Myra Wood
Fiber Philosopher Myra Wood
Myra's lovely self-published book
Projects form the book
Projects form the book
Projects form the book
Myra working on the piece shown in the previous image
"We spend so much time rushing from one thing to the next, with the endless to-do list replaying in our heads all day long, that sometimes we forget to just sit. As soon as I sit with hook in hand, I fall into a place of peace to just be, and the creativity flows. I lose track of time completely. When I am fianlly finished, I'm always amazed that every thread holding the whole thing together was deliberately set by my own hand."
-- from Creative Crochet Lace
I conducted this interview with Myra via email shortly before her book was published. The book has been selling like a dream since its' recent release.
DORA: Who have been some of the major influences on your crochet work?
MYRA: It's hard to know where to start. I'm inspired all the time by so many people; fiber artists, painters, poets and friendly people alike. There's inspiration everywhere and it all gets integrated and absorbed into my fiber work.
I learned to crochet when I was young from my mom and abandoned it for many years until about 15 years ago when I returned to it as a way to unwind from my hectic work day. I've always done graphic arts professionally but it wasn't til I discovered freeform crochet that I realized the endless possibilities for real personal expression, something I felt was missing from my creative life. Early on, I bought James Walter's and Sylvia Cosh's “Crochet Workbook" and was intrigued, but when I finally stumbled onto Prudence Mapstone's website my mind was permanently blown!! I researched as much as I could and found other wonderful freeform crocheters like Margaret Hubert and Bonnie Pierce and a whole group of artists all communicating online at the International Freeform Crochet Group. I started experimenting and loved it! About a year later I was fortunate enough to take one of Prudence's workshops here in L.A. and I always joke about the fact that I didn't sleep for three days afterward, but it's true. I was so inspired I felt like things would never be the same...and they haven't! There are so many incredible crochet artists that aren't as well known who inspire me as well: Mitsuko Tonouchi, Marianne Seiman, who you've interviewed before, and Diane Olsen to name a few. One of the greatest joys I know is feeling the connection to people all over the planet that have this same crazy freeform love that I do. That influences me more than anything.
DORA: When did you first start developing the concept of freeform lace?
MYRA: I've always loved doing lace crochet, especially for clothing, so from the moment I started scrumbling the "what if" wheels were turning. I just knew there had to be a way to incorporate lots of the openwork stitches I'd used and loved into this approach to crochet.
I think where we live has a lot to do with the type of work we create since necessity is the mother of invention. The weather in Southern California is generally too warm to wear heavy sweaters so I found myself making freeform pieces I could wear that were lighter fabric from most of the freeform I'd seen. It evolved from there very naturally.
DORA: How did you develop the five techniques you explain in the book?
MYRA: Each of the 5 methods; Wild Irish Crochet, Funky Filet, Doodle Lace, Organic Scrumbling and Tossed Salad are based loosely on traditional crochet techniques. Funky Filet is based on random filet stitches, Wild Irish on classic Irish crochet, etc. What they all have in common is "Lace Logic" which I go into great detail about in Creative Crochet Lace. There's a wonderfully simple logic to crochet stitches and how to combine and space them to create an open, airy, flat fabric and any crochet stitch can be incorporated. Doodle Lace and Tossed Salad combine stitches in a more linear fashion and Organic Scrumbling deals with lace crochet in a way that is familiar to anyone who already does "traditional" freeform (If you can say such a thing!).
There are many variations of crochet lace, from granny squares and doilies to Bruges lace, that can also be incorporated into freeform lace. By having 5 different approaches in the book with exercises for each, you can try them and see which you enjoy most. You can also combine them any way you like!
DORA: You seem to be drawn to working from a template, why?
MYRA: Freeform is an entirely different approach to crochet than using a pattern. It's not row by row, top to bottom so you have more room to play, but templates are key to ensuring that whatever you are crocheting will fit when you're done. They're the perfect roadmap and allow you to have great freedom as long as you follow the form. I make a template for everything I do, even if it's just a square pillow. That way I can easily keep track of areas I want to work into and see it evolve. It's sort of like fitting puzzle pieces into a jigsaw puzzle. The best part about working with a template is that even though you know what the item will be, ultimately it's always a surprise to see how it turns out when it's complete. Each piece you make is unique since there are no specific rules for which stitches, yarns, or colors you have to use at any point. The template lets you experiment freely and still know the fit or size will be perfect.
