheting. I love how crocheting around these complicated animal shapes livens up the household doily.

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Less or More: Crochet Tables

CasaSugar — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 07:30:51 -0700

For the next installment of this game, take a look at each of these crochet tables, and then see if you can answer my questions about them.

Take the quiz

Love It or Hate It? Crocheted Pendant Lamps

CasaSugar — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 04:11:05 -0800

From Modern Dose, these crocheted pendant lamps ($225) represent an intersection of modern design and homespun craft. Painstakingly crocheted by hand, the basket forms are dipped in a starch solution to preserve their shapes. Each lamp emits a warm and romantic glow, and are available in either tepee, cone, or dome shapes.

Arktura Coral Coffee Table - Black - $1,990.00	Chatting Garden Rug - $88.00
Lace Cut Media Storage Unit - Coffee - $699.00	Crocheted Wall Hooks - $9.99
Emma Black Lace 3 Wick Candle by Fringe - $55.00	Pattern Bent Wood Chair - High Gloss Black - $199.00
Cutwork Hook - $14.00	Velvet Burnout Curtain - $108.00
Lace 20\"x13\" Pillow in Ink - $119.00	Pressed Vinyl Dot Placemats - $6.95
Lace Shopping Basket - $24.99	Moooi crochet table - $1,099.00
Artecnica - come rain come shine light by tord boontje - $4,950.00	4"x6" Lace Picture Frame by Fringe - $40.00
Lace Cut Bath Cabinet - Coffee - $349.00	D.L. & Co. Art Noveau Diffuser - Belle of India - $95.00