New crochet project

[VultureChow]

Crochet taxidermy. You may have seen examples such as this:


I think I'll make some lifelike animals with less than lifelike pelts. Everyone else gets to step outside their normal skin out there, so why not the animals?

The only question is whether to add an interactive theme to this. And I'd love some feed back.

I was thinking of a Black Rock Department of Fish and Game. You could come in, get your hunting license, and step into a hunting blind with a Nerf gun to hunt a passing animal(humans are animals). The hunted would get a cool game tag, a photo would be take of the hunter and his trophy and the hunted would be invited to register for a hunt themselves.

Figure a nice laminated hunting license for the hunter to take home, and a dog tag complete with logo and individual serial number for the prey.

[Drawingablank]

Sparkle Pony hunting!

[VultureChow]

Sparkle Pony hunting!

That's actually how the idea started in my head. As the Sparkly Pony Safari. I could still call it that.

[Drawingablank]

Could also hunt the elusive Playa Chicken.

[daft]

Perfect for a furry. You just doing the head? big enought project as it is.

[VultureChow]

So... I have limited myself to one main project and am ready to get started. Meet my mountain lion. His name is Hopper:



I want to crochet a beautiful new hide for him. I think the easiest way to get a good skin on him is to make a flexible mold and then "skin" him as though it were real. Then I can use this hide as the pattern for the final crocheted project.

My current thought is to cover him completely in saran wrap and then in a layer of rolled gauze. Then I'd paint some sor of bonding agent over the gauze that will make a solid hide, but stay flexible. The only thing I can think of off the top of my head is liquid latex.

Any other suggestions or ideas, or reasons this plan might not work?

[theCryptofishist]

Cover with cellophane, cover that with duct tape or packing tape, cut off with utility knife?

[maladroit]

I believe the typical yarnbomber simply crochets everything in place. That way you get to add or drop stitches in realtime.

[theCryptofishist]

think that depends on the yarn-bombing. The ones that go around parking meters or other public polls are premeasured and then sewn up the side when the knitting is complete.

[VultureChow]

Most of the bombing I've seen is done ahead of time and then whipstitched up the seam.

The hide will be stitched up the belly and inside of the legs as you would a real hide. Head will be done in a separate piece and attached. the tail will probably be done in one long spiral piece starting from the tip and then stuffed.

The benefit of wrapping the forma and then cutting it is that I can mark up where I want pattern and color changes on the animal and then lay it flat and work from there.

[peyote2004]

I ♥ your idea

[AntiM]

Rowr!

[SaritaSyrah]

OH MY GOSH this is so cool. Can't wait to see it in the dust.

[tamarakay]

Gorilla tape. People make dress dummies using this same method. Saran wrap, then gorilla tape.

LOVE the hunting idea and I would for SURE be a hunter and would love to be hunted. Hilarious!

[tamarakay]

Also, I plan on bringing my crochet needles and hit you up for some technique. I tried doing a simple chain and this makes absolutely no sense to me. I need another needle.

[BoyScoutGirl]

I second the tape idea. Google gives me these when I search for "duct tape dummy"

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to- ... e-Dummy-1/

http://diyfashion.about.com/od/diyfashi ... _Dummy.htm

[VultureChow]

Also, I plan on bringing my crochet needles and hit you up for some technique. I tried doing a simple chain and this makes absolutely no sense to me. I need another needle.

Any time. I tried knitting and couldn't get used to it. Crochet was so much easier for me, though it uses way more yarn for the same area.

[VultureChow]

Quick update. I had clearly been procrastinating getting started on this. I think because it's my first time working a complex project without any pattern. Fear of failure and all that. So I spent my time on my scarves and other things.

Finally I gave in and started. I cut out the rump and hollowed out a portion so I could place the tail I had bought. Then I did the mummy thing:
Worked like a charm. Skinned it and I had a decent pattern to work off of. Finally this weekend I picked up the hook and started. Finished the tail and spine seen here:
As I was thinking about how I wanted to join some of the sections, I realized I made a mistake with my pattern. I wanted to have a lighter colored belly, similar to a real lion. Skinning up the middle means that the belly color is on either side of the seam. That made an additional unnecessary join. What I should really do is do the belly part in one piece and then join to the rest of the body.

