Plug in with Yarn: Flower Power!

We are plugging in with yarn again this year at Maker Faire Detroit, only this time with flowers and hydro!

In the interest of simplicity (and acknowledging that hindsight is 20/20 and making a site name very specific may not have been the smartest idea but embracing naivete and moving on.....) this site will be documenting the journey of Maker Faire Detroit 2011's project: Flower Power: Making Waves with Yarn!

This year we will be celebrating once again the magical crafts of crochet and knitting as well as celebrating Detroit, the city of "the strait." (The city's name comes from the French "de troit" meaning "of the strait," an endowment of the original European settlers of this area.)

We will be yarn bombing decorating the fence of The Henry Ford with fibery goodness in the forms of flowers and water.


(artist rendition)

Currently, we are hard at work constructing the base waterfall onto which faire goers can add their creation.


(Raw material for waterfall.)

The waterfall will be mainly knitted but this does not mean crochet stitches are not welcome. At Maker Faire we will be teaching people basic knit stitches if they are unaware they need to learn this skill.

And, as we all know, July waterfalls bring crocheted flowers. (OK, so it may be my own particular delusion a bit obscure, but, trust me, it's true.) Crochet flowers are easy and fun to make and they also are an excellent way to learn crochet stitches. In a short time, you can learn the enchanting craft of crochet and have a finished product!


(These take no time at all. And, yes, there are some knit stitches there.)

Again, we will be teaching these basic stitches and/or giving guidance if letters like sc, dc, and tc mean something to you. There will also be an opportunity for knitters to make flowers, too, as there are some simple, quick-to-make patterns. To be honest, knitted flowers are not difficult to make but they do take quite a bit of time to do (versus a crochet flower). They also are not the most beginner (as in never picked up a pair of needles before) friendly item to make. However, if you have some knitting practice under your belt, they are a fun way to learn increases and decreases.

So! Now what does one do with this flower or water once crafted? Tie it onto the fence! That's right, hundreds of mini yarn bombings adornments to create one large yarn bombing art intallation!

Last year's Maker Faire Detroit made it clear that:
1. People like to get loopy.
2. Those people are awesome.
3. If a bunch of people do something small for a general purpose, together they can create something great!



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Get your fiber geek on at Maker Faire Detroit 2011 at The Henry Ford July 30 and 31!