Pop Art Crocheted roll of toilet paper cozy cover

You know when you have one of those crazy conversations that ends up with someone saying:

"Wouldn't it be funny if there was a ....."

Well, I had one of those conversations with a friend who has a cat that likes to rip up the toilet paper and I said something about the sushi toilet paper cover I did from MK Carroll's pattern and then he said, "wouldn't a toilet paper cover that looks like a roll of toilet paper be funny?"

I thought it was brilliant!
And I can make that. So I did!

But first I want to take you on my word journey for coming up with the proper title for it. In college one of our classes included the assignment each week to create a piece of art based on a particular style/movement and this TP cozy needed a genre.

First I looked up:

da⋅da     [dah-dah] 
–noun (sometimes initial capital letter)
the style and techniques of a group of artists, writers, etc., of the early 20th century who exploited accidental and incongruous effects in their work and who programmatically challenged established canons of art, thought, morality, etc.

Then I went to:

sur⋅re⋅al⋅ism     [suh-ree-uh-liz-uhm] 
–noun (sometimes initial capital letter)
a style of art and literature developed principally in the 20th century, stressing the subconscious or nonrational significance of imagery arrived at by automatism or the exploitation of chance effects, unexpected juxtapositions, etc

Neither of these seemed to fit, so I looked up:

pop art 
–noun
an art movement that began in the U.S. in the 1950s and reached its peak of activity in the 1960s, chose as its subject matter the anonymous, everyday, standardized, and banal iconography in American life, as comic strips, billboards, commercial products, and celebrity images, and dealt with them typically in such forms as outsize commercially smooth paintings, mechanically reproduced silkscreens, large-scale facsimiles, and soft sculptures.

pop art or Pop Art  
n.   A form of art that depicts objects or scenes from everyday life and employs techniques of commercial art and popular illustration.
pop-art (pŏp'ärt') adj., pop artist n

And I think Pop Art fits best.

Pop Art Roll of toilet paper toilet paper cozy cover:

Click on the photo to see my crocheted roll of TP cozy.

Pretty funny, hu?

To make your own TP cozy you'll need:

Materials

Gray worsted weight yarn

White Worsted weight yarn

size H crochet hook

yarn needle

How to crochet the roll of toilet paper cozy:

With the gray yarn:

Chain 4 and slip stitch to join

Chain 1

About 15 sc into circle and join

chain 1

single crochet around again, about every 3rd or 4th stitch do a second sc in the same loop. This will increase the size of the circle allowing it to stay flat. Adjust number of stitches as needed to lay flat.

Cut gray yarn and weave in the end.

With the white yarn:

SC around gray circle every few stitches doing two sc in one loop. Join each circle, then chain 1 and repeat until you have a circle the size of your roll of toilet paper. For me this was about 6 rows (circles)

For the side:

Chain 15

Chain 1 and sc into second to last stitch.

SC back into every chain stitch, chain 1, turn and sc back into every stitch. Adjust number of stitches as needed for your roll of toilet paper.

Repeat until you have a strip long enough to go around the entire roll of toilet paper plus a few inches to fall open. For me it was about 20 inches.

Stitch the top to the sides and then join the beginning of the side strip under the falling open end.

Weave in all the ends.

Giggle appropriately.

If you aren't familiar with crocheting in the round, here is a tutorial on how to crochet in the round from the tasty book:

The Crocheter's Guide to Yarn Cocktails
30 Technique-Expanding Recipes for Tasty Little Projects

is a hip instruction book for needle artists of all types.

The new needle arts enthusiasts are young and hip. Most are either new to needle arts or are crossing over from knitting to crocheting and vice versa. The Crocheter's Guide to Yarn Cocktails presents crochet as a fresh and exciting leisure activity, dispelling any former notions of the hobby as grandmotherly. Each fun project in The Crocheter's Guide to Yarn Cocktails teaches a specific skill so techniques can be learned in easy increments. The simple patterns offer a mixture of techniques which are the ingredients for learning more advanced projects. Angled toward the younger, emerging needle arts enthusiast, each project is inspired in name and attitude by a popular drink. By completing a "Yarn Cocktail" pattern, the reader will have created a beautiful unique accessory or garment and mastered a new crochet skill, and be empowered to tackle a more challenging project. Each pattern is accompanied by a recipe for the drink that inspired it, encouraging needle artists to knit as a social activity. But remember, the authors' motto is: Yarn Over, not Hangover!

