gucci-gucci-goo!

Just wanted to post some in-progress shots of my latest crochet bag, a Gucci handbag with an allover patten and metal stirrup detail...




It's pretty crapped-out looking because it's totally unfinished and I need to tighten the details: finish the "stirrup", sew down the "gold" parts, make/add the strap, etc., etc. But! I'm finding it rather hilarious at this point and wanted to show how the "GG" logo fabric translated into crochet, which is...well...badly! I love it this way, though, it's sort of like looking at a designer bag without wearing your glasses and everything's all blurry :)

Here's the pic I'm working from (ha ha!):

It sort of looks like it could be a Dior, due to the stirrup resembling a "D", except that the green and red detail give it the Gucci look...I'm making all the gold hardware out of a very fine gold string and tiny hook, so it'll be a challenge on the strap, which seems pretty busy. I had to guess what the sides and back of the bag look like, since the source photo is just of the front, but that's been half the fun!

GOT A BAG IN PROGRESS? Please send pics my way, I'd love to post 'em! Even if you've got something lumpy and strange and not recognizable, it's all great! Think of them as mushy symbols that are slowly trying to "evolve" into more recognizable objects, kind of like in the embryonic stage...

Visit the crochet bag website to see more info and view the current collaborators!

PS--this group crochet project is all about each person being an "independent contractor" in a way, and because of this, each individual person will have their preferences for how they want to interpret a handbag. Some folks have emailed me about if they can knit parts of it, and I've come to the realization that in order to push the idea of mutation and individuality, it would be wrong for me to place overt limitations. In other words, if you feel you need/want to add some sort of technique (knit, sew, etc), you should! While I think it's a great challenge to see how much can be done using primarily crochet, just to try to push that particular medium, it shouldn't be seen as a hindrance. There's a hint of anarchy coming about in this project, as folks are getting pretty wild and personal ideas, which is great and it means things are evolving on their own without me. :)

To paraphrase Nike: "Just Do it", y'hear? You're a conterfeiter, remember? You're already not following the rules!