Blackfoot River

Back in July, J and I took a long-awaited trip to Montana, a place I have been wanting to show him for a long time.  I've looked forward to returning ever since I spent a summer there in college - at the time my university's Forestry program included a 7 week field school at an out of state location, and Montana was the destination for my class.  This post just includes one stop off on the trip, along the Blackfoot River just east of Missoula.  We spent an afternoon sitting by the river, exploring along the bank and observing the various things that grow there.  Unfortunately, the weather was not warm enough to make us brave the frigid water for a swim-- next time.

I'll make additional posts from this trip, hopefully in the near future.  I haven't been blogging much lately, because my time has been monopolized by creating artwork.  This is a good problem to have, but I'm hoping to start writing more again soon and balancing this space of inspiration, reflection and updates with my art making practice.  Until then...

I was really excited to discover what I believe to be showy milkweed along the river bank!  I had just begun my project, Missing Pieces, at the time and milkweed was pretty much on the brain all summer long.  What a beautiful plant!

Wolf lichen is incredibly fascinating to me.  Driving along mountain roads up north, you'll come around a bend to see a dead tree just covered in fluorescent yellow fruticose lichen, one of those things that I'm amazed is real.  Wolf lichen has inspired some of my work this past year, both that I have shared as well as another project that I haven't posted about.  That one will likely stay under wraps for quite a while, but check out my wolf lichen wall hanging.

Another type of lichen to inspire my work recently has been pixie cup.  I've knitted some pieces inspired by these for my shop, including terrariums, holiday ornaments, and a wall hanging.

Tube lichen is especially fascinating - the texture and colors, the fruiting structures.  I recently created a piece inspired by this type of lichen for Cultivating Craft, an exhibition at 108 Contemporary in Tulsa that opens in December.  I'll share more on that soon.

Missing Pieces || Introduction

You may have noticed by now if you follow me on Instagram or Facebook that I've been cryptically posting images of works in progress involving knitted leaves, hundreds of knitted petals, and stalks, under the hashtag #missingpieces2016.  I'm excited to finally tell you a little about this project that I've embarked upon and will be sharing more about over the coming year. As a self proclaimed nature enthusiast, I've always been interested in natural observation, which has contributed to the detail in my previous work.  In addition to this interest, throughout my coursework and professional experience in the field of forestry I have developed a fascination with interconnectedness-- the phenomenon of a niche and how it is impacted by changes in the surrounding ecosystem.  Even the smallest shifts in an ecosystem's makeup can influence the future of that setting, even though it may be undetectable to us.

This past year I did some reading about the monarch butterfly and the reports of reduced numbers of the species throughout its native range.  Researchers believe that this is due largely in part to habitat loss in overwintering sites through issues such as deforestation, and climatic factors.  Another major aspect of this decline is the scarceness of milkweed plants, namely those in the Asclepias genus.  Increased use of herbicides and other agricultural/roadside management have impacted the size of the milkweed population that is present across the region that monarchs migrate through.  Monarchs use these plants as a nectar source, but they also rely on them to raise the next generation that will continue the migration.  The effect of these missing pieces trickle down to impact the livelihood of one of the most well known insects in North America.  If you're interested in reading more about this topic or want to know how you can help, check out the Monarch Joint Venture.

Missing Pieces is a study on cause and effect in nature, through fiber sculptures of plants from the Asclepias genus.  This next year, I will be knitting flower heads and entire plants of species that are native to my region for a solo exhibition at The Project Box in the Paseo District of Oklahoma City in August 2016.  Knitted botanical sculptures will place these plants underneath a microscope, exploring their unique features and vast responsibility in the entomological world.

I'm very grateful and excited to have been awarded a Creative Projects Grant by the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition for this undertaking, and am excited to share the process in this space as it develops.

"Tuberosa", the first sculpture for Missing Pieces, inspired by butterfly milkweed.

52 Forms of Fungi || #49

Now that my web site is live, I'm back on course to finish up this project once and for all.  Another minor holdup this summer involved finding the right yarn for this species - black jelly oyster.  After going through my immense stash of every color you can think of (seriously, I think I own over half of the available shades of Knit Picks Palette), I finally found a hue that was satisfactory.  The most interesting part about black jelly fungus is the underside, so just imagine that the branch these little guys are growing on has just been overturned to expose the surface that has been buried in the duff.... very CLEAN duff, obviously.  The bottom of these forms show some intricate detailing for the gills that is unfortunately not too visible in my photos due to the darkness of the color (there had to be a drawback), but trust me, it's there!  I used the same stitch technique as I did with the gills of Lactarius indigo, if that helps.  

