We love Etsy, it’s filled with handmade joy. We’ve been allowed to rummage through their blog archives and share our findings with you. This month’s article focuses on Silverspace, an etsy shop that sell amazing freeform crocheted doilies.
—–
My name is Asimina Chremos, and I create freeform crocheted doilies. For most of my life, I have identified as a dancer. Silverspace was the name of my dance studio, now it’s the name of my Etsy shop. When I transitioned to a 9-5 desk job a couple of years ago, I poured all my love of free movement and improvisation into my crochet hobby. With my crochet, I can do something that dance can’t show, which is play with colors.
I learned to crochet from the women in my family. I have a sense of the feminine tradition of household order that is inherent in the creation of crocheted afghans and doilies for domestic space. My maternal grandmother is from rural Virginia and my paternal grandmother is from central Greece. My mother did a lot of weaving, spinning, and other fiber art when I was growing up.
I use a size 10 or size 12 hook, which is very tiny. The thread I use is size 20, which is a bit heavier than one might normally use with such a small hook. This allows my pieces to be delicate, but also to have a certain density and sturdiness that I find pleasing. After crocheting the piece, I weave the ends of the threads back in. Then I soak the piece in water and stretch it out on a cardboard box with pins, like a specimen. This is called blocking. Once it is dry I un-pin, iron, and starch the item.
Read the rest of this article at the Etsy Blog!
—–
Etsy is the world’s handmade marketplace.
The Etsy Blog is an never-ending stream of inspiration.
