Knitting News

Artwork recreated in wool for competition | The Gisborne Herald

Artwork recreated in wool for competition
The Gisborne Herald - March 29 2006

The Poverty Bay Spinners and Weavers have once again proved that wool can be made into anything . . . and this time they enlisted the help of young local artists.
Gisborne Boys’ High School student Adam Keywood recently learned that a design he did in his art class last year was chosen by the club for a piece they will be entering in a competition in Napier next month.
"The competition set the challenge of making something out of a strong fleece, so we selected border leicester wool which is usually used to make carpet," said Dale Smith from the club.
"But we wanted a design for how to dye the wool so we approached all the local high schools and the polytech asking if their students could create a design that reflected the Gisborne region." [more]

Alpacas growing in popularity | The Evening Tribune

Alpacas growing in popularity
The Evening Tribune

When most people see an alpaca, one question comes to mind - what is it?
During a show last week in Hornell, many people curiously wandered over to pet the animal and get a close up.
“We were just mobbed at the Expo,” said Wendy Dailey who co-owns East Valley Alpacas, in Andover with her husband, Bill.
Alpacas are about three feet tall, and weigh anywhere from 100-200 pounds and resemble a mixture of a lama and a camel, according to information provided at the event.
They are a member of the camel family and originate from South America. In general, they are calm, curious and timid, Dailey said. [more]

Making crafting more innovative | Asheville Citizen-Times

Making crafting more innovative
Asheville Citizen-Times - March 28 2006

In the crafty universe, new ideas, products and inventions sprout like Chia Pets. February's Annual Crafts and Hobby Winter Convention and Trade Show in Las Vegas proved that.
More than 3,000 exhibit booths filled 319,000 square feet of the convention floor space with every cutting-edge creative contraption imaginable, all designed for the craft enthusiast.
Coming soon to your local craft store are innovative accessories to help you poke, curl, stamp, squeeze, weave, stroke and glue your way to self-expression nirvana.
...Following is a roundup of some new products coming our way:
Needle Felted Knitted Handbag Kit ($15, My Favorite Thimble): An easy way for knitters to learn the process of needle felting using hand-dyed wools. Includes a pattern to make a hip handbag. Non-knitters can use it to embellish a pre-purchased tote or jeans jacket. www.myfavoritethimble.com.[more]

Artisans on hand for season opening in Bishop Hill | Star Courier

Artisans on hand for season opening in Bishop Hill
Star Courier - March 27 2006

raditional demonstrators will be on hand in Bishop Hill Saturday, April 1 and Sunday April 2 for the opening of the 2006 season in the restored Swedish village.
Spinning, weaving, leathermaking, woodcarving and other demonstrators will be available to answer questions and demonstrate techniques to the public.
They will be at the Steeple Building, the Prairie Arts Center in the Blacksmith Shop, Mrs. B’s Treasures and at Heirlooms on the north side of the village.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
The event is free and open to the public. [more]

Fabric of Our Lives | Packet Online

Fabric of Our Lives
Packet Online - March 27 2006

There is an element of surprise in the process of making a fine art print that can give new meaning to an artist's work.
Princeton-based artist Janet Hautau created the Xerox and fiber collage "Corda de Vita" — translated from the Italian "chord of life" — from a knitting faux pas. A personal expression documenting her life, the print uses ascarf that is a bit uneven, and is unraveled at one end.
"It's about the first third of my life — from my birth to when I got married and had my first child," Ms. Hautau says. "It is a collage of all these photographs I've had forever. I color Xeroxed them and (scaled) them down to one or two inches and inserted them into openings I had made in the knitted scarf. But the beginning of the scarf is unraveled, because at the beginning of life, nothing is formed." [more]

Getting Crafty | Kansas City Star

Getting Crafty
Kansas City Star - March 19 2006

25
Date in March of “A Kid’s Craft Day” hosted at craft and hobby retailers nationwide

$29 billion
Approximate amount Americans will spend on crafting this year. March has been designated National Craft Month.

80
Percent of American households that have at least one family member who is crafty

7.5
Number of hours a week the typical crafter spends being creative

97
Percentage of adult women ages 55 to 64 who have participated in a crafting activity in their lifetime [more]

Exploring the art of craft | Los Angeles Times

Exploring the art of craft
Los Angeles Times - March 22 2006

It could almost be the premise of a three-guys-walk-into-a-bar joke: What did the magician say to the country singer and the hip experimental writer?
But the gathering of intellectual celebrities and maverick thinkers at Art Center College of Design's South Campus this weekend is no joke: "Stories From the Source: Radical Craft" is the second installment of the school's biennial design conference, and this one has a motley collection of guests — not just Ricky Jay, Tift Merritt and Dave Eggers, but fashion guru Isaac Mizrahi, New Yorker cartoon editor Bob Mankoff and Coop Himmelb(l)au founder Wolf Prix.
If Art Center's organizers aimed to assemble as disparate a collection of the semi-famous as possible, they've succeeded: The conference may have the highest percentage of any group of guest speakers who thought the calls from organizers were a wrong number. Some deal with design — in architecture, technology and graphic arts — as we traditionally understand it. But what do the rest have in common?
Erica Clark, the Art Center senior vice president who helped put the conference together, says they're all craftspeople and "exemplars of extreme accomplishment." She was trying to show how broad "craft" can be. "We're going beyond macramé." [more]

From the spinning wheel | The Monitor

From the spinning wheel
The Monitor - March 12 2006

Analucia Perdomo skillfully fed strands of wool into the flyer of the spinning wheel, stepping on a pedal to spin the material into yarn and wrap it around a bobbin.
"The origin is thought to be in China," said Perdomo, 19. "Mom, can you give me some more wool?"
Her mother, Elizabeth Perdomo, pulled a bundle of yarn out of a straw basket and handed it to her, strands of silky, cushiony-soft material that she draped across her lap like Spanish moss. Analucia, her mother, and her two sisters are doing their part to keep an ancient craft alive. They had just spent the past three weekends doing demonstrations at various places around the Rio Grande Valley, dressing up in costumes of various cultures and time periods.
"We do the same thing but change the costume," said Elizabeth. "‘OK, girls, this weekend we’re Renaissance. This weekend we’re Spanish settlers. This weekend we’re pioneers.’" [more]