Living Wall || Mounted Staghorn Ferns

I first became acquainted with staghorn ferns when living in Austin - a good friend who was also a coworker had one in our office, but it had unfortunately seen better days by the time I arrived there.  I tried to revive it, but really didn't know much about the plant despite my otherwise green thumb.  All I knew was that one of my favorite garden centers down there, The Great Outdoors, had a giant staghorn hung from an old live oak tree, and there are few non-tree plants that have had that kind of impact on me.  Every year, the Zilker Botanical Gardens host a garden festival, which was where the office plant originated from.  I picked one up that year only to experience the same failure and disappointment at my inability to get one of these interesting specimens to thrive.  Now several years the wiser, I have realized after many house plant casualties the phenomenon of "loving a plant to death".  Too much water, folks.  It's one of the main reasons that people kill indoor plants!  Once I learned to be patient about plant care, I found that I had much greater success with long term health of indoor greenery.

Living walls have interested me for a number of years now.  With the exception of my studio, much of our house is pretty dim during the day.  However, the living room boasts a large window facing the east, and the room is bright in the morning hours and lit indirectly in the afternoon.  The wall facing the window is long and from the get go I saw it covered in plants when envisioning our new home.  Last year for my birthday, J gave me a birdnest fern, mounted on a tree cross section by a local business, Ghostcat Botanical.  This winter I found a couple of stag horn ferns in 4" pots and finally found a couple of pieces of wood to mount them on at an antique mall over Memorial Day weekend.  One is a box built from old barn wood, and the other is a hand carved panel, presumably from some type of cabinet door.

Mounting staghorn ferns is actually pretty simple.  Supplies include a mount such as a board or tree cross section, sphagnum moss, nails and hammer (or screws, your preference), and fishing line.  Staghorns are epiphytic plants, which means that they do not actually need potting medium - the roots will just attach to the surface that they are mounted to.  Since mine were started in the 4" pots they did have a little soil around the roots, which I wrapped with moist sphagnum moss.  I then set the root ball on the mount to determine where to place my nails.  Using about 6 nails around the perimeter of the root ball, I drove them in about an inch from the edge of where the root ball would be.  You can mark these spots and remove the plant while hammering.  Once nails are in place, position the plant again and make sure the moss is covering all surfaces of the soil.  Tie the fishing line to one of the nails and bring it over and around the root ball in a clockwise direction to a nail on the opposite side and wrap the line around it a couple of times.  Be sure to take the line underneath the flat fronds at the base of the plant and be careful not to damage or remove them, even if they are brown.  From here, take the line clockwise across the root ball again, to the nail just past the first one you tied on to (in the clockwise direction).  Wrap a couple of times, and take the line clockwise to the nail just past the second one you wrapped.  Continue to wrap, bringing the line just past the opposite nail that was previously wrapped until you have gone around the whole root ball a couple of times.  It doesn't necessarily matter exactly what pattern you wrap in, as long as the line is consistently supporting the root ball on all sides.  I wrapped around the base a couple of times as well, before tying the line off to the tail of line where I started and tucked both ends behind the moss. Gardenista has a great tutorial on mounting staghorn ferns as well, which I definitely recommend checking out if you're interested in trying it.

I know it's not exactly what one would call a living wall just yet, but it's a start!  I can't wait to keep adding to it over time and watching these babes grow.  On another note, I'm in the process of harvesting spores from the birdnest fern and plan to try my hand at propagating them.  I'll let you know how it goes!

 

52 Forms of Fungi || #48

Found in burned areas where morels are abundant, pink burn cup  (Tarzetta rosea) may cover the ground. While I'm sure I would be pretty jazzed about finding a ton of morels, these would probably grab my attention even more!  I would love to do a large installation with these - the color is so vibrant and they are very simple to make.

This species was knitted as part of my 52 Forms of Fungi project.  See more forms for the project here.

52 Forms of Fungi || #47

A couple of years ago, I was minding my own business in my office when a coworker walked in and tossed a baggie across my desk.  A little startled, I remember looking at it and thinking, "What on Earth?!" as I examined the strange crab claw-like structure before me.  For the most part, I'm the go-to "what-the-heck-is-going-on-with-my-tree?" lady, though I rarely get many questions about fungi, despite my obvious interest.  After a little digging, I discovered that the strange fungus that had sprouted up in my coworker's yard is yet another fascinating species of stinkhorn.  In looking into this unusual specimen I was inspired by stinky squid, which you see here, though I'm not sure exactly which stinkhorn my coworker had found, specifically.  The world of fungi never ceases to fascinate...

This species was knitted as part of my 52 Forms of Fungi project.  See more forms for the project here.

