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Alaskan Winter is my most intricate and time-intensive Freeform crochet hat, created in 2023 during my residency at Union Street Gallery in Chicago Heights, Illinois. This one-of-a-kind piece of wearable art took 85 hours to complete and won first place in the 2023 fiber arts exhibition at Crete Creative Gallery in Crete, Illinois.
The hat features a layered design of wool and mixed fibers, forming a sculptural Arctic landscape. I used magnifying goggles to craft the extremely small stitches that give it a detailed snow and ice texture. Frozen trees wrap around the hat’s structure, and between them are sections of black winter sky illuminated by a blue and yellow aurora made from a silk-wool blend yarn called Starry Night. The palette and patterning echo the look of northern lights, glaciers, and wintry forests.
This artwork reflects the emotional “winters” we all endure—periods of grief, hardship, and transformation. Like the seasons, we move through darkness into renewal. Alaskan Winter symbolizes resilience, healing, and the promise that spring always follows.
It is ideal for collectors of fiber art, Freeform crochet, sculptural textile work, Nordic-inspired wearable art, and handmade wool hats.