Loose Knit in Chicago| Metromix

Loose Knit in Chicago
Metromix

In search of a good yarn? Head to Actors Workshop Theatre for "Loose Knit," an urban satire by Theresa Rebeck ("Omnium Gatherum") about a knitting circle whose members' lives fall apart as their creations pile up. [more]

Artists display fiber arts forms | The Marietta Times

Artists display fiber arts forms
The Marietta Times - March 20 2006

People displayed their love for fiber arts this weekend, demonstrating talent in workmanship that is deeply rooted in history.
The first Fiber Arts Festival took place at The Betsey Mills Club, as well as other Marietta locations such as The Castle and The Fearing House, giving area residents and out-of-town guests a chance to discover renewed interest in age old art forms.
The festival included demonstrations of quilting, knitting, needlepoint, weaving and many other forms of fiber art. At least 19 artists displayed work and the event went on most of the day both Saturday and Sunday. [more]

Whole lotta llama lovin' at annual show | Dayton Daily News

Whole lotta llama lovin' at annual show
Dayton Daily News

He's got short black hair, likes to hum and goes by the nickname "Ace." The 3-year-old also spits sometimes, but Jeremy Elleman loves him anyway.
"He's an alpaca. This is my first show. I'm loving it," said Jeremy, 11, who lives near Springfield.
About 450 of the four-legged entries from the tri-state area pranced around the Circle G Ranch in Lewisburg on Saturday during the sixth annual Western Ohio Triple Crown Llama and Alpaca Show.
The event, the largest combined llama and alpaca show in the country, continues from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. today.
"They're like teddy bears. You can have a bad day at work and they help you forget that bad day," said Robin Gee, an alpaca handler for L&B Acres in St. Paris. [more]

Area alpaca open house held | The Frederick News-Post

Area alpaca open house held
The Frederick News-Post - March 20 2006

Paul and Diana Wilson weren't farmers when they purchased their 41-acre farm in Frederick five years ago, but they wanted animals on their property that would eat grass.
Horses and cows are too much work, they said.
And "no offense to sheep owners or goat owners, but they're not our thing," Ms. Wilson said.
Then they saw an advertisement for a curious animal often mistaken for its more widely recognized cousin, the llama, and soon the Wilsons purchased their first Huacaya alpaca.
Roughly five years later, almost 30 alpacas roam their property, called Fernwood Farm.
"They're very earth-friendly. They don't tear up the land," Ms. Wilson said, noting the dog-like padded feet on a nearby alpaca.
Since entering the alpaca business, she and her husband and mother do everything from turning alpaca fiber into scarves, stuffed animals and evening bags to selling the alpaca fiber, or the alpacas themselves. [more]

Knit for the Cure Kick-Off | Parry Sound North Star

Knit for the Cure Kick-Off
Parry Sound North Star - March 15 2006

Ladies and gentleman, get your knitting needles, crochet hooks and yarn ready as the Parry Sound Sewing Centre gets set to host the Knit for the Cure fundraising event for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.
Knitting up a storm
This fundraiser will encourage participants to bring to the event one of their knitting or crocheting projects, or start a new one with the knitting needles, yarn and patterns the sewing centre will provide. Participants will also fan out across the community to collect pledges for themselves and their projects.
“We’re doing this to help the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation to, hopefully, create a future without breast cancer. It’s important to be able to treat cancer patients here in Parry Sound, instead of having to travel to Sudbury or Toronto” said sewing centre owner Janet Ferris. “We’ll be having demonstrations by the Trillium Handweavers and Spinners Guild and Georgian Sheep Works.” [more]

Knitting Olympics medal-winners | The Oregonian

Knitting Olympics medal-winners
The Oregonian - March 11 2006

Before the Knitting Olympics, the only thing I knew about knitting was that the federal Transportation Security Administration considers knitting needles to be potential terrorist weapons.
Since then, I've become a knitter -- and the only dangerous thing I've done with my needles is to make a scarf so pathetic that airport screeners would be terrified they'd get it as a gift.
The Knitting Olympics were the brainchild of Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, a Toronto woman who writes Yarn Harlot, North America's most popular Internet blog about knitting. She suggested that knitters everywhere become Olympians, taking up needles and yarn and tackling projects that would challenge their skills.
Thousands of knitters -- including me, with knitting lessons from colleagues at The Oregonian -- took up the Harlot's call. All of us cast on with the lighting of the Olympic flame on Feb. 10, with the goal of completing our projects by the time the flame was extinguished 16 days later.
The Oregonian joined the fray -- hmm, perhaps a bad choice of words for knitters -- by inviting readers to submit photos of their finished projects. The top three, based on creativity, difficulty and editorial whim, would win gift certificates to the Yarn Garden in Southeast Portland. [more]

Technorati tag: knitting olympics

Wool spinner shares joy, history of craft | Deseret Morning News

Wool spinner shares joy, history of craft
Deseret Morning News - March 3 2006

With a shock of pink-dyed wool in one hand and a drop spindle in the other, Judy Gunn smiles warmly at her audience. She's apparently unfazed by the facts that she just sang "Pop Goes the Weasel" almost entirely solo and that she's not wearing any shoes.
It's typical for spinsters to kick off their shoes, Gunn explained. It allows them to feel the treadle better when they're working a spinning wheel.
The Centerville resident has become a regular guest at libraries, schools and community centers — sharing the history of spinning through stories and songs while demonstrating spinning with a drop spindle and wheel.
It started out as a neighborhood thing — people asked to come over and see the sheep and then they wanted to hear about spinning, said Gunn who currently owns 17 sheep, all of which are named.
In addition to spinning, Gunn first cleans combs and dyes the wool she's sheared from her sheep.
"The more I learned about spinning, the more history I learned, the more I tried to include in my presentations," Gunn said. [more]

