thee motherlode

i have stumbled across the most amazing online collection of vintage crochet patterns, a veritable motherlode treasure-trove of retrolisciousness...looks like all of them are from the 70s or so...



i'm doing research on certain crochet styles for a possible art project, dare i say. it may involve me making and distributing written patterns for crochet knock-offs of designer handbags, and soliciting people to make one and photograph themselves with it in exchange for an anti-factory item. i will be more explicit as things get fleshed out, i still need to figure out if this is visually interesting and conceptually interesting in regards to a show in Beijing later this year having to do with "piracy" and bootlegging (my favorite topic, really). i want to start a cottage industry of grannies crocheting bootleg designer items. out with the shawls and baby booties! in with the Fendi, Chanel, and Gucci! ;) ...come on, ladies!

a few years ago i did a project where i started a handbag label called "Cheap Copy" where i made dozens of functional handsewn designer knock-offs and sold them at rock-bottom prices. it was wonderful and horrible and had the intention of trying to dilute the designer market one small step at a time. i have no photos, it was almost a secret project with no documentation and the handbags have been distributed and are circulating on shoulders like some viral mutation.