Monica Johnson
Makes: Crocheted and knit cold-weather accessories
Lives: Long Island City
Making hats, hoods, wrist cuffs and cowls not only keeps others warm, but helps Monica Johnson get through the cold. "I was in San Francisco for about 12 years and with a Mediterranean climate, we didn't get extreme temperatures," she explains. "But I'm from Michigan originally and about five years ago, I moved back there for a year and my mom taught me how to knit. It was my way of creatively handling the extreme weather, and something that kept my hands busy.
"So when I moved to New York a year after that, I just kept doing it," adds Johnson, 34. "Eventually, you clothe so many of your family members and friends, but you still end up with so much more, so I sell them."
Johnson, who has a fine arts background and works as an exhibitions manager for the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, spends about five hours on each item.
"I like really simple, solid designs," she says. "And they're alterable. For example, the cowls are oversized, so you can wrap it around once or leave it hanging twice. Usually with each of my things you can accessorize it in different ways. And they're all very well-made because I don't rely on this as a way to make a living. I have the luxury of making sure that whatever I made, I feel proud of."
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2011/01/23/2011-01-23_queens_museum_of_arts_gift_shop_spotlights_borough_artists_including_wire_croche.html#ixzz1BuK0uK92
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