52 Forms of Fungi || #46

Apricot jelly fungus has been on the list for quite a while and has finally made its debut!  It's really starting to hit home that this project is coming to a close - Of the several phases that Berroco provided yarn for, this was the last to create.  Imagining the curled, gelatinous structures of this fungus with each increase row, I continued to savor the softness of Ultra Alpaca Fine.  It's unlikely that this fiber will ever leave my list of favorite yarns.  I like how the natural curl of the yarn in a way mimics the shape of this species.  The Grove Mix colorway seemed to match up nicely as well.

This species was knitted as part of my 52 Forms of Fungi project.  See more forms for the project here.

Lichen of the Wichita Wildlife Refuge

Lichen is my favorite thing to observe anywhere I go.  The Wichita Wildlife Refuge has a stunning array of lichen, and I'm always really drawn to the brightly colored crustose species covering the granite rock faces there.  So beautiful.  We went out and hiked for a day recently, and I spotted some beautiful foliose and fruticose lichens as well.  These are just some images of what I observed.  Happy Friday!

52 Forms of Fungi || #45

Craterellus fallax, black trumpet.  I find the dark color of these to be striking!  They are widely distributed, but apparently difficult to spot and like to grow beneath oaks through mycorrhizal relationships.  It seems that black trumpet is also very fragrant!  I'm not sure what they smell like, but how strange to spot a mushroom on a walk because of its olfactory properties!

This species was knitted as part of my 52 Forms of Fungi project.  See more forms for the project here.

52 Forms of Fungi || #44

Little nest polypore.  I remember observing some of these on a fallen branch in a natural area a year or so ago, alongside some bitchin' lichen.  They were much smaller than these polypores that I knitted, but the rings of color were pretty distinct.

These polypores were knitted for my project, 52 Forms of Fungi.  You can see more phases from this project here.

52 Forms of Fungi || #43

As I'm beginning to write this, it's occurring to me that I have not knitted very many conks for this project.  I made ganoderma in the beginning, but that was quite a while ago.  I suppose it's only fitting that I squeeze one into the final 10!

This is red belted conk.  I had hoped to post this a week ago, but we've had crap weather as of late (as you can tell from the white remnants of roadway torture substan--- I mean, snow, that's in the background there.  I have attached the little guy to a sad little apple tree in my back yard that had a heck of a fight with fireblight last year, has a pretty gnarly cavity at the base, and served as a nice host for some split gill fungi that I observed all last summer.  We will probably have to remove the tree in the near future, so I wanted to make sure her legacy carried on.... in the form as a host for knitted fungi in a photograph.  With that being said, I don't think this conk actually grows on apple wood, though if I'm wrong about that please correct me.  I have seen it on Juniperus in the past, or at least what I believe to be this species.  Very beautiful.

These mushrooms were knitted for my project, 52 Forms of Fungi.  You can see more phases from this project here.

North Cascades Fungi || Part 2

Here is a continuation of my post on fungi observed along the Lake 22 Trail in the North Cascades of Washington State.  Check out the first post here.

52 Forms of Fungi || #42

Flat-topped club coral.  I love the shapes of these little guys.  Apparently they are edible, and actually have a somewhat sweet flavor.  Dessert mushrooms?  That's a new one to me.  Have any of you tried these before?

These mushrooms were knitted for my project, 52 Forms of Fungi.  You can see more phases from this project here.

North Cascades Fungi || Part 1

Back in October, J and I visited a couple of dear friends in Seattle for a few days.  While on our trip, we drove into the North Cascades and hiked the Lake 22 trail in the Mt. Baker - Snoqualmie National Forest.  This day was really one of the highlights of my year, and I'm still feeding off of the inspiration and beauty that we beheld in the Pacific Northwest.  I know I say this a lot, but I really can't believe things like this exist.  It's mind blowing, really!  The hike up the mountain took about 3 times longer than the trek down, because of constant stops to observe and gawk (and photograph) about once every 20 feet or so.  I know it's excessive, but when the opportunity arises you just need to take these things in, you know?  Here is a sampling of the fungi I observed that day.  This will be a two part post, since it's pretty photo heavy - and there's part two to look forward to next week!  Can't wait to go back...

52 Forms of Fungi || #41

We're at the countdown, folks.  I'm now twelve phases from finishing the 52 Forms of Fungi project.  Last week, I sat down and planned out exactly which species to include and am really excited to share them with you, starting with bleeding hydnellum!  When young, this fungus appears to be "beaded" with red droplets, almost blood-like.  As it grows, the flesh will envelope surrounding objects - twigs, leaves, cones, PLANTS (whoa!), etc.  According to my trusty field guide that I bought in Oregon a few months back, this is also a great dye mushroom and (surprisingly) produces hues of blue and green.  Another common name for this species is "Strawberries and Cream".  Yum, right?  I'm glad to finally add this little guy to my fungi index, and now I'm off to keep working on future phases for the countdown.  For those of you with the day off today, I hope you enjoy your holiday!

