Stepping into the uncanny valley is a daunting experience, notably when you catch a glimpse of a mannequin in a shop in the corner of your eye, it sends a series of shivers through your spine. If Madame Tussauds and their waxworks didn’t furtherly disturb you, then once again, it is up to Finland to knit and crochet a new kind of slightly uneasy horror.

Finnish artist Liisa Hietanen has taken the current knitting and crochet craze in Finland to a whole new level. After the Finnish Olympic team brought knitting to the forefront of the tabloids, this unique artist has stitched where they left off and created crocheted life-sized people.

Hietanen crochets, knits, and even sometimes embroiders every single piece of her sculptures. This includes every piece of clothing and accessory that each sculpture adorns upon itself.

She first started in her village of Hämeenkyrö in Finland. Her fellow villagers would become a unique kind of model, being measured and photographed so they could be crocheted later. Her dedication to the art didn’t stop at a static sculpture, allowing the art to come to life through imitating the model’s personality and mood.

To ensure the sculptures stand and sit up right, Hietanen uses rebar to give the sculpture its shape and structure, and cement to give it enough weight to hold its position. She then fills it with soft materials to give it its life-like appearance.

Quite frankly, the journey into the uncanny valley isn’t usually something enjoyable, but this gifted artist has really captured the personality of her village with these life-like crocheted people. The availability of her patterns are currently unknown, but in all honesty, recreating Liisa Hietanen’s work might be a stitch too far for us mere mortals!

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Has Liisa Hietanen’s work brought you to life? If you’re feeling inspired and want to take up crochet or even amigurumi, then check out our full-range of products by clicking here.