Description:

Crochet is an amazing medium for quickly and easily making squishy 3D models of very complex shapes. In this four-hour workshop, we’ll explore how fundamental crochet stitches can be put together to form elemental shapes (planes, tubes, curvature, branches, constrictions, explansions, etc.) that, in turn, can be combined to generate models of almost any objects. Students will leave with a crocheted model of an object of their own choosing, armed with an understanding of how to to break down any shape into forms that can be fabricated with yarn.

Class Goals:

Students will get practice in identifying and generating “elemental” crochet shapes (curvature, branches, constriction and expansion, etc.) Students will leave the class with a prototype of a crocheted object of the student’s choosing and design knowledge that will enable development of a pattern.

Prerequisites:

Students should have knowledge of basic crochet stitches (chain, slip, single crochet, double crochet).

The necessary training is available in the Introduction to Crochet class scheduled for March 16.

Materials Provided:

Hooks and small balls of yarn will be availble for purchase from the instructor for students who need.

What to Bring:

Bring pictures of objects you’d like to replicate with crochet, a crochet hook, yarn, and yarn needles, or $3 to cover the cost of materials. Sizing down on the hooks (for example, size G hook for worsted weight yarn if comfortable) is recommended to ensure that the work is firm enough to hold its own weight. 

Instructor Biography:

Jessica Polka (jpolka.blogspot.com) is a biologist and designer of soft sculpture. A recent transplant from San Francisco to Cambridge, she is the author of 75 Seashells, Fish, Coral & Colorful Marine Life to Knit & Crochet (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2012) and her crocheted natural history specimens have been featured in shops and galleries worldwide.