52 Forms of Fungi || #40

Last fall, Berroco so kindly provided some yarn for me to use on this project.  The majority of it was varying gauges of Ultra Alpaca (a personal favorite), but also in that box was a new yarn that was about to be released.  A super soft, shiny, beautifully draping yarn.  Now that I'm nearing the end of my project, I'm finishing up my Berroco yarn stash as well.  The two shades of this lovely mystery yarn triggered an epiphany in my brain the other day as I realized the perfect species to use them for: oyster mushrooms.

This is a timely post, as I've been seeing oysters all over my feed lately from local wild crafters.  Apparently, this is a really great year for them in Oklahoma.  I'll bet more will be popping up over the weekend, with all the slow, drizzly rain we've been getting this week.  You may be noticing this from the photos, but no, I did not detail the gills this time, mostly due to time constraints.  Please don't hate me.  If you like to see stitching for gills though, check out Lactarius indigo, another species that I knitted with Berroco yarn.

And now that you're fully wondering what that mystery yarn is (I know you are), I suppose I'll tell you... it's Folio!  The caps were knitted with the Peaks colorway, and the cream shade is called Orr.  These are by far the smooshiest (not a word, but go with it) mushrooms I've made to date.  This yarn has some serious drape.  I'm really considering ordering more to make a sweater or a wrap with; so lovely.

Well, it's been a busy week of knitting/posting about fungi!  I will be working on more over the weekend, and now we're at a countdown!  12 phases left! Hard to believe.  I wish you a very happy Friday!

These mushrooms were knitted for my project, 52 Forms of Fungi.  You can see more phases from this project here.

52 Forms of Fungi || #39

Orange peel fungus!  Named because... well, orange peels... As I mentioned yesterday, I had some issues this week with getting photos for the project due to weather and being so close to the solstice.  It was getting a little dark out by the time I got to shoot this phase, and the clearest photos were a little darker than I usually go for.  The resulting mood was true to the nature of the day, however, and I like how much the pieces stand out in the gloomy setting.  So, rather than correct the brightness I decided to leave the photos as they were.

This was knitted for my 52 Forms of Fungi project.  See more phases from this project here.

52 Forms of Fungi || #38

The odds seem to be against me this week in getting photos of the phases I've been working on.  I made it to a favorite photo spot just as the sun was going down yesterday to capture this species and another that will be posted tomorrow, only to realize that I left my SD card at home (At least I had tacos to look forward to afterward).  This morning before work, it was still too dark by the time I had to leave.  This afternoon--- steady rain and dim outside.  This leads me to realize that every phase to date has been shot in clear weather, so why not get a couple when it's damp?  It's a nice contrast.  In any case after a little while of crawling around in the back yard in my raincoat...

Western amethyst laccaria.  Not found in my area, but I would love to run across it one day.  I don't know what it is, but the purple fungi grab my attention the most.  My favorite about this species was the variegation in color of the stalk.  I knitted with two strands of different shades to achieve that effect.

This installation was created for my 52 Forms of Fungi project.  Check out more phases from this project, here.

52 Forms of Fungi || #37

I've knitted a lot of mushrooms (including boletes) over the past couple of years, and this is by far the largest one.  King bolete is an impressive specimen, and I would love to make another that's even closer to the large end of the scale.  How exciting it must be for the mushroom forager to come across one of these out in nature!

This species was knitted as part of my 52 Forms of Fungi project.  See more forms for the project here.

For the holiday shoppers - I have prints and knitted fungi available in my shop!

52 Forms of Fungi || #36

I made a bunch of these for an art event at a local park that I was going to be a part of last month, but I ended up unable to participate at the last minute due to some things happening in my family.  This is the first chanterelle I've done -- cinnabar-red chanterelle, to be exact.  I enjoy doing the stitch detailing for the gills such as with Lactarius indigo.  It wasn't quite as pronounced on these since they are so much smaller, but I like how they turned out.

It's been a productive weekend on the knitted fungi front - as I'm trying to wrap up this series, I have about 3 others ready to post and one that will be ready in the next couple of days.  The shorter days reduce the amount of time I have to get out and shoot photos of these after I get home from work (or before work, for that matter), but I will do my best!  I would like to complete the series shortly after the New Year, if not before, so efforts will be amped up a little... which means more to see here on the blog until then!  A holiday surprise...

Thanks to everyone for following along!  Check out more posts from this series here.