Making the Helmet

To make the helmet I used the technique I experimented with earlier with the resin and the knitting. I thought this would be most ideal as the rounded experimental piece already had the look of a small helmet. So firstly I got a piece of crochet that was the right size for the helmet (which was a plastic fancy dress one) I used white and pink colours for it as they are generally seen to be feminine. I tried to replicate the method I used for the experiments by vacuum forming the helmet to get the right shape. This was an issue as the helmet is made from thin plastic and the vacuum former sucked out too much air, which crumpled the helmet. This could have been avoided in part by stopping the moulding sooner, but then the shape may not have taken. I managed to salvage the helmet and it was left which some dents in it, which was actually ok because it made it look more battle worn and authentic.

The next thing I tried was to soaked the crochet in clear resin and then place that over the helmet to take its form. Though to do this I had to first cover the helmet in parcel tape to make sure the resin wouldn’t just stick to the plastic helmet. Once the resin soaked crochet was placed I left it to dry and harden over night. When I retrieved it the resin and crochet had taken the shape of the helmet however the way it had formed was different in appearance to the experiment because the resin just hardened the material rather that took the form itself with the material inside. The result made it look more as though it was a crochet hat that had been made in to a helmet for the war rather that a helmet with that material being changed. Although this was not the original result I had intended, the idea of a more homely, feminine product being made in to a war piece was actually quite interesting as it shows how the idea can work both ways.

However, as much as I am aware that it is a helmet, to see it on its own without explanation can make it appear as a tea cosy or just a hat so to make the object clearer I wanted to add the details. The main thing I thought was the difference between a hat and a helmet is the chinstrap to keep it on. I made these by knitting two longer and two shorter pieces and sewing them together to make the look like the straps. I then glued them in to place. I also added a crochet emblem to the front of the helmet and some other crochet wheels on the chin straps. This added extra femininity to the helmet and  helps to visually explain the object through the detail.