Knitting know-how | Daily Citizen

Knitting know-how
Daily Citizen

Knitting enthusiasts, including beginners from throughout the area and as far distant at Shorewood, gathered at the Horicon Public Library on Saturday for a day-long knitting retreat conducted by Shannon Barniskis and Alex Harvancek. [more]

Crafty? Let Martha be the judge of that | San Francisco Chronicle

Crafty? Let Martha be the judge of that
San Francisco Chronicle - March 4 2006

Martha Stewart is calling all crafters to compete for a spot on her show. From knitters to needlepointers to decoupage artists, Martha wants to hear from you. The craft artists she deems the very best will be announced live on "Martha" for the all-crafters week, April 24-28. [more]

Knitting Olympians fail to finish projects | IOL

Knitting Olympians fail to finish projects
IOL - February 28 2006

Takoma Park, Maryland - More than 4 000 knitters in about 20 countries who took part in an informal Knitting Olympics struggled to finish projects during the closing ceremonies of the real Winter Olympics in Italy.
One of the knitters was Emily Cooke (23), a financial management analyst at the United States Department of the Army, who started knitting in January to help her stop smoking.
"I wanted to do something with my hands" while she watched the real Games, she said at a Knitting Olympics party in Takoma Park, in the north-east US, while stroking an Irish hiking scarf she had finished on Sunday. [more]

Technorati tag: knitting olympics

Knitters go for gold during Olympics; classes, TV show target crocheters | Anchorage Daily News

Knitters go for gold during Olympics; classes, TV show target crocheters
Anchorage Daily News - February 28 2006

Knitters unofficially joined Olympic competition this year. Canadian Stephanie Pearl-McPhee of Yarn Harlot blog fame decided to challenge knitters to create teams and rise to the occasion of world-class excellence. That challenge sparked interest in Alaska.
Team Alaska had 15 official members from all parts of the state. They kept one another informed and supported through a blog, or online diary, with pictures and comments about work-in-progress. Each member, following McPhee's guidelines, chose one project that would challenge them personally. Each agreed to cast on during the Olympics opening ceremonies, Feb. 10, and finish, including blocking, by the closing ceremonies on Sunday. [more]

Technorati tag: knitting olympics

It's no yarn: Men tackle knitting | Pittsburgh Live

It's no yarn: Men tackle knitting
Pittsburgh Live - February 26 2006

For Roy Miller, there is a thread of similarity between knitting and plumbing.
Both require manual dexterity, said Miller, 57, of Fox Chapel, a long-time plumbing and heating contractor, as he looped black yarn around his fingers and fumbled with a pair of needles Saturday at the second-annual Pittsburgh Knitting Festival.
Under the watchful eyes of his old friend -- veteran Steelers tight end and knitter Randy Grossman -- Miller struggled but gave his best shot, starting his first row over and over -- and over again.
"Besides being embarrassed, I'm enjoying it," he said.
About a dozen other men answered Grossman's challenge to knit their first black-and-gold Terrible Scarf at the male-only class during the two-day festival organized by Grossman's wife, Barb, at Parkway Center Mall in Green Tree. Proceeds from the festival will benefit the Waldorf School in Bloomfield and the Midwife Center in the Strip District. [more]

Knitters go for the gold | The Providence Journal

Knitters go for the gold
The Providence Journal - February 23 2006

Maybe they missed the plane.
Olympians who you'd think would be in Italy for Sunday's closing ceremonies are here in Providence. Yet they're still competing.
They're four twentysomething women inconspicuously pursuing their sport at the end of a dead-end street, in a white-sided, red-roofed house protected by a couple of kitschy cast-iron poodles.
"Right across the street?" a neighbor says. "I had no idea."
Join the crowd.
Most people are clueless about the Knitting Olympics. And even those who get clues can't understand them.
"My mother doesn't believe this actually exists," says Theresa Ross, 25, of Providence. "She thinks I'm making it up."
Actually, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee of Toronto, a knitter and author, better known by her Internet name, the Yarn Harlot, made it up. Knitting Olympics is in its first year, involving more than 4,000 athletes worldwide. All have impressive finger coordination, and a common goal.
Start a personally challenging knitting project at the beginning of the Olympics, and complete it by the end, 16 days later.
Go for the gold: mittens, socks, you name it. [more]

Technorati tag: knitting olympics

Knitter found herself a pattern of success | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Knitter found herself a pattern of success
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - February 21 2006

Lily Chin is the closest thing to needle-arts superstar that you're likely to find, and it's not because she once crocheted a gold and silver bikini for a Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition.
A writer for magazines and an author of several books, she helps designers Isaac Mizrahi, Vera Wang and Ralph Lauren develop knitwear lines. She designs her own patterns and is marketing a new line of yarn with her name on it.
...Ms. Chin has been a well-known and sometimes controversial figure in yarn circles, but it wasn't until she successfully defended her title as the World's Fastest Crocheter in 2004 that she landed squarely in the mainstream. She appeared on "Late Show With David Letterman," where she crocheted him a whole sweater by the time the show was over.
She's been capitalizing on that publicity ever since. On March 5, she'll be hosting a television special called "Stitchcraft" on Oxygen at 3 p.m., which may be expanded into a series. [more]

Festival needles men to try art form | Pittsburgh LIVE

Festival needles men to try art form
Pittsburgh LIVE - February 23 2006

Look for ex-Pittsburgh Steeler Randy Grossman at the Super Bowl of needle arts set to unfold in Parkway Center Mall near Green Tree.
The former tight end will help daughter Sarah, a fourth-grader, teach the "Terrible Scarf" class set for Saturday morning at the second annual Pittsburgh Knitting Festival. Fee for the guys-only "Terrible Scarf" class is $15, including knitting needles, yarn and a complimentary case of Miller beer. All participants will make a miniature black-and-yellow scarf-cum-coaster.
"Our guarantee is, one way or another, it's going to be a terrible scarf," says Grossman, a Super Bowl veteran-turned-financial advisor, who will also be signing autographs from noon to 1 p.m. Saturday. "This is a pass-pass course."
To practice for the upcoming class, Grossman cast on -- began knitting -- his fifth black-and-yellow scarf while watching Super Bowl XL at home on TV. [more]

Giant knitted bottle cozy is ad for Japanese drink company | Boing Boing

Giant knitted bottle cozy is ad for Japanese drink company
Boing Boing - February 19 2006

To promote a new fizzy drink product, Japanese beverage maker Suntory canned (heh) TV ads in favor of a giant hand-knitted bottle cozy for the window of a new Tokyo shopping mall. [more]

Who will get to the podium for purling?

