ToyCyte: Toy Culture Collected

The term “craft” can call to mind a lot of things–from beaded baubles to macaroni noodles glued on paper plates–none of them practical. It’s nice when art objects are also useful, and conversely (and more rarely) when useful objects are artistically rendered. At this weekend’s Maker Faire in San Mateo, CA, I found my way to the Craft Zone and stopped to check out the NifNaks table. Referring to the creative output of San Francisco’s Nifer Fahrion, one could quote The Beastie Boys and say, “She’s Crafty!” (But I’m not implying she gets around…)

Nifer is the proprietor of the website, NifNaks and its associated blog. About herself, she says:

I have always taken great delight in hand-made items, and the special joy and interconnectedness one gets from experiencing something truly unique. I have always loved experimenting in new mediums, which is how I discovered felting wool in 2006. I instantaneously fell in love with the soft, sensual wool, and the infinite possibilities it has to offer. I have been hooked ever since. Working primarily with felting wool, I have been creating a menagerie of charming critters, decorative accessories and other assorted curiosities, each one a unique piece of wearable art.

Her wearable warez include such items as scarves, bracelets, pins and pendants. But I suspect she’s got the market on wool dreadlocks. For $150, I could augment my Jafro with medium-length green dreads, which might be cool except for the fact that I’d look like this.

Hair aside, what really caught my attention at her table were her Data Wormz–critters that carry your electronic files. Alas, practicality among crafts! Functional felting! Each Data Worm and Data Squid houses a 4GB USB 2.0 Drive. The drives are finished with a pliable stiffener and–perhaps as a nod to toy collectors–available either with your choice of a card backer or display case. A 4GB drive should hold upwards of 1000 mp3s and double as many 4MP photos. At $66, the pricing compares favorably to 4GB Mimobots which I presume are the nearest competiton.

If you need file portability or a slightly more anthropomorphic way to back up your files, check out her craftiness here.