Have you discovered Coroflot yet? You could certainly lose more than a few hours browsing.

Today I’m working on prototypes for some new cozy/cuff designs (and no I won’t give you any more details than that!) and it has me waxing poetic about wool and felt. So I thought it was about time I showed some images from my trip to NYC a few weeks back. I went with a bunch of Towson students a faculty, first to see Design for a Living World (again). Afterwards, we took the ferry to Governer’s Island to see Pioneers of Change, an exhibition of Dutch design.

With out a doubt, my favorite installation was of my design crush, Christien Meindertsma. Sadly, Christien wasn’t there on the day I was there, but I loved how she displayed all the steps of her process. I especially loved the details on the types of wool and dyes she uses. It brought me back to my feltmaking days in grad school, when I meticulously recorded all the wool dying I did.

Now all I’m thinking about is what a wonderful material wool is, and all the fabulous things I could do with it. (Oh, and that wouldn’t it be fun to have a few sheep of my own!)

After visiting the Cooper-Hewitt today with Margaux, I now officially have a serious design crush on Christien Meindertsma. I blogged about her urchin poufs before, one of which was part of the exhibition Fashioning Felt, but it was Christien’s contribution to the Design for a Living World exhibition that turned me into a super-fan.

For Design for a Living World, the Nature Conservancy took 10 designers and matched them with a sustainable material from around the world. The exhibition features sketches and prototypes, as well as finished products. Not only are the finished products impressive, but the progress shots and accompanying video really help tell the story. (I wish you could watch the videos online!)

After browsing the book (which of course I bought), exhibition website, and Christien’s website, I’m totally ready to move to a sheep farm in Idaho and become best friend’s with Christien. How fantastic are all those process shots? And how adorable is she? At the very least, I want to decorate my living room with these knit rugs and poufs.

If you have a chance, I highly recommend a trip to the Cooper-Hewitt to see Fashioning Felt and Design for a Living World.