Who will get to the podium for purling?
The Oregonian - February 18 2006

The Olympic Games are at the halfway mark, and you know what that means (or maybe you don't; in which case, it's a good thing we're running this reminder): There's only one more week of the Knitting Olympics!
E-mail a digital photo of your completed project to The Oregonian's Living section, living@news.oregonian.com. Deadline for entries is Friday, March 3. Please type "Knitting Contest" in the subject line and include some information about your project, address and phone number. [more]

knitting+olympics

Where's Wimi? | The News & Observer

Where's Wimi?
The News & Observer - February 18 2006

Out with a bunch of knitters, kicking off the Knitting Olympics, in which more than 4,000 knitter athletes around the world are aiming to knit a complete project in 16 days. Wimi signed up Marcy Smith Rice with Team North Carolina to knit some pink stockings. Follow along at http://blogs.newsobserver.com/notions/ [more]

knitting olympics

The art of knit and crochet on display at the Toledo History Center | Newport News Times

The art of knit and crochet on display at the Toledo History Center
Newport News Times - FEbruary 17 2006

Knitted and crocheted items made or collected by local people are being featured in a display at the Toledo History Center in February. Included are afghans, tablecloths, bedspreads, doilies, sweaters, socks and other clothing items.
Knitter and spinner Ann Hendrickson of Toledo has several items on display made of yarn she has spun. She creates subtle colorations by spinning with fibers dyed prior to being spun into yarn. One of her spinning wheels, a Pipy wheel from New Zealand is included in the display.
"It spins very well," she says of this wheel. "I often take it when I am spinning away from home, at the fair and other events." [more]

Gold-Medal Motives | Time Magazine

Gold-Medal Motives [via almost felted]
Time Magazine - February 12 2006

The entire world comes together for the Olympics, making the Games seem a perfect platform for plugging a product or, better yet, boosting a cause. With 2,600 competitors from 82 countries gathering for the Winter Games in Torino, Italy, everyone from peaceniks to members of crochet collectives is trying to share some of the spotlight.
...> NO IDLE HANDS For the 16-day Knitting Olympics, some 4,000 crafty couch potatoes have set a series of stitching goals they want to reach while watching the Games. Charitable projects include making clothes for U.S. pregnancy centers and for tots in Mongolia. [more]

knitting olympics

Knitters pick up stitches as they eye Olympic glory | icWales

Knitters pick up stitches as they eye Olympic glory
icWales - February 14 2006

Sixteen days, thousands of knitters, one dream: to knit like the wind, to knit for glory, and knit for the gold, in the first ever Knitting Olympics.
It may sound hard to believe, but this is the call to arms that has rallied 200 knitters to take up their needles and represent Wales.
The group, which consists of dedicated knitters across the country as well as many across the globe with connections to Wales, is taking part in the internet-inspired event involving more than 14 countries.
...Despite being a keen knitter, co-captain of Team Wales Brenda Dayne, from Llanteg, Pembrokeshire, said she was inspired to take part in the event so she could help put Wales on the Olympic map.
Brenda, 45, was not initially impressed with the notion of a Knitting Olympics.
But the writer, now working on her next book, called The Knitting Muse, said, "When I first heard about it I thought it was a pointless and stupid exercise. But then I realised it was no more pointless and stupid than careering downhill on planks of wood, or spinning about on a patch of ice. [more]

knitting olympics

Have needles, will create art | The State

Have needles, will create art
The State - February 15 2006

Britta Cruzwas a knitter long before it was cool.

“In Germany, knitting is in the blood,” said Cruz, a German-born sculptor and painter who began clicking her needles back in high school. “I’m one of those people who needs to do something with their hands for the brain to work.”
Cruz, 40, lived in Spain and North Africa before moving to Columbia in 1992 — and thus was accustomed to natural-fiber, designer yarns. She was in for a shock when she got here.
“There wasn’t anything available in terms of yarn,” she said. “Everything was acrylic and not very enticing... it really turned me off, and I kind of got away from knitting.”
But the year before last, Cruz traveled to Kaiserslautern, Germany (Columbia’s sister city). There, she walked by a knitting store “and immediately was hooked again.” She bought yarn and traveled to Italy, where she immersed herself in beautiful knits.
By that time, knitting had gone mainstream in the United States.
“I needed to have something that differentiated my knitting from everybody else,” said Cruz, who makes her own yarn and owns several spinning wheels. “Spinning is low-tech — nothing has really changed for hundreds of years.” [more]

Knitting is not just for women -- and never was | Anchorage Daily News

Knitting is not just for women -- and never was
Anchorage Daily News - February 14 2006

When you think of someone knitting, what image comes to mind? Is it one of a sweet, little old granny rocking back and forth in her wooden rocker while she deftly plies the yarn into something wonderful to wear? Do you see young athletic teens knitting and talking about yarn brands? Teenage boys, I mean.
Would it surprise you to learn that their ski coach is also teaching them to knit? And the coach is a guy! And it's happening right here in Anchorage. Obviously, knitting isn't just for girls.
Come Feb. 24, John Angst, the Dimond High ski coach, will be giving the fine points of knit and purl to local guys age 14 and older at a Midtown craft store.
But men have long been knitters. In fact, some believe fishermen who tied knots in their nets were the first to use knitting.
Some nations such as Portugal still have more men who knit than women. They practice a quick method of purling in the round that looks as though the knitter just flicks the stitches rather than actually knitting them. The yarn is carried over the shoulder and around the neck before it is dropped to the floor, where the weight of the skein of yarn creates the tension. The men use this method of knitting with such ease it would seem they don't even think about the work itself. Sweaters just appear from the circular needles. [more]

