craftivism: wee, yet mighty!

oh, canada.

Baby, it's cold outside!

And up here in the north where I am for the week, we're about to get hit by some more snow! While the Southerner in me loves it, I realise that I'm lucky to be in a place with heat and insulation and to be wearing warm clothes.

There is a charity called Blankets for Canada dedicated to making blankets that keep people toasty up in the Great White North. Here's a bit from their website:

"Just spend at least 8 minutes a day crocheting or knitting and soon you will have an 8" x 8" (20cm x 20cm) square. When you sew 48 squares together you have a blanket 48" x 64" (120cm x 160cm). To be given FREE to organizations who care for those who have no shelter or are in need of warmth.

Making the blanket is fun to do and a good way to use up those scrap balls of yarn that are laying around the house. Squares can have many different colors in each one. This makes for a very colorful blanket too! You can use any stitch you want. It's a great way to try a new pattern."

Often when I'm sitting around in my house idle I forget that I could just take a few minutes and make a square here or there that will eventually add up to a blanket. That sometimes the simplest things provide more comfort than the most complex.

Lately in some circles there has been much talk about moving to Canada, what about making blankets to keep Canadians warm instead?

baaaaa.

Today I found myself alone in a stable with 100 sheep.

At first I started giggling because all these little sheepy heads turned to watch me as I walked in the door. Then I looked to my immediate left and saw a group of ewes and newborn lambs. I knelt down and said hello as all these wee wobbly lambs came closer to investigate.

I'm visiting my aunt in upstate New York, and she took me to a local farm with sheep. I was hoping to talk to someone about organic wool production, but it had just snowed and there was no one around. Keep in mind, this farm was huge and had dairy goats as well, which is why there were newborn lambs teetering around in the hay, not really sure how to use all four limbs at the same time.

Mu aunt was walking her dog around the farm's perimeter and suddenly peeked in to see what was taking me so long. And there I was kneeling and cooing and tearing up over these cuddly woolly wobbly lambs that were so new and excited about their surroundings.

I went down the length of the stable and turned back, only to catch out of the corner of my eye, a lamb that had just been born, still wet and slimy. (So slimy!) The tears that I was already holding back burst through as the lamb turned to me and tried to take her first step. (So wobbly!)

And it reminded me how my goal with my knitting is to eventually only use fiber that is produced ethically and by farmers who know their sheep by name and not by number. Eventually my aunt coaxed me out into a whole nother stable with several enclosures holding ten slightly older lambs each.

I could barely contain myself as I knelt down and suddenly 20 little eyes were right in my face, wiggling their wee tails, and anxious for some attention. Snow had just fallen outside, so there was no other sound other than the pitter patter of tiny little hooves on hay coming over to investigate this new human in a bright pink winter coat.

And kneeling there in that barn, I just wanted to breathe it all in, the history and the future of craft and farming with the little lambs and the big machines, it was like momentarily standing in both past history and the present moment. Perfect.

nice isn't always alright.

One of the best things about crafts for me is that I can personalize them however I want. As I'm making something by hand, I can personalize it with whatever I choose. There's a huge sense of liberty in this. And I've been taking notes from Deviant Goods' Fuck Cancer hats and Planet Cancer's wares.

Because all too often in this world we're so worried about being nice and offending someone, when all you really want to do is scream and say, 'this sucks!' That's what I feel like yelling everytime someone I love gets sick when all that comes out of my mouth is 'I'm so sorry. I will be with you each step of the way.' Suddenly I get angry and scared and just want to hug them and tell them everything will be okay.

But I want to be strong and supportive, so I just say the nice things. But cancer isn't nice.

For Christmas, I made knitted my grandfather a hat in the hopes that if he's feeling low, he will put it on and know that it was knitted with all my heart and wishes that he get better and stronger faster. He's been through so much the past few months, I wanted to give him something that was something close to a hug even though I wasn't always close by.

Someone I told about the hat asked, 'can't you buy one that's storebought?' I answered, 'yes, but that's missing the point. The point is that everything I make was crafted with my own two hands and on purpose and with emotion. Something storebought might be less time-consuming, but it's not made with love and strength and hope.'

Sometimes the right way isn't always the nice one.

Spinning?

Last week I took a spinning class. Excitedly, I told a few people about it, most of whom thought I was going to go ride bicycles in a little room with a screamy instructor. I paused for a moment when someone asked, 'do you mean like telling stories?'

Because in a way, learning to spin fiber is a story. It's a story that extends way beyond us, into our genes, tapping a part of us that may very well have been dormant beforehand.