Anastasia Blaes was taught to crochet by her grandmother at age six. Too rebellious to follow traditional patterns, she soon began designing for herself. Discovering that others were interested in her original designs, she sold original finished garments locally and in a baby boutique in Chicago. Anastasia has designed for such companies as Lion Brand Yarns and Jeanette Crews Designs. She is a member of TNNA and the Prince William Purlers knitting guild, where she served on the board as publicity chair for the years 2002 and 2003.

Kelly Wilson, a self-taught crocheter, has taught people of all ages to knit and crochet. She is the author of several booklets published by Leisure Arts and Jeanette Crews Designs. A former knitting editor, Kelly has proofed patterns for Leisure Arts, Herrschner's and Jeanette Crews Designs. Kelly is a member of TKGA as well as CGOA, where she serves on the Education committee.

Click on the image to enlarge and read how to crochet in the round.

 

So today's question is:

Have you ever had the "wouldn't it be cool if there was......" conversation and you went home and made what ever "it" was?

What was it?

And as our thanks for sharing, you'll be entered to win a free book!

Comments

[Christie]

I think surreal could have worked. You could take a page from Rene Magritte and called your cozy "Ceci n'est pas papier hygiénique"

[mary]

Speaking of Dada....just announced on Amazon...a brand new book (pubbing in 10/09)called Who's Your DADA?: Redefining the Doll through Mixed Media
by Linda O'Brien and Opie O'Brien.
http://tinyurl.com/c5efyc
Stef...this will provide you with plenty of inspiration this Fall!

[Janet]

Do people actually use toilet paper covers?

I once was gifted lots of upholsery samples. I thought it would be really "green" to find unique use for them, besides the typical pillow covers. On the drive home with my new stash, I designed a simple cap-type hat, similar to gandhi's that could be made from on single sample or at most two coordinated samples. By the time I got home, I'd figured it out so all I had to do was cut out the fabric and sew.

[MonkeyGurrl]

Ah, shoot. You have touched on the bane of my existence. I've had many such conversations (mostly with myself), start thinking about a project, planning it in my head, have it all mapped out by the time I get home, and *POOF*. Gone. The barrage of bodies and questions and stories and mundane requests like a tsunami just obliterates all my profound thoughts. I really have to start writing this stuff down.

LOVE your cozy; with the tute from Yarn Cocktails, I might just have enough to fumble my way through it!

[Henya]

I love it. Just the right mix of ridiculous and practical. Brava.

[Jenny Jones]

Grandmom's toilet lid will never be the same. I love it.

[wendy m.]

Very clever work of pop art! The one thing I remember most about going to the art museum here in Houston as a child - the big soft sculpture of a fan by Oldenburg.

[Heather "Hev"]

How fabulous is that!!!

If I could crochet Id be making a load LOL

[Katriska Francis]

Heheh that's funny. I did have a "wouldn't it be cool if there was....." conversation and it just happen to deal with crochet like yours. One of my best friends announced that she was getting married and invited us to her bachelorette party. Well my sister, making fun of me, asking wouldn't it be cool if I could crochet her a cock-n-ball pillow as a gag gift. The funniest thing happened. I was searching some picture of my crochet groups finished objects and whaddaya know, one of them actually created a cock-n-ball pillow. I immediately contacted her for the pattern and I made it. Oh it was a hit at the bachelorette party. I used fun fur for the hair and brown acrylic yarn for the pillow. I wish I had a picture of the look on her face.

[Krista]

I love it, way better then the creep crochet doll toilet covers that my nan used to make.

I had a friend once who said he wished he a sock monkey so I told him I could make him one. Then he said what would be cooler would be a sock monkey crossed with a lobster. So I made him a sock monkey that had a removable lobster suit. He had little lobster claw mittens, and a lobster hat and a removable lobster tail. The friend loved it.

[rachel]

just wanted to let you know that your fabulous piece ended up in a discussion we were having at imdb. Prompted, of all things, by the one liner 'What kind of lunatic would buy a squishy toilet seat cover?' on the show Suburgatory. Somehow, that evolved into a general creepiness factor of the doll head toilet seat cozies with the southern belle dress, and ended with your fabulous kitschy piece of pop art. Your piece is soo creative... totally made my day!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1741256/board/thread/190271258?d=190292414&p=1#190292414