Alison could be knitter of the year | North Devon Gazette

Alison could be knitter of the year
North Devon Gazette - February 8 2006

The north Devon knitter with the vision behind one of last year's most magnificent Christmas decorations has been shortlisted for the prestigious Knitter of the Year 2006 award.
Alison Murray designed the knitted Christmas tree that towered over Atlantic Village towards the end of last year and is now hoping that readers of Simply Knitting magazine will pick up their phones and pledge her their vote.
The Bideford needlewoman is in the running alongside seven other knitters after motivating more than 1,000 people all over the UK - including 300 children from local schools - to get involved with the project that has so far raised almost £7,000 for the North Devon Hospice.
Alison - who also runs a knitting club affectionately called a "stitch and bitch" - at the Big Sheep at Abbotsham on Wednesday evenings - said: "I was surprised but delighted to be nominated alongside so many very worthy people. [more]

Artist's assemblies display searing emotion | Anchorage Daily News

Artist's assemblies display searing emotion
Anchorage Daily News - February 9 2006

Sometimes art seeps into the heart quietly, surreptitiously, and sometimes it never makes it there at all. Brenda Roper's show at the International Gallery of Contemporary Art throws a grenade, then barges through the hole it makes. It shoves a finger into the wound and refuses to flinch.
"Family Secrets" examines rape and abuse through thread, vintage clothing and other materials of domesticity, including knitting needles, nylons and beans. Ripped garments appear hastily put back together; figures look delicate but deformed. Pins and thread repair the rips in underwear, slips and dresses but never actually mend them. [more]

Knitting for the gold | The Oregonian

Knitting for the gold
The Oregonian - February 8 2006

The Olympics are upon us, and athlete Kim Manchester is ready for action.
For her event, the Portlander will knit a pair of 1920s-style overalls for her 2-year-old son. She vows to perform the feat with baby cashmerino and wool/cotton yarn in a "three-color stripe pattern worked in a combination of stockinette stitch with garter stitch straps and cuffs at the bottom of the legs."
And you thought skating 10,000 meters was tough.
We're talking about the Knitting Olympics, an event where purling trumps curling.
Manchester, a 32-year-old photographer and arts and crafts instructor at the DIY Lounge on Northeast Alberta Street, is one of thousands of knitters who have answered a call to go for the gold using only needles, yarn and determination.
Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, a wildly popular knitting blogger from Toronto, last month suggested that knitters worldwide launch a project that stretches their skills to the max -- just like the Olympics. The knitting will begin with the lighting of the torch Friday and must be completed before the flame is extinguished 16 days later, on Feb. 26. [more]

knitting olympics

A stitch in time | Asia News Network

A stitch in time
Asia News Network - February 7 2006

With a title like Power Dressing, you might expect sharp tailoring and perhaps a shoulder-padded skirt-suit or two at this current exhibition at the Asian Civilisations Museum in Empress Place.
But you will find yourself gawking instead at some 125 exhibits of rare embroidered robes and Chinese textiles ranging from the 5th century BC to the Qing dynasty (1644-1911).
...Besides Power Dressing, there are five other exhibitions focused on textiles and their uses which are on now or opening this year.
...For her exhibition, Craft Therapy, at the Esplanade from Feb 22, Singapore artist Phyllis Teo invented stitches and wove yarn-like material out of newspapers for knitting. The result is her counterpoint to today's fast-paced, stressful, instant society, seeing as her work is a deliberately slow and meandering creation.
She says: 'I enjoy using my hands to make things. There's something very humble and therapeutic about that.' [more]

A Conversation with Randy Grossman | Pittsburgh City Paper

A Conversation with Randy Grossman
Pittsburgh City Paper - February 2 2006

Randy Grossman played tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers during the team’s 1970s Super Bowl heyday. In eight seasons, he had 119 receptions, including a TD pass in Super Bowl X. Today, he’s a financial adviser with a passion for … knitting. He and his daughter, Sarah, will conduct a class in knitting a “Terrible Scarf” as part of the Feb. 24-25 Pittsburgh Knitting Festival.
...And yes, he totally showed me one of his Super Bowl rings.
How did you get interested in knitting?
Actually, my mother is a gifted, creative knitter. Some of my earliest memories are of holding my arms out with yarn, waiting for my mother to roll the yarn into a ball. I guess I never forgot that.
But my daughter goes to the Waldorf School, and an integral part of their program is handiwork. Knitting is part of that, and a little over a year ago, she got the idea that she could teach me to knit. Before that, I’d never really picked up needles, except maybe to stab my sister. [more]

How To Get His Mind Off The Big Game… | Barista of Bloomfield Ave.

How To Get His Mind Off The Big Game…
Barista of Bloomfield Ave. - February 2 2006

Boys Girls, have we got a wardrobe malfunction Super Bowl snack Party for you. We’re talking about Modern Yarn’s First Annual Super Ball Party. Owners Kristen Carlberg and Paige Sato will kick off the festivities in their store with lessons on how to knit a luscious licorice G string, with chopsticks. [more]

If you're not in NJ, but would still like to knit your lovah a licorice thong you can follow the instructions in Knitty.

World Cup Scarf Fever | News & Star

World Cup Scarf Fever
News & Star - January 31 2006

Have you ever tried knitting?
Football fans are trying to knit a scarf in time for the World Cup in June.
But this is not just any old scarf, it is hoped that it will be the world’s longest football scarf!
The target is to knit a scarf that is 60km long and so far, more than 420 volunteers have knitted 10km of the scarf, so they still have a long way to go.
The scarf is in Germany but some sections of it have been sent from places as far away as America.
Organisers say that anyone with a pair of needles can join in. [more]

Show's imaginative pieces prove this isn't just 'women's work' | MySA.com

Show's imaginative pieces prove this isn't just 'women's work'
MySA.com - January 29 2006

The Texas Federation of Fiber Artists has been knitting, crocheting, weaving, sewing, embroidering, quilting and generally battling for respect for more than 30 years. And these mostly female artists show that "women's work" shouldn't be taken lightly.
Mary Hieckman, an art teacher from Houston who retired in Somerset, founded the federation in 1972. Originally called "Creative Stitchers," the group established large chapters in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, eventually changing the name to "fiber artists." [more]