In telling a story, we 'spin' tales with our mouths (or hands in the case of deafness), casting them as loud as our voice will carry. Making sure the plot weaves in and out, with various twists and turns in character development. Sometimes we don't always know where a story that we are telling us is taken, we just run with it. Then the story takes on a life of its own, allowing the listeners to create a whole new world, eager to hear what's going to happen and (if you're good) not just waiting for the end.

The same thing happens when we spin yarn. Currently I've changed from a bottom-whirl spindle to a top-whirl spindle and have been reminded how mesmerizing it is to watch a bit of fluff turn into yarn. The joy in the knowledge that this yarn you are creating can be as long as you desire, in the colours and textures you choose. It can be whatever you want it to be.

And I can't help but get a little giddy in this creation of something new and alive, whether it's yarn to work with or a story to mull over. They each speak of new possibilities, directions and concepts, which may weave together over time or simply just float by.

Each time I work with fibre or tell tales, I wholeheartedly enjoy the way that something deep in my genetic makeup sparks. It's a feeling of familiarity, of welcome, and of a happy reunion.

there's nothing like puppy love...

Do you ever just want to buy something instead of make something?

Given the recent loss of my dog, this week's craftivist project gives you a reason to whip out your wallet, not your needles.

Melissa from Lekkner is the brain behind Crafters for Critters which collects donations of crafty things made by various crafty people, sells them, and then donates the proceeds to benefit homeless Greyhound pups. This money collected from the purchases of this go-round of crafts will be donated to Michigan Greyhound Connection.

For those of you not familiar about why Greyhounds are in need of your help, I suggest visiting the Greyhound Protection League's website for more information.

The great thing about this particular project is that if you don't see anything you like during this current round of crafts, in a few months, it will all be different! I couldn't help being astounded and overjoyed at the length of the list of contributors, because looking the sheer number of people willing to contribute, who would dare to say that there isn't a craft resurgence?

***

In case you were curious, my M.A. dissertation is now online. Thank you for all of your emailed respones to my original questions! Oh, and I passed! There is nothing that excites me more than the possibilities of craft, and its lineage to the past and future.

yarn beats metal?

Lately I have been consumed by the conjunction of modernity and crafts, especially knitting. About how historically it was used to clothe and comfort, to protect against the elements. Now that we've moved comfortably (or kicking and screaming, depending) into the modern age, these items can be purchased. Whenever I wear handmade items around the city I feel like I am navigating the chaos somewhat strenghtened and soothed.

In some ways, craft seems like a perfect compliment to the urban. Providing a respite of comfort in a busy, metal, sometimes alien (and alienating) place.

We wrap knitted items around loved ones to keep them warm. Lately I've been toying with the notion that if we wrap knitting around technology and the urban would we give them warmth and comfort?

because my yarn stash needs to be tamed...

This week's craftivist idea is a special one. In reading some literature about the project, I was especially touched because not only does it allow for people to either make blanket squares or donate supplies, but because some of the same kids benefitting from the project also contribute. It's a project run by the Jewish Board of Family & Children’s Services, Division of Volunteer Services. When I read that some of the children knit and/or crochet squares for other's kids blankets, I knew where some of my acrylic yarn that I don't need will be heading!

The project involves making blanket squares (or sending some of you extra yarn and crochet hooks/knitting needles or both!) for children who are leaving a residential treatment center in New York. You can donate as many squares as you would like, and the blankets are stitched together using different donations, allowing for a greater multitude of colors and patterns.

From the Center's literature:
"The children in our programs have had lives filled with trauma, violence, poverty and other stressors. The purpose of giving a Sanctuary blanket to each child who leaves our residential programs is to help them transition from one home to the next. We hope the blanket will remind them of the good things they experienced here, and to provide comfort in their new life. We need your help to make this possible!

If you are interested in making blanket squares by yourself, starting a group with friends or co-workers, or learning more about our project, please contact Shannon Hughes, LMSW, Volunteer Coordinator for JBFCS, shughes AT jbgcs DOT org. We will send you all the information about patterns and needle sizes.

The Sanctuary Blanket Project pieces together squares made from different individuals to make a whole blanket, rich in color and texture. Each square is symbolic of the different people who have come together to help the youngster heal from his or her traumas, and to guide them into a safe and healthy future. Hopefully, the blanket will also provide some warmth along the way!

The Division of Volunteer Services and the Sanctuary Project at JBFCS have begun a project to provide all children who leave the residential treatment programs with a hand-made blanket."