I was sent this photo by email with no information about it. No artist name, no details as to where, when, what or how just the photograph. I was intrigued and immediately was pounding out search terms in google.
Terms such as “tree sweater”, “tree cosy”, crochet + tree “guerilla crochet”, “yarn bombing” etc had me searching the net trying to discover more about it. Eventually via image search I cracked the mystery.
I found Carol Hummel and her website and am delighted I took the time. On it she has a slide show of her creating this. Do check it out its amazing.
Sharon, how cool! Along similar lines, kind of a cross between this and Tilleke Schwartz (whose work I so admire!), here’s a link to check out — http://www.joetteamaue.com — enjoy!! (Just discovered her site through a google alert I get…)
This is great Sharon, thanks for sharing. I saw a pic recently of something similar (of course I don’t remember where- a mag I think) and this artist had hand stitched vintage doilies over a tree trunk/branches. It looked fabulous, just like moss or lichen. Wish I had a tree, and enough gay abandon (and endless supply of doilies) to do it myself!
http://www.windycitizen.com/2008/03/04/crochet
I’m attaching a link to a similar endeavor which took place in Chicago in the recent past. For those worried about clicking the link, it can be located on google by searching renegade textile artists.
Anywho …. I started noticing these small crochet bands on street light posts and bus stop posts while riding the commuter bus between work and the train station in downtown Chicago. I was always amazed that others on the bus never seemed to notice them. A couple months later I either ran across a post online or saw something on tv that explained these mysterious apparitions. I thought it was pretty cool but I noticed the City would always remove them whenever they cleaned the streets. Too bad. Always gave me a little tingle whenever I saw one and made the mundane daily commute a little spicier for trying to spot one.
Just thought I’d share. Carol’s idea of covering her entire tree was awesome. Tho the strings wound thru out her trees was beautiful, I bet it wasn’t too nature friendly. Wonder if she got her idea for these by reading your blog when I offered those suggestions as to why you sewed your samplers into one long panel? haha
Sharon, thank you for the link, I am amazed at the scope of her work, just the amount of crochet, and then display is so big. But what makes it most of all (for me) are her statements, which give a very special element to the over all project. Beautiful, maybe not in visual but in heart. Rene
I really enjoyed looking at Carol Hummel’s work. I liked it all but especially the family pictures wall. Thanks for sending me there.