DORA: What types of yarns do you like to work with?
MYRA: I'm a total yarn junkie. I love it all. I'm partial to fingering and DK weight yarns or thread, mainly smoother cottons and fine merinos since the stitch structure is more apparent than with fuzzy yarns but I'll use just about anything! It really depends on how I want the final piece to drape and fit. I love anything hand dyed and handspun but I'm also happy to incorporate inexpensive yarns as well. I've even used string from the hardware store! I especially love using unexpected yarns for lace like recycled sari silk. Any yarn is fair game in freeform.
DORA: Do you make most items for yourself to wear?
MYRA: I've always loved making stuff I could wear myself, even pre-freeform. I don't sell anything I make since each piece is unique and can't be duplicated. I tend to design functional but fun stuff that reflects my personality and I do wear my garments regularly. I was so excited when I realized, other than the basic necessities, I don't go shopping for clothes anymore. If I want something I make it! And it's always a conversation starter when I'm out and about. Someone else who crochets will stop me to ask how it's done.
DORA: What other kinds of fiber arts do you do?
MYRA: I heard something hysterical recently about people who both crochet and knit being bistitchual. Well, I'm TRIstitchual. If it involves a hook, needle, thread or yarn I'm there. My mom had me sewing and crocheting from the time I was little so it's something I've always done. I've tried almost every needleart imaginable but crochet is definitely my default setting. I love to knit, embroider and do bead work as well. If I can freeform with it, I'll do it. I think I'm like a lot of other fiber freaks and find it goes in cycles. I get crazy about something for awhile and then move on to something else. Same passion, just a different technique. My biggest problem is limiting what I want to do. Running out of space for new stashes for each thing I want to try helps.
DORA: What other kinds of crafting do you do?
MYRA: Let's see, there was the polymer clay craze of 2002, the doll make-over phase in the late 90’s and the sudden interest in altered books that had me buying every piece of art paper and funky rubber stamp I could find. The one thing I do other than fiberwork most consistently is jewelry making of all kinds. I adore beadwork but I also experiment with found object construction and wirework too.
My mom didn't like buying commercial toys when I was small. She'd find a project that we could work on together so we did all kinds of crafts. I have very warm early memories of gluing macaroni onto babyfood jars and painting them gold. Even my love of Barbie revolved around making clothes for her.
DORA: Have you found resistance to free form in publications? Is it changing?
MYRA: Most definitely! There are dramatic changes in the publishing industry with the advent of Ravelry, Crochetville, etc. The bottom line is that publishers need to sell books and magazines to as many people as possible. The most popular books they sell are basic books based on patterns so there's a lot of resistance to "process" books. There were some wonderful books published in the 70s, now out of print, that were very different from current crochet books. It was a more experimental time and fiber artists wrote incredibly thoughtful books that dealt with crochet as art. I have a number of them in my fiber library and refer back to them for inspiration. If anything, I think there's even more resistance to freeform in publications, even though there are more and more people aware and interested in it. Since the publishing industry is going through major changes due to so much free online content, I think it's less likely they'll take chances on anything but patterns.
DORA: Why did you decide to self-publish this book?
MYRA: Most people who've been crocheting a long time are interested in new techniques they can incorporate into their own repertoire or into their own designs. I wanted to produce a book that would provide that kind of information and inspiration. I still love learning as many new techniques as I can and really wanted to see a book published for people like myself who want more out of a crochet book than just patterns. I also wanted to express exactly how and how much crochet has influenced my general philosophy. There are so many parallels to be drawn between looping yarn and life in general.
I wanted to impart how to mindfully enjoy the journey through crochet and get other crocheters excited about the possibilities for their own lives. I needed to have the freedom to help others find their own creative voice and go wild with crochet, which is something that would have been stifled through the regular publishing process. The book is about creativity and energy, something very different than most other books of it’s kind. It was way more important to me to provide a book to the people who would appreciate it most than to sell as many as possible.