Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Woomi

I have attempted self-portraits before, such as in this illustration from wootoons.com:



What would a self-portrait look like if made from yarn? At first, this would be the grisly scene:


It took me three clumsy hours to stitch these pieces together, but this time-lapse video mercifully reduces the process to a minute:


His name is Woomi:



My girlfriend and I brought Woomi outside to re-enact the woowork.com banner image:



This was the first time I crocheted in public, and I felt self-conscious. I'm aware of the double-takes when a guy is seen working with yarn. My girlfriend overhears "grandma" when she's making a scarf on the bus. But those stereotypes will fade as more people of all ages and genders become interested in yarn-craft.

After-all, Woomi is far from an effeminate senior citizen: he plays basketball and practices kung-fu:



To draw a self portrait, focus on the features that make you stand apart. That same approach can be used by anyone following their artistic interests.

13 comments:

  1. Howie, you're hilarious! I love woomi. Keep up the great work!

    - Dave @ YES Mag

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  2. OMG, Howie you are so talented (not that I ever doubted it!)! What lovely pieces you've made :) I just recently started knitting and i'm not doing so great! My mom suggested crocheting cos she thought it might be easier for me but I am determined to learn to knit!!!

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  3. Thanks for all the encouragement! Both of you deserve portable sunshine! ;)

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  4. Your Woomie is great, and the pictures made me laugh out loud! I love crocheting toys, and love that ami's have given this artform a new lease on life.

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  5. *chuckles* This is great. I just came across your blog from your nose post on Craftster and it's just so funny. You seem like you've got a great sense of humor. :)

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  6. miss m: Thanks so much for writing! I'm glad you find the blog funny. Amigurumi is inherently fun and funny, so it's a treat to share that spirit! :)

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  7. it is! (a treat to share this spirit)

    Hi Howie, I love your Woomi, he looks great!, you're whole site is a lot of fun!
    The KungFu pics are awesome.

    Hugs, Diana

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  8. Your banner is wonderful! You did such a great job on the illustration! So creative and colorful! Love your amigurumi self portrait! So excited I found your blog! Keep up the good work and amazing creativity!

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  9. diana prince: Woomi and I thank you for the kind words! I am constantly awestruck by the elegant lines and curves of your crochet creations!

    Rebekah: Your comments are always so generous, thank you! You're the first person to mention the banner... I still remember drawing it and feeling excited to start this blog!

    Woomi's darker personality will develop in future posts... ;)

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  10. I feel self conscious crocheting in public and I'm a girl!! Keep it up!

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  11. crookedcrocheter: I hope we both crochet in public more often!

    Recently, I saw someone sitting on a bench and knitting. Regretfully, I kept walking past. Next time, I will cheer on that brave-someone who crochets/knits in public! :D

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  12. Men who crochet are AWESOMERRSSSS
    so good for you!!!! If i had a penny for everytime i've been called a granma then i would probably be rich by now.. bt then again.. i love it when people see my amigurumis and/or other work and go all like "OMG I love it!! Where did you buy it?" -ahem- "I made it"
    PS- XD i love woomi! too cute (:

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  13. Sarah: Thanks! Yes, I also cringe at the stereotype that crochet is only for grandmas, but I'm glad to see so many young and talented people (of both genders) displaying their yarny skills :) Inspiring! That's awesome that you're making everyone ooh & ahh over your amigurumi, hooray!!

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