Report from the 2006 National NeedleArts Association Trade Show | Knitter's Review

Report from the 2006 National NeedleArts Association Trade Show
Knitter's Review - January 26 2006

Twice a year, needlearts manufacturers, distributors, designers, and retailers gather to network and do business. It's a tightly controlled event—you need several credentials to get in, and any photography on the show floor is strictly forbidden.
I attended the winter show last weekend in San Diego. As always, the winter TNNA show highlights products for the summer season. While there was no shortage of multicolored novelty yarn shawls, scarves, ponchos, and tanks, that was just one element of the show.
I spent three days strolling the show floor and gleaning some exceptional highlights, which I present here. All product photographs were taken away from the show floor and with express permission from the designers and/or manufacturers. [more]

Yarn: Artist uses string to tell stories | The Atlanta Journal Constitution

Yarn: Artist uses string to tell stories
The Atlanta Journal Constitution - January 9 2006

Young Mavis Stevens sat in the living room with her mother and a neighbor. It was July 20, 1969. On the television, Neil Armstrong landed on the moon. On the couch, Mavis fiddled with knitting needles.
One small step for man ... knit one, purl two.
The needles clicked. The yarn took form.
"Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, I learned to knit," said Stevens, a fiber artist in Buford. "I've never stopped."
The night she took her own giant leap is depicted in one of the works she has assembled for an upcoming show at Buford's Tannery Row Artist Colony. "Pure Mavis" begins with a 6 p.m. reception Jan. 21 and runs through Feb. 12.
The show consists largely of autobiographical works. One captures the day Stevens, who grew up in Taylor County in Middle Georgia, rode into Atlanta for her cousin's college graduation. ("It was like going to a foreign land," she recalled.) One shows the day her father took her to an art show in Perry. His car broke down and he had to pick her up in a borrowed dump truck. A self-portrait features Stevens' dog, Burton, her tattoos of flowers and a "Noah's Ark" scene, and her red toenails. In that piece, Stevens is knitting a scarf that seems to have no end.
"I cannot cook, I cannot do math, I can't spell," Stevens said. "I barely got through high school. No one knew what to do with me. I was always knitting and no one could get me to quit." [more]

Sheep Thrills at Lincoln Street Center | Village Soup

Sheep Thrills at Lincoln Street Center
Village Soup - January 4 2006

Fiber Artist Kalla Buchholz announces "Sheep Thrills", Tuesday afternoon gatherings in her studio, for knitters and others working in fiber to come and share their work, be inspired by others, ask questions, and socialize. [more]

Not your grandmom's macrame | Orlando Sentinel

Not your grandmom's macrame
Orlando Sentinel - December 24 2005

Imagine a toaster cover decorated with a skull and crossbones, or candles made of rolled beeswax and shaped like sushi, or hand-poured soaps shaped like a heart -- a bleeding heart.
Craft fairs may conjure images of little old ladies with blue hair selling tea cozies and macrame potholders, but a new crop of hip, urban craft fairs is breaking onto the scene, serving up everything but the ordinary. The vendors might have blue hair, but they are young, vibrant and out to re-invent crafting.
...Leah Kramer was one of those Gen X-ers who was looking for a creative outlet. She found, and fell in love with, Bazaar Bizarre, Boston's urban craft fair.
"In my 20s I felt all these crafty urges," says Kramer, now 31. At Bazaar Bizarre she didn't find macaroni-based crafts but a sea of like-minded folks who had channeled their urban coolness and craftiness into businesses.
Kramer went on to found the online crafting mecca craftster.org, which epitomizes the new urban craft-fair sensibility with its motto "no tea cozies without irony."
"Craftster is a funny way to combine someone who is crafty and a hipster," she said, referring to the term she coined. "Crafting used to mean painted cows and hearts on boxes. There was a stigma attached to crafts."
Kramer credits feminism for allowing women to embrace the positives of crafting without buying into the old notions of domesticity that limited women of earlier generations.
"It's not like the '50s, where you had to darn your husband's socks," she says. "It's sort of empowering to have your knitting needles and do a project anywhere you want." [more]

'Catalog' artists chart their experiences | Seattle Post-Intelligencer

'Catalog' artists chart their experiences
Seattle Post-Intelligencer - December 23 2005

Curated by the Grr Group (Adriana Grant, Kirsten Ramirez and Dan Rhoads), "Catalog" is a terrific show, a mapping of experiences from artists with innovative understandings of the nature of grids.
...Ariana Page Russell has sensitive skin. When she pokes it with a knitting needle, she raises briefly visible patterns that, when photographed, become body landscapes. [more]

Knitta, Please! | Houston Press

Knitta, Please!
Houston Press - December 15 2005

She's always been an impatient knitter: half of a blanket, a quarter of a hat, a sliver of a scarf. She has to intertwine her hobby with a full-time job, a daughter and a boyfriend. Last May she began working on a baby blanket for an expectant friend; by September the baby was out and the blanket was only halfway done, even though she'd found time to stitch plenty of cozies and coasters in the meantime.
"I get bored and antsy," she says, "and that's why I probably have about ten different projects going at once."
These unfinished swatches of comfort and color used to be scattered around her house -- fuzzy testaments to crafter's ADHD -- but two months ago she figured out a slightly illegal, completely irreverent way to get rid of them: graffiti. Knit graffiti.
One night she went out with another Montrose mom and stitched a pink-and-purple cozy onto a boutique's door handle. It was an act of artistic defiance, a soft, warm tag in a part of town dominated by aerosol arrogance. Other swaths began appearing on street signs, car antennae and park benches, and word soon got around there was a new crew of taggers in town.
Their noms d'artiste are AKrylik and PolyCotN, but you can call them Knitta. [more]

Women knit communities together to assist cancer charities | Northborough Southborough Villager

Women knit communities together to assist cancer charities
Northborough Southborough Villager - December 9 2005