I can still use the duct tape pattern for the legs, but I'm going to do a fabric pattern for the belly and pin it to the form so I get it right and then stitch it as one piece.

Also, started with the main color on the sides last night. Now that I've started, I can't wait to get home at night to keep stitching.

[Turtleburp]

So... I have limited myself to one main project and am ready to get started. Meet my mountain lion. His name is Hopper:



I want to crochet a beautiful new hide for him. I think the easiest way to get a good skin on him is to make a flexible mold and then "skin" him as though it were real. Then I can use this hide as the pattern for the final crocheted project.

My current thought is to cover him completely in saran wrap and then in a layer of rolled gauze. Then I'd paint some sor of bonding agent over the gauze that will make a solid hide, but stay flexible. The only thing I can think of off the top of my head is liquid latex.

Any other suggestions or ideas, or reasons this plan might not work?

Sort his ears out he looks too sad without them

[dhiana]

Very interesting idea...
What's your lighting plan? El wire can be easily incorporated in through the crochet.

What about sound? A big cat snarling in the dark out on the deep playa could be a fun interactive element =0

Is it sturdy enough to be sat on? Stood on? By multiple drunk people?

As a crochet artist myself, I'm looking forward to watching your project as it develops

[VultureChow]

Very interesting idea...
What's your lighting plan? El wire can be easily incorporated in through the crochet.

What about sound? A big cat snarling in the dark out on the deep playa could be a fun interactive element =0

Is it sturdy enough to be sat on? Stood on? By multiple drunk people?

As a crochet artist myself, I'm looking forward to watching your project as it develops

I wasn't planning for open playa display, but rather just have it in front of my camp. I like the sound thought though. Maybe a motion activated sound and spotlights.

[Savannah]

Very interesting idea...
What's your lighting plan? El wire can be easily incorporated in through the crochet.

What about sound? A big cat snarling in the dark out on the deep playa could be a fun interactive element =0

Is it sturdy enough to be sat on? Stood on? By multiple drunk people?

As a crochet artist myself, I'm looking forward to watching your project as it develops

I wasn't planning for open playa display, but rather just have it in front of my camp. I like the sound thought though. Maybe a motion activated sound and spotlights.

Hhahahahaha! That would be awesome. Someone staggering in at 3am, only to be roared at by a crochet lion.

[theCryptofishist]

Ribbited at by a crochet lion...

[tattoogoddess]

I might have to hire you to make me something, I collect weird stuffed stuff

[junglesmacks]

annnnnnddd.. #26 in the list of things you may see while taking public transportation..

[some seeing eye]

Yarncraft is not my craft. But knitting graffiti is cool.
http://www.militarymodelling.com/sites/ ... 408377.jpg
http://www.marianneart.dk/
Sad the dust inflicts such difficult cleaning on yarnbombing.

[tattoogoddess]

annnnnnddd.. #26 in the list of things you may see while taking public transportation..

Isn't that the dude from outkast? Lol

[dhiana]

[quote]Re: New crochet project
by some seeing eye » Sat Mar 16, 2013 7:59 am

Sad the dust inflicts such difficult cleaning on yarnbombing.[/quote]

Scotchguard does a fairly decent job of reducing the dust to a minimum. Not perfectly of course, but it does help.
My fabric and crochet project survived the entire week out on the deep playa.

[VultureChow]

Sooooooo......

I gave up on Saturday trying to get him done. Too much going on in real life. Then I decided to mount the finished pieces and it looked so good that I've stayed up until 2:30am the last two night to get it finished in time to ship on Friday.

Pictures when I stop hallucinating from sleep deprivation.

[delle]

You rock!!!!

I could use a bit of your drive right now.