HOW TO MAKE A GODS EYE
Materials: 2 sticks and yarn
1. Gather sticks and yarn. Pick 2 sticks the same length and any
kind of yarn.
2. Tie sticks together at the center with the first color yarn. Tie the
knot tightly to keep your sticks from moving around later. A
double knot is best.
3. Turn the sticks to cross each other keeping the knot in the
center.
4. Start to wrap the yarn around the sticks by going over the
front and around the back of the first stick.
5. Continue to the next stick and wrap the yarn around the stick
by going over the front and around the back of the stick.
6. Repeat step 5 to continue moving around the sticks in a spiral
motion. Be sure to keep the yarn tight when weaving around the
sticks. The yarn should always lie next to the previous yarn, not on
top of it. See image 6 front and back.
7. When changing to a new color, cut the end of the first yarn and
tie it with a basic knot to a new piece of yarn. Try to tie it off so the
knot will be in the back of the gods eye and close to a stick.
8. Continue wrapping the new yarn in the same direction as
before, over the front and around the back of the next stick.
9. When you have reached the end of your sticks, wrap the yarn
once all the way around the last stick ending so the yarn is going
backwards. Flip your gods eye on its back. Cut the yarn to give
yourself enough yarn to tie off to a previous end from a color
change. Tie the two yarn ends together in a double knot. If you
did not change colors, just knot the yarn around the end of the
stick.
10. Flip over and enjoy your new gods eye! Now it’s time to show
someone else how to make their own gods eye!
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S P te Kend
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Ka
The story of the gods eye --------------------or
“ojos de dios”
It is thought the gods eye originated with the Huichol Indians of
Jalisco, Mexico. Known to the Huichol as Sikuli, the simple weaving
between two sticks is created when a child is born. The father
makes the center eye using two perpendicular sticks to support
the eye. For four years a new color is added each consecutive
birthday. Original sikuli crosses are very rare. They are well
guarded through a person’s life as a talisman of spiritual protection, health and well being.
The Huichol created many different kinds of spiritual objects to
honor and communicate with ancestors, gods and each other. The
Huichol were very spiritual people believing that everything they
did was a form of prayer to the gods, ancestors and earth. The Eye
of God is often seen as part of larger yarn paintings or Nierika as a
reminder of the power of holistic unity that is central to the
Huichol beliefs.
In 1890 a Norwegian explorer and ethnographer named Carl
Lumholtz traveled to Mexico and observed the Huichol. Lumholtz
labeled the Huichol cross as “Los Ojos” which became popularized
as the well known name “Ojos de Dios” or “Gods Eyes”.
Today the Huichol are famous for their brilliantly colored yarn
paintings and other handcrafts. The gods eye structure however is
famous in many different spiritual appropriations. To name a few,
they are part of summer camp crafts, Christian Sunday school,
pagan rituals, and Native American arts and crafts. For more information and variations, google “gods eyes” and start your own spiritual journey.
Many people made this project possible.
I especially want to thank:
Diverseworks Artspace
Dixie Friend Gay
Jan Claire Phillips
Jerry Kendall
Andy Huang
Alicia Marie Olivas Borg
Denis in Pflugerville, TX
Chris at Nimble Fingers in Memorial, TX
Twisted Yarn in Spring, TX
Karuna at Merribee Needlearts in Spring, TX
Nancy at Nancy’s Knits in Houston TX
Jon operations manager of Diverseworks
Cat Coombes
Susan Meyers
Julianne Waddell
You all ROCK!
THANK YOU!!
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Kate Kendall was born in Denver, Colorado and grew up in Colorado,
Oklahoma and Texas. She recei ved her BA in Studio Art from the University
of Southern California and spent a year in Capetown, South Africa studying
photography, religion and philosophy. She has shown work in Houston, Los
Angeles and Capetown, South Africa.
From an early age Kate was letting her imagination run wild and creating
things with her hands. Always inspired by the natural world, history and
man made systems of understanding, whether in jokes, photography or
spirituality, Kendall creates artwork that aims to disrupt and expand those
very systems with a playful and critical agenda.
www.katekendall.info
832.722.5283
[email protected]
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