Crochet Workshop①
From late April to early June, crochet workshops were held to create works for the Setouchi Triennale. Finally, it’s time to start creating the pieces! ✨
We knit the large glove section for Russian author Leonid Chishikov’s work, “Everyone’s Hands: Let’s Knit Gloves That Reach the Moon!” Russian author Marina Moskvina writes the story “The Fairy Tale of the Gloves.” These two are husband and wife, and you can feel their strong bond as they create one work together for a hopeful future 😊 This day, April 24th, marked the very first workshop for this project filled with such wonderful intentions❗
First, we begin by cutting and shredding the used clothing collected from local residents, reducing it to a state of loose threads.
Depending on the material, some fabrics are tough to tear, while others fray easily. Comments like “Will we really finish this in time?” and “This is taking forever~” often fly around (^^;) Still, the more time and effort it takes, the more attached you become to it. Even though it’s hard work, doing it together with everyone turns the ‘exhaustion’ into “fun,” and conversations with local residents and volunteers flowed smoothly 😊
Once you’ve gotten the hang of it, move on to the next step… crocheting the fingertips. I joined in too, but this part was tough. In a word… tricky 💦
I also drew up knitting diagrams, but as an amateur, I couldn’t figure them out…😣 I kept pestering the volunteer supporters and members of the Koebi Team for help as I worked through it.
After much head-scratching, I finally finished the fingertip section❗ Unlike yarn, many vintage fabric materials don’t stretch easily, so it took quite a bit of hand strength until I got used to it💦
I was knitting through trial and error, but some people were happily knitting with smiles, saying things like, “I used to knit a lot back in the day—this brings back memories!” Seeing them so relaxed made me want to knit with a calm mind too❗ So I observed the experienced knitters up close… lol
I believe there’s meaning in participating alongside everyone else as these pieces take shape, filled with all their different thoughts and feelings✨
Stay tuned to see how much progress we’ve made next time🎵
