Pop Goes Crochet by Vicki Howell

Pop Goes Crochet by Vicki Howell

by Andrea Truitt

 In Pop Goes Crochet, Vicki Howell,  allows the reader to literally play dress-up with projects inspired by a wide range of pop icons. Each designer has translated a pop icon and his or her characteristics into a project, sometimes more literally, sometimes using the icon merely as a starting point.  This is a book geared to younger crafters and touches on the concerns and goals found in the current craft resurgence: personal empowerment, ethical production practices, and sustainability. The projects are delightfully diverse.

The book’s layout echos Howell’s goal of gathering inspiration from the multitudinous elements of vernacular culture. Pages have a scrapbook/collage effect, with layered photos of the projects in various contexts and photo backdrops, the celebrities who inspired them, and the photo shoot for the book, all intermingled with text. 

Most notable for its cool, sophisticated look was the Marc Jacobs men’s sweater, designed by John Brinegar.  The Jacobs name evokes a clean yet sharp alternative style, and Brinegar lives up to it.  Another standout is the Clint Eastwood poncho, where Nikol Lohr has created a crocheted piece that, through felting, imitates a woven item.  She also uses felting for a larger-scale project, something one hardly ever sees.  The decoration at the neck and bottom edges captures the essence of Southwestern style and Clint Eastwood’s badass spaghetti western characters.  For women, Jeanette Sherritze’s Paris Hilton cover-up, with its meshwork and motifs, shines as a glamorous piece.  I’m also taken with the asymmetry and bobbles of Mary Jane Hall’s Heidi Blum scarf, which is bold and surprisingly versatile, to be worn with many outfits.   

However celebrity-inspired these projects may be, the book contains a variety of looks, sizes, and accessories, plus men’s and children’s clothing along with the requisite women’s fashions.  Old Hollywood, new Hollywood, high fashion, and funky fashion, this book has it all, in a very wearable way.