Karen Bailey and Carol Venie grew up together in Glens Falls, N.Y., and both shared a love of knitting.
But that’s not all they share. They are both 44, have children the same ages and now live in MetroWest. And, they are both cancer survivors.
They are also co-founders of Graceful Stitches, a not-for-profit knitting shop in Medfield. All sales at the shop, every day, are donated to cancer charities.
Tomorrow Graceful Stitches will host an all-day special sales event, with all proceeds of the day going to research for neuroblastoma, a tumorous cancer of the nervous system that usually occurs in infants and young children. Graceful Stitches’ current Neuroblastoma Awareness Campaign, which will benefit two Medfield families with children battling the disease, includes a recent in-home party and an upcoming fashion show in February of knitted items in addition to tomorrow’s in-store sales day. [more]

Let’s Play House | Nashville Scene

Let’s Play House
Nashville Scene - December 1 2005

In much of Kristina Arnold’s work, references to her previous life as a biomedical researcher dominate. Her constructions of plastic and string take the look of nerve or lymph systems, but they’re laced with extraneous stuff, like decorative flower patterns, candy and crochet work. These materials form associations with the “women’s work” of knitting and feeding and with other sorts of networks, the things that tie together communities and families socially, historically and genetically. In her installation at the TAC Gallery, she moves seamlessly out of the lab and into the domestic realm that has always been part of the picture for her. [more]

Knitting boom warms up Japan's winter | Mainichi News

Knitting boom warms up Japan's winter
Mainichi News

The knitting boom is back, but this time it's taking a different pattern. Japan's major cities are seeing the emergence of "knit-outs," outdoor events for aspiring knitters to enjoy themselves and meet other knitters, and "knit cafes," new types of cafes where people can enjoy knitting while exchanging yarns over a cup of coffee.
In the United States, knitting has already seen a resurgence in popularity, especially among those seeking healing since the September 11 attacks and those who were inspired by the knitting craze among Hollywood celebrities.
Knitting lovers seem to value the relaxation knitting offers as much as the hand-knitted end product in their favorite colors and designs, which money can't buy.
Clover, a company that makes and sells a wide range of knitting, patchwork and quilting equipment, hosted knitting events at four cafes in and around Osaka's Shinsaibashi for a limited period between Nov. 7 and Nov. 13. Over 150 people, including knitting lovers, beginners and even men accompanying their wives, took part in the events. [more]

Wanted: Pics of ugly Christmas sweaters | Kansas City Star

Wanted: Pics of ugly Christmas sweaters
Kansas City Star - November 26 2005

Aunt Peg means well, and Aunt Peg is one heck of a knitter. But Aunt Peg has no idea how ugly her Christmas sweaters — the ones she gives as presents every year — really are.
But Auntie could be a star this year: We’re having an Ugly Holiday Sweater Contest, and we want you to send in pictures. [more]

Can I knit the perfect groom, too? | Manolo for the Brides

Can I knit the perfect groom, too?
Manolo for the Brides - November 19 2005

A London knitting group recently organized what I imagine to be the first ever all-knit wedding. They solicited the help of the knitting public, asking knitters everywhere to knit cakes, candlesticks, finger sandwhiches, and the bridal bouquet. Even the groom was decked out in yarny creations, including an ubertall top hat. [more]

Here's an article from October with more details on the knitted wedding. You can check out the Cast Off site for photos.

A Good Yarn | TheDay.com

A Good Yarn
TheDay.com - November 17 2005

If you think knitting is only for grandmas and old aunts, you haven't seen Lily Chin's handiwork. The likes of Raquel Welch, Vanna White, Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell have all been seen in Lily Chin originals.
Chin, who designs yarns and patterns for knitting and crocheting, will be at Mystic River Yarns all day Saturday, along with Norah Gaughan, another nationally known designer. [more]

Third wave craftivism? | Columbia Chronicle Online

Third wave craftivism?
Columbia Chronicle Online

As more and more hip, urban, young women pick up knitting needles and take a seat in sewing circles, the crafting trend is, for some, turning into a political act. In response to this sudden surge in crafty culture, Columbia’s Institute for the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media brought four panelists with extensive DIY backgrounds to the Film Row Cinema, 1104 S. Wabash Ave., to discuss the possible link between feminism and crafting.
DIY, or Do It Yourself, has been around forever. From the good ol’ days when men and women made their own clothes because there was no other option to the Great Depression, when paying people to make things was simply not feasible, people have been “doing it themselves” for years.
The panel, “Crafty Culture: Feminism, Activism and the D-I-Y Ethic,” brought crafter and “DIY Trunk Show” founder Cinnamon Cooper, Time Out Chicago and former Venus DIY editor Annie Tomlin, painter and poet Alejandra Valera and former editor-in-chief of TENbyTEN magazine Annette Ferrara as moderators where they discussed the politics of craft. [more]

Construction, needlework not so different | Bangor Daily News

Construction, needlework not so different
Bangor Daily News - November 8 2005

Although it has been a chore for me to adjust to the fact that the field across the road from my house is being developed, I am fascinated by the process of transforming the field from farmland to residential sites.
The instruments that change the nature of what was once a rolling green field are bulldozers and excavators of various kinds. The men and women who drive the big machines are as deft with those diesel-driven, heavy steel teeth and blades as I am with my stainless steel dressmaker's scissors. The difference, of course, is in the scale of their tools and the fact that they are cutting up turf while I am cutting up fabric. What I create will be lived in. What they create will be lived upon.
The capabilities of the big machines are not so far removed from stitching as one might think.
This summer, two John Deere excavators were the means by which artist Dave Cole, based in Providence, R.I., implemented his sculptural installation project, "The Knitting Machine," at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams. The excavators were fitted with 20-foot long knitting needles with which the machine operators knitted from fiberglass a gigantic American flag. Cole gave instructions to the excavator operators via hand signals. [more]

Knit one for little pearler, Kingaroo | The Mercury

Knit one for little pearler, Kingaroo
The Mercury - October 21 2005

A Tasmanian knitting enthusiast has designs on dressing "Kingaroo", Crown Princess Mary of Denmark's as-yet-unnamed baby.
Anne Morley, 55, of Berriedale, wants to see our homegrown princess's bundle of joy wearing something uniquely Australian.
Known as one of the most creative knitters in the Country Women's Association, Mrs Morley is having a crack at a lucrative royal knit-off.
The winning design will be presented to Princess Mary for her baby, and the winner will enjoy a dream holiday for two to Scandinavia.
"My 10-year-old son told me I have to enter so I've been thinking about what to make," Mrs Morley said.
"I do have something in mind. I'm going to keep the idea under wraps but it will be uniquely Australian." [more]

Sew, wool you marry me? - Streatham Guardian

Someone finally tracked down a news story about the knitted wedding!

