Participants in the Berkshire Satellite Reef Project’s crochet workshop, led by Led by Rae Bravo ’28, Annie Trucano ’29, and Professor Amy Holzapfel (standing).

Well, not technically underwater. But when you walk through the main library entrance, you may find yourself surrounded by beautiful crocheted coral pieces. The Williams FabLab was hard at work on Wednesday, October 1st, crocheting hyperbolic corals to contribute to the Berkshire Satellite Reef Project.

The Berkshire Satellite Reef Project was inspired by the worldwide Crochet Coral Reef, a global community art initiative started in 2005 by Australian artists and sisters Christine and Margaret Wertheim. The initiative raises awareness about threats to coral reefs by bringing people together to create art. Here at Williams, participants were invited to the FabLab to learn how to make these pieces themselves. Led by Rae Bravo ’28 and Annie Trucano ’29, each participant received a kit with yarn, a crochet hook, and a hip homemade bag to carry it all in.

Each crochet piece is made with upcycled yarn from community donations. The creations have unique shapes and colors, reflecting the vibrant biodiversity of reefs, which are under threat due to changing ocean conditions from climate change.

FabLab and Makerspace Make Plastic Yarn from Industrial Shrink-wrap

The FabLab and Makerspace collaborated to purchase a functional replica of a Meyer rope making jig. (Martin Meyer of Sheffield, IA, received patent 1,510,691 on October 7, 1924, for a 4-strand hook, non-geared rope machine.) 

We tested our Meyer prototype during the June 2025 Alumni Weekend, where many kids (and adults) had opportunities to cut 18″ wide industrial shrink-wrap into manageable one-inch widths, and loop them onto this hand-crank machine, and crank, crank, crank! Their work caused the four separate plastic loops to twist, until finally the four loops would twine together, creating a reasonably strong braided plastic yarn. We donated this plastic yard (“plarn”) to the Berkshire Coral Reef Project, where people subsequently crocheted it into the hyperbolic coral reefs that will be on exhibition.

Meyer rope jig in use with Ari Merrill ’28 holding the ends of the loops of shrink-wrap.

A close-up showing the effects of twisting shrink-wrap and how the individual pieces twine into a four-strand plastic rope.

A special thanks to Amy Holzapfel, chair and professor of theatre and a Gaudino Scholar, for graciously providing the kits and helping bring this project to life.

Read more in The Williams Record about The Berkshire Satellite Reef Project and Amy Holzapfel’s contributions.

Postscript (March 13, 2026)

Exhibition Dates/Hours:
Sunday, April 19 – Tuesday, May 12
Every Day: 10am-4pm
Evenings: Wednesdays-Saturdays, 6pm-8pm
CenterStage, ’62 Center for Theatre & Dance, Williamstown MA