Elyse Allen [2000, Textiles]

I make fine knit accessories – hats, scarves, ponchos and fingerless gloves. I find the best materials I can, because they’re worth it and they last, and make the work by hand where I live because it’s better for the work and better for my neighborhood. I love to mix yarns, to play with colors and patterns, and to make them all explode a little bit with some sparkle and gleam. Cashmere gives beauty, warmth and durability; Swarovski crystals activate the surface, adding depth and motion. I try to make my pieces special to be near, like reuniting people with their long-lost favorite thing.