Kristen Kaas
Name: Kristen Kaas
Studio location: Duluth, Minnesota
Website / social links: kristenkaas.com, @kristenkaas
Loom type or tool preference: 4 shaft jack floor loom, upright rigid heddle tapestry loom
Years weaving: 10
Fiber inclination: I don’t discriminate, anything that catches my eye, textural, or unique
Current favorite weaving book: Loom Controlled Double Weave by Paul R. O’Connor
1. How did you discover weaving and was what your greatest resource as a beginner?
In 2010 I took my first floor loom weaving class through my local fiber guild and fell in love. Later that year, I received my first rigid heddle tapestry loom and a frame loom. Using books and online resources, I started experimenting on my own. I would say my local fiber guild was a huge resource for me and still is.
2. How do you define your practice – do you consider yourself an artist / craftsperson / weaver / designer / general creative or a combination of those? Is this definition important to you?
I consider myself an artist, craftsperson, weaver, fiber artist, and designer. I have a background in ceramics and there was always a lot of conversation about craft vs art, functional vs the nonfunctional and it is very similar to ideas that come up for me in weaving and textiles. I try not to focus too much on the labels because I find that they limit my work.
3. Describe your first experience with weaving.
My first experience with weaving was in high school when I created a weaving for a college art scholarship and won the first prize. I had never done any formal weaving before that but always felt a connection with fiber, textiles, and especially weaving. We were given a poem and asked to create a piece of artwork as a response. After reading the poem I remember instantly knowing that I needed to create a weaving. Never having woven anything before I am not sure where this urge came from but looking back it makes sense now, I have always been pulled towards woven textiles. I still have the weaving I created for the scholarship piece and see it as an important step in my fiber journey.
4. What is your creative process, from the initial idea to the finished piece? Are there specific weave structures, looms, or fibers that are important to your process?
I don’t think there is a right or wrong way to work but sometimes I feel like I work a bit backwards. I envision myself sketching an idea first, then creating it, but it never works like that for me. I tend to be more idea driven and find inspiration from several different areas so the design process occurs differently, often iteratively, depending on how I start. Typically, I find a yarn and have an idea about how I see the yarn being used, whether its fabric for apparel, accessories, or a tapestry. Other times I will see certain shapes or design elements in apparel or furniture that inspire a design idea. More often, one idea or inspiration blooms into a bunch of ideas, unfolding and revealing itself through the process of weaving. My process is both intuitive and analytical; I always start with a plan but leave a lot of the design process up to gut and intuition. I took a Saori weaving class a few years ago and the free form nature of Saori helped me to let go a little, giving me the confidence to follow my instincts, and trust myself more to allow the my weavings to unfold with more spontaneity and less control.
The character of the fiber itself often inspires my weavings. I use a lot of vintage and novelty yarns that I find online or at yarn sales, so when I come across a really unique yarn, even though I usually have no idea what I will use it for I just can’t pass it up. This can lead to a lot of yarn hoarding but I have come to accept that this is part of my working process and the way in which I create most naturally
Currently I am most interested in weaving materials and techniques that create unique texture and dimension such as double weave, supplemental warp, and pulled warp techniques. I am intrigued with the idea of creating multi dimensional stand-alone structures using a traditionally two dimensional techniques and processes. I am also very interested in incorporating nontraditional and alternative materials into my weavings. I think the development of bio-yarns and bio textiles is super exciting and interesting not only because the materials are sustainable but also because of the opportunity to experiment with the properties these yarns offer in weaving specifically.
5. Does your work have a conceptual purpose or greater meaning? If so, do you center your making around these concepts?
Currently my work is less conceptual and more about exploring form, color, texture, and proportions. I am very interested in conceptual art and have explored several ideas in my sketchbook centering on personal struggles and experiences. Due to the personal nature, I have been hesitant in actualizing these pieces but I look forward to creating them one day as I find confidence in my voice.
6. What is your favorite part of the weaving process and why? What’s your least favorite?
My favorite part of the process is the middle, right when I am in the thick of it all. Once I am weaving I feel great, I love seeing the yarns come together on the loom to create something bigger. My least favorite part is in between projects. My head starts spinning with ideas and I can get overwhelmed when I don’t have a plan. Self-doubt can start to set in so I just have to shore up my courage and get started, then I feel back on track again.
7. Do you sell your work or make a living from weaving? If so, what does that look like and how has that affected your studio practice?
Yes, I do sell my work but currently don’t make enough to actually live off of it yet. I find myself going back and forth in between the pull to create more “commercialized” work and wanting to create the work I want to make even if it has no guaranteed market or audience. There is definitely pressure to create work that sells and I struggle at times to stay true to my voice and myself. But for now, my weaving is for me so I am generally able to create the pieces I want.
8. Where do you find inspiration?
I am always looking for inspiration and have long loved and been inspired by apparel, whether it be colors, textures, or proportions. More recently I have been looking to furniture design, architecture, and interior spaces. I find inspiration in the color combinations, textures used, and the furniture designs themselves. I find a lot of inspiration in the details and am always noticing small details that spark a bigger idea.
9. What other creatives do you admire – weavers, artists, entrepreneurs – and why?
I have always admired artists in all mediums who rejected the ever-changing trends and instead followed their own vision. A couple apparel related artist/designers that come to mind are weaver and apparel designer Amy Revier and apparel designers Rei Kawakubo, and Issey Myiaki. While all very different designers they all share a dedication and to the entire design process including the materials, production, and final execution.
10. If you could no longer weave, what would you do instead?
I can’t pick just one but it would either be to sew, weld, or bake!
in collaboration with @hemlocksleather