Sew, wool you marry me? (via In The Loop)
Streatham Guardian - October 14 2005

It was a case of with this stitch I thee wed when a couple tied the knot at a knitted wedding in Battersea on Sunday, writes Carron Taylor.
From the bride's 30m train to the groom's top hat, everything including the bouquet and the wedding cake was the product of balls of wool and knitting needles.
The loved-up pair, Freddie Robins and Ben Coode-Adams (pictured), both 40, decided to get stitched, or rather hitched, as part of the Ceremony exhibition at the Pump House Gallery.
The exhibition explored different rites of passage through crafts and artist Rachel Matthews managed to literally rope-in co-curator Freddie to take part in a wedding ceremony. [more]

Check out the Cast Off site for patterns from The Knitted Wedding.

A good yarn in knitting week - Guardian-series

A good yarn in knitting week
Guardian-series - October 19 2005

KNITTING is back in style with now, the first ever National Knitting Week, being a good time to learn.
Leyton is home to one of the last remaining wool shops in London, Teasels Yarncrafts in the High Road, which is supporting the drive to promote knitting and crocheting.
Events are taking place all over the country to focus on knitting. The week has been co-ordinated by the British Hand Knitting Confederation in support of charity Help the Aged. [more]

Knitting event to benefit breast cancer research

Knitting event to benefit breast cancer research
North County Times - October 16 2005

When Jan Metzger's sister, Patti Vesey, was diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago, Metzger knitted all sorts of frog-themed items in recognition of Vesey's love of the animal.
This year, the color of the day will be pink ---- the signature color of the fight against breast cancer ---- at a knit-a-thon Metzger is hosting to promote breast cancer education and raise money for breast cancer education and research.
The knit-a-thon will take place Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Metzger's De Luz Canyon home, 39315 Daily Road, about seven miles north of Fallbrook. [more]

Christmas tree 'needle' challenge

Christmas tree 'needle' challenge
BBC News - October 11 2005

There is a lot of clicking going on in north Devon as enthusiasts prepare for a rather unusual charity challenge.
As part of National Knitting Week, knitters in Devon are aiming to break the record for the largest knitted Christmas tree. [more]

Teams celebrate craft pastime at event

Teams celebrate craft pastime at event
Shropshire Star - October 15 2005

Keen knitters in Mid Wales took part in a Ready Steady Knit day as part of celebrations for National Knitting Week.
Colinette Yarns hosted the event at the company's workshops in Llanfair Caereinion.
Knitters were divided into two teams, Knit and Purl, and under expert guidance devised quirky and intriguing knitted items from yarn supplied by the company. [more]

"Crafty Culture": The Possibilities and Politics -- Panel Discussion

"Crafty Culture": The Possibilities and Politics -- Panel Discussion
Press Release - October 14 2005

A panel discussion with local women active in the Chicago DIY (do it yourself) arts community: graphics professional and “craftivist” Cinnamon Cooper; Time Out Chicago magazine “Check Out” editor Annie Tomlin; and painter and poet Alejandra Velera [sic]. Moderated by Annette Ferrara, cultural content provider and managing editor of Flavorpill.net. Q & A follows.
Crafting – knitting, needlepoint, beading, scrapbooking, sewing and more – can be a hobby, a way to unwind and a creative outlet. It can also be a way to reclaim traditional women’s work with a modern spin, start one’s own business, save money, reject prepackaged/sweatshop-produced merchandise, recycle, raise funds or donate goods for charitable causes, and mobilize for political action. Columbia’s Institute for the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media presents a panel discussion that will explore the possibilities of “craftivism.”
While crafting is often a solitary activity, the popularity of such groups as Stitch ’n’ Bitch, indie art/crafts fairs, magazines like ReadyMade and Web sites such as craftster.org has helped likeminded women (and men) to network, exchange ideas and market their products. While these communities and media outlets mostly exist outside the mainstream media, there has been a less political, yet no less pervasive DIY lifestyle trend in mainstream media as espoused by Martha Stewart, Home Depot and the glut of domestic-themed cable TV offerings. [more]

Love of knitting ties town into making mile-long Hope Scarf

Love of knitting ties town into making mile-long Hope Scarf (via Yahoo News)
Montgomery Advertiser - October 16 2005

...On Saturday, the knitting at Rouse's knit shop will be going on outside on the lawn with the Great Knit-Out. Marathon knitting sessions have a history going back to old England, but this weekend's knit-out will be the first of its kind held in Opelika. Rouse hopes it evolves into an annual event.
She also hopes to set a new Guinness World Record.
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, knitters will be working together on a scarf that, when finished a year and a half from now, will measure one mile long, Rouse hopes. [more]

Moss gathers knitting fans like a rock star

Moss gathers knitting fans like a rock star (via Google News)
Hame and High Broadway - October 14 2005

IT has long been seen as the preserve of lonely, elderly ladies making unwanted Christmas gifts.
But now knitting is set to attract the biggest and youngest crowds Alexandra Palace has seen outside of pop concerts.
The Knitting and Stitching Show, which finishes on Sunday, is expected to attract 47,000 textile enthusiasts.
Buoyed by celebrity stitchers such as Julia Roberts, Kate Moss and Russell Crowe, the hobby has undergone a transformation. Now it is a social scene, political movement and cultural pastime.
The highlights of the four-day show are a Stitch 'n' Bitch champagne bar, where enthusiasts can chat about their hobby, and a knitting opera that will be performed tomorrow. [more]