From arts & crafts being in the same sentence and starting off the same in the process as being given a blank canvas to yarn can lead to something new. This week's feature is Micheel Castro, @miichmichmich.
Starting off with a little bit about Micheel she shares her most recent interests being "I play a lot of animal crossing on my switch, I think I have over 800 hours at this point. I just watched Pose and it's just so good and eye-opening to the history of ball culture and how it was mainly thanks to Black LGBT+ folk, not to mention the amazing cast." For sure I have over 100hrs on animal crossing, but for sure I'll check out Pose!
She continues by mentioning a couple of her favorite local artists "My favorite local artists are Mariana's colorful paintings (@glutenisfree), Claire's odd but beautiful women drawings (@au_fait_arts), Yesenia's yummy juices (@y721c), and Heather's vegan baked goodies (@kundalinikitchen)" I do enjoy Mariana's and Claires's artwork as well! I'll be trying out Yesenia's juices soon! I literally just put in an order earlier today! I'll be sure to check out Heather's vegan goods.
We each pick our crafts and they differ from art, music, and so on. They differ as well from the style and the sound they have. Looking through Micheel's Etsy for the first time I found these handmade items really interesting and had to ask why she picked it and she said "I really like to crochet because I feel like I'm making something out of nothing, I think it's really satisfying to have a ball of yarn and then cut to many hours later a plush friend which I do sometimes talk to. It's also the only craft that's stuck around, I know how to sew, embroider, punch needle, and some other things, but crocheting is the only one that the more I do the more excited I get to keep learning and getting better." She states "I'm making something out of nothing" to which you can see from her creations that she really actually is. Basically giving life to yarn she worked with. Now I called these "handmade items" which they are but she goes on to explain what's called "Crocheted toys are usually called amigurumi, and anything else is just a crocheted item." That's an interesting fun fact for sure!
From "making something out of nothing" being a reason behind Micheel's crochet but when did it begin? When did she first find an interest in it she explains "As a kid, I always loved arts and crafts, and as I grew I just kept finding different projects to occupy my time. I learned to crochet back in high school, I would make random small items for the people I loved and sometimes made an item or two to sell at the artwalk. I, however, stopped doing it and moved on to whatever other craft I found on the internet. Like two years later I began again and got a lot better, I continued again to make things just to gift them off to people and sometimes sell. Recently I got a lot better and don't have to rely on other people's patterns as much anymore." Well, I'm glad Micheel got back into crochet, and as she said "I began again and got a lot better" to which you can see for yourself with images provided for the blog post. The time and effort put into these items which was once a craft to "occupy for time" to now being on Etsy and the reason being "some family and friends encouraged me to begin selling on Etsy" which I am glad to read knowing Micheel has the support from family and friends to continue crochet and to sell.
Micheel mentioned "I stopped doing it and moved on...like two years later I began again and got a lot better" begging the question of how has she changed compared to where she is now and she explains by saying "I'm really proud of myself on how far I've gotten, I used to scour Pinterest for a pattern of something I liked that I could make, but now I can draw inspiration from pictures or just random images in my head, I no longer need a pattern to exist to make some weird idea I have in my head. I still really like patterns and making other artists' creations. I'm really inspired by Oliva Laws (@olivialawsart) and Lianne Peterson (@fantasysprites)" The change is "I used to scour Pinterest...but now I can draw inspiration" having the idea just come up and bring it to life sounds so cool, but also I can see the effort and work used to bring that idea to life as well. This isn't the end for Micheel as a creator or anyone doing something we all continue to grow along with our work with much to learn and even learning new things as well out of nowhere.
From the multiple pieces created which one is Micheel's favorite as she says "a little over a year ago I purchased a pattern from Olivia Laws (@olivialawsart) and I worked on it off and on for months just now completing it a couple of months ago, they're a long 5-foot purple worm monster who sleeps with me. I named them Murcielago and I would like to think we have become good friends over quarantine. It's the biggest piece I've made and I would love to create something similar again." I can imagine a long 5-foot purple worm monster, but crocheting a 5-foot purple worm monster sounds like it would have taken forever! Although it also sounds like a fun adventure/activity creating a new friend or rather as Micheel says a fun time "making something out of nothing."
From all the time and effort that goes behind any craft, I just love to ask the creative process behind any of their work, and seeing the crochet pieces really makes me wonder to which she replied with "lately I have been really drawing inspiration from granny squares, It's the basis of crocheting but it's very versatile in what can be created with a bunch of crochet squares if you join them together. There's not really a process I have if I'm making something from the imagination I just start and I usually have to destroy it as I'm working if I'm not getting the shape I like. I also create a pattern for my work so everything is literally unique because even if I create it again there is no way for me to make it exactly the same. Sometimes as I'm working on something, I decide to remove or add things. One of my pieces started out as legs and after I did that and some hip area; I decided it would be cool to make a doll with that piece I had made as a hat, I never know what each piece is going to end up looking like and I kind of enjoy that. " I had to google what granny squares were, but it looks very complicated even though it is called the "basis of crocheting." The idea of "destroying" the creating and bringing back to simple yarn before it had legs or a body is an interesting thought. The possibilities seem endless when it comes to crochet it seems especially for Micheel if she brings her ideas to life in an instant.
With endless possibilities Micheel has with her crochet how would she like grow with her crochet to which she said "I get easily disinterested if I work on a piece for too long, so I usually cycle between 3-4 different items at a time, that's why I only post one listing of each item. I know if I have to make too many of the same item the enthusiasm will no longer be there for me. I would love to one day create my own patterns and share them with other crocheters." Oh that is pretty interesting I don't think I noticed the "one listing of each item" but that makes it more understandable. I don't know how to crochet but if given a pattern or rather a pattern for beginners I would like to give it a chance for sure.
When it comes to her most recent work she says "I have recently made myself a top, and I'd love to one day make clothing that other people can enjoy too." Crochet clothing? I have seen beanies and baby clothing for sure, but tops? that really sounds interesting for sure! From the most recent work to her most difficult she mentions "The doll with a house as a head was definitely the most challenging, It was the first time creating something on my own with so much dimension. She's also fully wired and poseable." Wow giving crochet dimensions rather than the idea of it being soft and flimsy? If that's the correct word. This makes the doll with a house a project surely to project to learn from for Micheel as now she is capable of making more difficult creations.
Micheel shares her thoughts on the local art scene,
"All the valley artists are so friendly, I've met a couple of people at events and have some really cool friendships. I really believe the scene is so involved in each other and the community."
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