Until the advent of synthetic fabrics, we spent a lot of time trying to keep moths out of our woolen clothing. Textile artist Max Alexander has turned the tables and creates knitted sculptures of moths out of wool! After a friend suggested she knit moths, Alexander started studying the different species of the insects and became fascinated with the diversity of their colors and markings. Three years later, she has knitted 35 different species and has more in progress.
Paying careful attention to detail, Alexander strives to make her knitted moths readily identifiable. "Once I choose a moth, I study as many different pictures and or specimens as I can find. Then I sketch out a pattern for the wings on graph paper and start knitting. I often have to adjust it as I go to keep the shapes as accurate as possible," she explains. Once a sculpture is finished, Alexander mounts and frames the work just like a scientific specimen. "I like to think they'd look at home in a natural history museum," she adds.
See more of Alexander's work at her website and Instagram. -via Metafilter
(Image credit: Max Alexandar)