Category: Exhibitions

Giant Gnome Update: Kinda Done But Not Really

Posted on by Anna

Previously:
Project Giant Gnome
Three Feet Tall

Giant gnome is sorta done!

I’m not much for selfies normally, but I just had to take one with my new friend.

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He’s so big, it took me exactly 40 attempts to squeeze the both of us in the frame together. So that was how I spent five minutes of my day. It was the only time I’ve ever really considered the merits of a selfie stick.

Giant gnome (yes, he needs a proper name) is sitting in my living room right now, as big as a very big person. I wouldn’t say that his eyes follow me, but he’s pretty much always either staring at me dead on, or else he’s got me in the corner of his eye. This was especially creepy at night before I gave him a beard.

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Those eyes were fun to do—I had Godfrey the Groundhog’s hat kicking around my desk from February, and I liked the idea of 3-D eyes, so I used that random piece of knitting as a starting point.

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The beard was also crucial to get right. There was a lot of holding it up to the face and eyeing the progress as I was making it.

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The beard is now much bigger than this, of course, but looking at the whole assembled gnome, I think it should still be a touch bigger, so I’ll probably make that change. But he’s essentially finished, and that feels like a big accomplishment.

So this is how many balls of yarn it takes to make a giant gnome, at least one with a smaller-than-is-ideal beard.

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Before I get completely sucked into a beard vortex, I have a fresh box of yarn from Lion Brand that needs my attention.

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That’s right, giant gnome no. 2 is happening. He will have a green shirt.

Why again am I knitting giant gnomes? Because I’m a weirdo, and also because they’re destined for an all-gnome-themed Mochimochi Land show at Everyday Mooonday gallery in Seoul this May. You too can be a part of this event—check out Project Gnome Diplomacy to find out more!

Thanks again to Lion Brand for providing yarn support for this project!

Giant Gnome Update: Three Feet Tall

Posted on by Anna

Previously: Project Giant Gnome

The cool thing about knitting a giant gnome is that at some point, you get to knit standing up!

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But most of the time I’ve been sitting.

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(Thank you Audrey Peck for this photo!)

And now, giant gnome has a body!!

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I can now say exactly how tall he is: three feet, four inches (a little over one meter). Pretty big for a gnome!

I’m feeling good about the project right now, but let me tell you, over the past week there were at least two points at which I was very close to ripping out the hat and the face, or the face and the shirt, or the face and the shirt and everything else, and starting all over again. I think I could have done more planning in advance, but there’s also just an unpredictability when working with very large, soft things. Even though all the increases and decreases are uniform, from different angles the gnome can look plump and perfect or cylindrical and not-so-perfect.

My method of judging the progress was to stuff the body and take a photo, then overlay some roughly-drawn shapes to get an idea of what the proportions will look like.

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The black area under this guy’s pants is where I cut the pants in Photoshop and nudged them up under the shirt. Because the pants were looking way too tall! But in the end, instead of frogging back to the point where I could make the pants shorter, I took a shortcut and gathered them at the bottom and stitched them in place.

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This seems a little like cheating, but I’m OK with it—backtracking at this point would mean less time to make other things for the show, a compromise I don’t want to make right now. (And the reason these stitches are so sloppy is because I’m going to have to undo them to remove the stuffing for shipping anyway.)

It feels like the hard part is over now that the body is finished, but many questions remain: Do I have enough yarn, or do I need to request more? What should I make giant gnome eyes out of? Could I pull off a second giant gnome in time for the show? Is there a treatment for gnome addiction? How about gnome burnout? Check back to find out what happens!

Thanks again to Lion Brand for sponsoring the yarn for this project. And don’t forget to send me your tiny gnomes!!!

Project Giant Gnome

Posted on by Anna

The other day a big box arrived straight from Lion Brand!

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In the big box was big squishy yarn in a combination of colors that suggest a gnome. A very large gnome.

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I can’t resist a big crazy project that pushes my knitting in new directions, so this week I find myself knitting the biggest gnome I’ve ever attempted—really, the biggest anything I’ve ever attempted. Motivating me is the gnome’s destination: a solo show this May at Everyday Mooonday gallery in Seoul, South Korea! (Official show information coming soon.)

I may have knitted some unusual things, but there’s something about knitting the biggest thing ever that has me feeling like I’m in over my head. Luckily, the nice people at Lion Brand offer really thick yarn in perfect gnomey colors, so I can maximize my giant gnome knitting time, and they were even cool enough to sponsor the yarn for this project. Thank you Lion Brand!

