Pushing boundaries in every sense of the phrase, Kaz - of Kazclops - has always refused to choose between art and science, two disciplines that are notoriously assumed to be opposites. Kaz’s approach to headwear, however, proves the two fields aren’t so incompatible after all, since it’s clear to see that she engages both to bring her outlandish designs to life.
The Irish artist has been devoted to crocheting balaclavas, and using a multitude of materials and accessories to do so, since ingeniously being inspired by face-coverings during the pandemic. By also using natural beauty and inspiration from her favourite video games, Kaz is constantly coming up with new designs for her work. Though balaclavas are her current fascination, and the fascination of all who follow her, the artist is excited to take her brand in new creative directions in the future.
Today we’re chatting to Kaz, the founder of Kazclops and maker of the most intricate balaclava, bonnet, and bag designs you’ve ever seen. What have you been up to recently, Kaz?
I'm in the process of redecorating my apartment a little so I can make space for more yarn, I just got done building a (very simple ikea) shelf, I’ve been creating winter accessories for myself, I recently started an anime called Gintama and I’ve been watching a lot of Kitboga on YouTube.
Tell us a bit about yourself!
I’m from Ireland. I have a BSc degree in Astrophysics. At the moment I am a fibre artist. I've always been torn between art and science because they were both my passions when I was younger. I excelled in maths when I was in school but spent all my free time painting, drawing, knitting scarves or sewing clothes for my Bratz and Barbies. Unfortunately in school and college there was a pressure to pick one route and stick with it. I wanted to go to art college as much as I wanted to study physics. I wish there was a way to do both simultaneously. I think there must be a way I can merge them that feels aligned to me, but I just haven't discovered it yet. For now I will have to settle with alternating between the two and right now I'm on my creative journey.
What does your day-to-day look like? Are you entirely consumed by the crocheting lifestyle or are you also involved in other things?
The second I picked up a crochet hook it pretty much consumed my day to day life but recently I’ve found a nice balance and time for other things so I can try to give my hands a little break. I've been teaching myself 3D modelling, slowly working on my website, practising sewing on my sewing machine and making jewellery. However, the majority of my day is still spent crocheting or knitting.
What motivated you to learn how to crochet? Are you self-taught?
I really wanted a bunny hat for myself and had a very vivid image of it in my mind but couldn’t find one to buy. I learnt how to knit when I was younger so I tried to knit one first but it didn’t turn out as planned. Then I turned to crochet. I always wanted to learn crochet because my granny was a crochet wizard. So I bought some yarn and a hook and watched a couple YouTube tutorials to learn the basic stitches then made a bunny hat for myself. I found pictures of it recently and the construction of it was quite atrocious, it’s good to see I’ve improved. But that’s really what sparked it all, I had a really strong urge to bring something from my mind into this reality. Coincidentally crochet brought a lot of stress relief during my final year exams so It was inevitable that I got hooked.
Balaclavas seem to be your favourite type of headwear to create; is there a reason for this?
I started crocheting during Covid19 when face coverings were quite prominent, it felt fitting to make balaclavas at that time. Back then there weren’t many people exploring this type of headwear but I remember seeing @ingrato.cl‘s work on TikTok and it was unlike any balaclavas I had ever seen. They really inspired me to explore balaclavas as an art form. Putting on a balaclava is like putting on a new identity. There’s still a lot to explore in this realm which feels exciting.
Some of your more complex designs are so animated and visually distinctive – like the Luna Moth Bunny Balaclava and the Spiky Bonnet. What inspirations do you draw from before coming up with a design?
My inspiration comes from all over the place, anime, video games, nature, the yarn itself. Often ideas and new ways of doing things pop into my head at random times during the day (or sleepless nights). For example, I went to visit a woollen mill recently to buy some really gorgeous yarn and on the drive home the idea for the zip pocket bear bonnet popped into my head. I could see the exact construction of it so clearly in my mind. I think ideas go from person to person waiting to find someone who will take action and create.
You often make personalised balaclavas for your customers – even recently crocheting a custom Goat Balaclava for singer and rapper, Doja Cat. How did this interaction come about? What was your reaction when you saw the pictures of herself wearing your design?
Doja cat is very cool. I noticed one day she was following me back and we got talking after a while. She’s been one of the realest and most genuine celebrity interactions I’ve had. I don’t care too much about exposure or having celebrities wear my work and quite often turn down custom requests, especially if they don’t understand that crochet takes time or if they don’t want to pay me. It was never really my intention to sell any of my work from the beginning, but regardless, if someone wants what I've created then I deserve to get paid for my time. There’s only a handful of celebrities who have respected that. My heart skipped multiple beats when I saw Doja Cat wearing what I had created for her and seeing that she tagged me too, I literally couldn’t believe it, it’s very rare for celebrities to do that.
Your headwear (balaclavas and bonnets) is made from various materials and often adorned with beads, piercings, figurines, charms, and even functional pockets. Do you have a material and or accessory you enjoy working with the most? If so, why?
Material: Mohair. Specifically bouclé or long hair mohair. It’s just so magical. I love finding secondhand vintage mohair, it’s like a hobby in itself.
Accessory: Pockets. I’m obsessed with adding pockets to headwear. I’ve played a lot of Minecraft and ACNH [Animal Crossing: New Horizons], they both have magic inventory space for the player that I wish I had in real life because I hate carrying things. So now I really want to increase inventory space without the need to carry things in hand.
Accessory: Pockets. I’m obsessed with adding pockets to headwear. I’ve played a lot of Minecraft and ACNH [Animal Crossing: New Horizons], they both have magic inventory space for the player that I wish I had in real life because I hate carrying things. So now I really want to increase inventory space without the need to carry things in hand.
We’re eager to ask you about one of your most outlandish designs, the Anatomical Heart Balaclava, a red crochet balaclava shaped into a literal human heart, with arteries and veins protruding out of the main body. How long did this take you to make?
Since learning the basic stitches I've preferred to work without patterns and create my own designs with trial and error. It’s the process of creating and problem solving that I enjoy the most so working without patterns is more fun for me and I feel like I learn a lot more. The anatomical heart was a huge undertaking in this regard. I think I worked on it for about 2 months, crocheting and unravelling sections to get them to look how I wanted them to look. The arteries and valves are slightly tilted from the bottom so that they stick up at an angle as opposed to straight out and I tried to achieve this all with single crochets instead of using hdc or dc (sorry for getting crochet technical!). I really thought about how much of my own style I wanted it to be and how much I wanted to make it look like Shin from Dorohedoro’s mask. Several days were spent just finding the perfect red yarn.
Are you interested in taking Kazclops in a different direction in the future?
Of course. I’m still in the baby stages of my Kazclops journey. I don’t consider Kazclops to be a brand, or at least not a brand in the conventional sense. I want Kazclops to represent my creativity in whichever form it might take. It just happens to be headwear at the moment. I think it would be unfair to lock myself into just one category so early on. I’m constantly learning, evolving and changing as a person so it makes sense to allow Kazclops to evolve with me. I don’t know a lot about the intricacies of the fashion or art world and it used to worry me that I have no background in them but now I’m glad I don’t know because it allows me to do whatever I want. When it comes to the current state of Kazclops, I'm always being told to expand and hire people to crochet for me but I think there's something so intimate about physically creating each piece myself. I like to take my time and pour my heart and soul into each thing I do. This means slower output- but not everything needs to be mass produced and readily available. In that sense Kazclops will remain the same. I love connecting with people who own my pieces, some are even returning customers which is so special.
