BEHIND THE SCENES - FORGOTTEN 1 + 2

Forgotten #1 (on the wall) and #2 (in hand).
Katie Berman, 2020.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been having some moments of self discovery in the wake of our COVID-19 shelter-in-place. Working in the studio is starting to look a little different. These past couple of weeks, I had to have a real moment with myself.

Am I truly approaching the design of my work the way I say I do?

I am all about what I consider restorative design, giving new life to materials-- primarily yarns-- that have been discarded or given up on. I source much of my yarn from local thrift stores like The Scrap Exchange. They get big hauls of yarn cones from mills (usually rug wools!) which is perfect for my work. I’m able to save some fiber from the landfill while also keeping money in my community. 

This seems all fine and good. All in line with my ethos. But when I was able to go to the store freely, I still had a tendency to not fully use what I had. I would get things for one idea but still have leftovers. Or maybe I’d get a new idea and move on to something else, abandoning the materials I originally got. 

In a way, I was now discarding materials. Maybe not into the trash, but I would discard them to the back of my shelves or the bottom of my yarn jars where they could easily be passed over and forgotten. 

It’s been through the COVID-19 retail restrictions that my eyes were fully opened to this behavior. I can’t go hunt for yarn at The Scrap right now. I have to use what I have. So here we go… I’ve forced myself to dig these yarns out of the bottom of the pile and get weird with it!  

Forgotten #1, detail.
Katie Berman, 2020.

In a way, I’m really thankful. This has helped push myself in different directions and really explore color combinations I don’t always gravitate toward. I’m grateful for the opportunity to broaden my circle and think even more outside the box. And the best part is I really like them! Whatcha think?

Here’s to staying sane and getting weird!
-KB