I’ve been a fan of Clive Barker since…, well since forever. At least that’s what it feels like. He’s one of my favorite authors, and I realize that’s probably one of the biggest clichés ever. I don’t mind being a cliché, I love the man (his art, his books, his movies)! The first time I entered Clive Barker’s world, was when I saw Hellraiser. This was back in the good old days when we went to video rental stores, and picked out movies based on the cool covers. Every time my brother and I wanted to rent movies we weren’t old enough to see, the lady behind the counter would call our mom and ask if we were allowed to see it (yes I grew up in a very small town, where everyone knew each other). It took a while before I was allowed to see Hellraiser, but I got there eventually.
I don’t know how many times I’ve read Barker’s Books of Blood. I love his Books of Blood so much, there are now two copies of those books in the bookshelf . Well, kind of two copies. When I got desperate a few years back, they only had volume 1-3 in one book, and 4-6 in separate books. I survived the ordeal, I’m still breathing =). As you can see, the top books are starting to fall apart, one is even taped! So when the inevitable happens, I have backups.

 

For years I’ve hinted to everyone I knew, that I wanted a Lament Configuration (it’s the pretty puzzle box from the Hellraiser movies). A friend of a friend had gotten a puzzle box like that for Valentine’s Day (maaaany years ago), with homemade anatomical heart and a note. I can’t remember what the note said, but it was probably something like “you’re my greatest pleasure”. What horror fanatic woman wouldn’t want that as a gift!? I still haven’t gotten my Valentine box, I’m patiently waiting. I did however get this wonderful box for my birthday a few years back, filled with horror DVD’s. It’s a big box, 27x27x27cm, and it was filled to the top =D.

 

So the time had come to take matters into my own hands, and knit my own Lament Configuration. With all the detail on the box, I made the pattern as easy as possible. I figured all the tiny little details would be easier to add after, with needle and thread. The pattern is not a true replica of the original box. I wanted the size of the box as close to the size in the movies, so I had to cheat a little with the pattern. With the needle size and yarn I used, there wasn’t enough room in the pattern to make it a perfect copy. It resembles the original Lament Configuration, and that’s good enough for me =). I even told some people I would have a Hellraiser marathon, but I couldn’t do it. There are after all 9 movies, and I only like a third of them =).

 

Luckily I have other Clive Barker adaptations to enjoy, I enjoy most of the Books of Blood movies (most of them, but not all). I skipped Candyman, because I revisited it not that long ago while I was in a Clive Barker mood. I did revisit Nightbreed, Lords of Illusion and Book of Blood. On a side note; I’m really looking forward to the adaptation of Jacqueline Ess: Her Will and Testament. It’s such a good story, and the part of Jacqueline is being played by Lena Headey!

 

This is what the box looked like before I started on the tiny details. Inside there’s a cardboard box, I didn’t want it to be soft and squishy. It’s after all a box, it needs edges and corners.

 

 

Here’s the finished  project, my very own precious Lament Configuration. It’s about 10x10cm, an almost perfect fit for my tiny hand. It doesn’t open a portal to another realm (yet).

 

I was on such a roll, that I even made a tiny tiny Lament Configuration, I wanted to see if I could. And now I’m going to start on the second Lament Configuration. I promised a friend I would make one for him as well, if I was able to pull it off.

 

Here are some of the movies:
Hellraiser
Hellraiser II
Nightbreed
Book of Blood
Valerie On The Stairs & Haeckels Tale – Masters of Horror episodes
Candyman
Lord of Illusions