crochet

There are three main theories for the origin of crochet. Some believe that it originated in Arabia and spread eastward to Tibet and then westward to Spain, finally following the Arab trade routes to other Mediterranean countries. Alternatively, its thought to have originated in South America, where a primitive tribe used crochet adornments in puberty rites. Another alternative stems from the fact that in China, early examples were known of dolls worked in crochet.
However, there is no solid evidence as to how old crochet is or where it originated. The evidence of it appearing in the sixteenth century is slight, and hotly disputed. There are references to a type of "chained trimming" made around 1580. However this appears to have been a type of cord, sewn onto fabric like an ornamental braid.

Kristen uses a unique process that she created; she crochets cotton lace shapes then dips it in liquid porcelain, fires the piece in a mold to burn away the fiber, effectively leaving behind crocheted porcelain. Each individual piece differs from the next but the art has some similarities. The porcelain lace is done in white and then set against a single, bold colored background (often, but not always, a wall). I like the natural feel of the work as well as the interesting use of background color.