I love yarn. I love the feel in my fingers, the weights, the smooth strands, the novelty yarns. I’m something of a collector. And when I was offered a set of Bonbons from Lion Brand Yarn, I of course said yes.
There’s just one sticking point. I’m a crappy knitter and crocheter.
OK, I can make a mean scarf or dishcloth. I can even squeak out a crocheted flower if I’m pressed. But really, I’m a crafter and I look at yarn as just another material. Since really inspired by Huichol yarn painting art– the color, the texture, the lines- I decided to approach my project from that perspective.
I knew I was going to use jewel-tones and metallic threads, so I decided to prime my 13-inch paper mache dress form with black gesso so that it would “pop.” Then I used a pencil to sketch some lines to create the different areas to fill in with yarn.
I found that working in small sections was best- otherwise the plain white glue that I used dried up too quickly. I used a 1/4 inch paintbrush and a toothpick (really) to add glue in tight spaces and to nudge the yarn into place.
When filling in areas, I found that the ends would fray just a bit and “puff out”- so I had to smooth them down. Of course, my fingers were really gluey and sticky, so I came up with a solution. I used a bit of plastic bag and laid it over the area, then burnished it down with my fingernail. It made the yarn lay down nice and flat, and kept glue boogers from sticking to my project.
(Yes, glue boogers.)
I finished off my project by painting the base, adding the wrapper from the Bonbons, and a little black yarn detail to the pedestal. While this project is not hard, it is time-consuming. However, I found it really calming and peaceful: you just concentrate on one strand at a time.
I love the shiny metallic threads of Bonbons by Lion Brand…. it’s like beading, but with yarn! I hope you are inspired to try a similar project of your own. Cheers!
If you’d like to purchase Lion Brand Bonbons Yarns, please support CTD and use our affiliate links:
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Sarah E. White says
That is adorable. I love the Bonbons because they do kind of force you out of the box of knitting and crochet because they are such small quantities.
Kirsten says
Awesome project, and gorgeous yarn! I may have to start incorporating yarn into my projects – I’m not a knitter or crocheter at all….but I can try it for other crafty things!
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http://onetoughmom.blogspot.com/2012/08/versatile-blogger-award.html