The yarns I’m using with a size 10.5US (6.5mm) needle:
Pants: Hometown USA in Las Vegas Gold 170
Shirt: Hometown USA in Charlotte Blue 107 and Forth Worth Blue 109
Face and hands: Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in Blossom 103
Hat: Hometown USA in Cincinnati Red 113
Beard: Hometown USA in Houston Cream 098

This was going to be a blog post just about planning the project and getting the yarn, but I can’t lie—I started knitting on Friday, and I’m happy to say it’s going more quickly than I had expected.

Here’s my minimal sketch and vague numbers (The only kind of numbers I’m really comfortable working with).

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The cast on.

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Giant gnome pants, stuffed with all the soft things that were in reach of my desk.

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And the shirt is now happening.

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I think Jumbo Gnome is not entirely convinced that this is going to work out as we’ve planned. Try trusting me, Jumbo Gnome! (But yes, it’s constantly at the back of my mind that I’m doing something wrong and I’ll have to rip it all out and start again.)

I’ll continue to blog my progress on this, so check back soon for updates.

There is a lot of other stuff going into this show, including a project that I hope you all will participate in—stay tuned for that announcement next!

Group Show: WonderWomen at University of Minnesota

Posted on by Anna

As it happens, I have work in another group show that starts with a W this month!

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WonderWomen, at the University of Minnesota’s Katherine E. Nash Gallery, is a show of works by female artists who are influenced by comics and other pop culture. I sent them some animations from the past year and this assortment of tiny mochis.

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But I’m burying the lede here: I’m in a group show that also contains work by Alison Bechdel! Along with others whose work I admire, and others whose work I look forward to exploring. Here’s a closer look at the show information:

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WonderWomen
January 20 – February 14, 2015
Katherine E. Nash Gallery
405 21st Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Group Show: White Monsters At Everyday Mooonday in Seoul

Posted on by Anna

I’m thrilled to be a part of “White Monsters,” a group show opening tomorrow (January 9th) at Everyday Mooonday in Seoul.

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The theme of the show is self-explanatory, and I’m in extremely good character-artist company!

My own white monster is named Big Thwicked in Thwhite (Thwilla).

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Thwilla is of course an extra-large thwicked, so she’s extra cute and cuddly, and also extra evil. She gets her rainbow colors from all the candy creatures that she eats in Mochimochi Land.

Please check this show out if you happen to be in Seoul!

White Monsters
January 1 – February 22, 2015
Everyday Mooonday
9-17 Songpadong, Songpagu,
Seoul, Korea

If You Happen to be in South Korea This Summer…

Posted on by Anna

Some hand-knit Mochimochi goodies will be for sale in Hyundai department stores located in Seoul for four weeks this June and July!

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(I can’t read the details on the announcement, but I trust that Korean speakers can!)

My tiny characters, mini gnome scenes, and postcards will be part of a pop-up shop organized by Everyday Mooonday, a gallery focused on character art that recently opened in Seoul. The gallery owner, Diny, saw some of my knitted artwork in NYC when the both of us lived there, and I was so happy that she kept me in mind for this opportunity. I only wish I could visit in person!

Among the pieces I just shipped out to Seoul is this tiny hand-standing gnome.

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Along with the recent publication of Super-Scary Mochimochi in Korean, this is making me feel that Mochimochi Land and Korea might just be a good match. I hope to get some photos of the pop-up shop once it’s open, and share them here!

Robot Mochis Take Ann Arbor

Posted on by Anna

Last weekend I got to do one of my absolute favorite things: bring a piece of Mochimochi Land out into the world!

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The mochis are now at work and play in the window of the Robot Supply & Repair Shop in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which helps support the nonprofit writing center 826michigan. At first glance, it looks like a typical day in Mochimochi Land, but the robots are taking over in this scene!

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This mochi mischief was made possible by the Ann Arbor District Library, who invited me to bring my knitted world to the city as part of their summer game. Ann Arborites should keep their eyes peeled for a few more mochi displays around town.

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I also gave a talk at the downtown library on Sunday as part of my visit. I was so happy to have a great turnout to share my story with. The talk was videotaped, so I’ll post that when it’s available.

Big thank-yous to the Ann Arbor District Library, 826MI, and everyone who came to the talk on Sunday!

More Wooly Woods Now Online

Posted on by Anna

New photos from my April solo show The Wooly Woods are now on my art website!

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Most of the photos were taken by my sister-in-law Jenna, who was my awesome travel companion to Berlin for this show. (Check out her gorgeous website, especially if you live in the NYC or New England area.)

I’ve also just listed the remaining eight pieces from the show in my shop. Shipping is free within the US!

If you’d like to receive news about my artwork and other non-pattern projects, you can sign up for my occasional newsletter here on annahrachovec.com.