Social knitting in the UK and Belgium

By: Jantiene van Elk

As librarian, I try to keep up with lots of information for my colleagues. I follow a lot of weblogs and read magazines and journals. I found some interesting posts on art and social knitting in Belgium and in the UK:

First a guerrilla knitting project in Scotland: Luib na Lùban, a new
textile art group in Skye and Lochalsh, invites Scots, ex-pats, Scotophiles and anyone else to take part in an ambitious project to cover the Skye Bridge in knitting!! The Skye Bridge links the Isle of Skye with the mainland in the West Highlands of Scotland.

Toos van Liere wrote me an e-mail to promote her art project artPlastiquefabrique, guerilla knitting with plastic bags. Read her weblog.

The last project I found was on the BCC news: Knitted village of Mersham, a Kent village with 100 features including teenagers smoking in a bus shelter. The model of Mersham, near Ashford, has been knitted by members of the village's 40-strong Afternoon Club over the past 23 years.

Photo: from website, by Axel Claes

About the Avatar works

By: Chrystl Rijkeboer

Balaclava’s knitted from human hair & prints on Alumount 80x80 cm.
2006

Origin: Avatar
In Hindu (Sanskrit) philosophy, an avatar, avatara or avatarim most commonly refers to the incarnation.

Today: Avatar
Within the virtual world, in which people meet nowadays, one assumes a certain identity through a so-called avatar. This is an icon or photo, which accompanies the communication.

After the work ‘Stolen Identity’ it was a great pleasure for me to find the first balaclava (Avatar-Martine) in the magazine ‘Mc Call’s Needlework & Crafts’ from 1965. I was pleased to find this balaclava in an American magazine. See the post by Lise Lefebvre for pictures of the balaclavas in this magazine.

Today such a cap would be impossible in the Western world. Balaclavas are so emotionally charged, that ideas of an ordinary cap, which is funny and protects against cold, is not from this age anymore. Balaclava’s have a very different impact nowadays. The balaclava is a signal for society: ‘Watch out! Terrorism! and Danger!’

The other 'Avatar' items are made by own design. The faces on the balaclavas are very contemporary: Identity and the fear of loosing it, but also possibilities of choosing new / different identities in the digital world are nowadays issues.

The series portraits named Avatar show people wearing balaclavas made out of human hair. An estranged image in which the identity of the one becomes veiled with the hair of an other.
All models got a preference choice which Avatar to wear. Posing with their 'balaclava type' a surprising inner picture of the models arise.

Photo: Stolen Identity-family
Photo: Cover Mc Call’s Needlework & Crafts 1965
Photo: Avatar –Martine

"GAME ON" deel 2

By: Anne Reijse

Last (museum)weekend there were many knitters at the project "GAME ON" in the Textielmuseum. All kinds of people were knitting like crazy, as if they never did anything else before. There was a very nice atmosphere among the knitters.

Talented women were knitting like a fast train. How they did it , I don’t know. They were very, very fast. All kinds of people who never knitted before were trying to knit.

One game is ready now. Three must yet be finished, but soon you can see the small pieces and parts that are knitted. These small pieces and parts must be joined. Then you can see the games coming together.

"GAME ON" is growing in the right direction. We still need knitters!

Stitch ’n Bitch

By: Carla Meijsen

Google ‘knitting’…… almost 30 million hits. Did you expect that? Via internet knitters communicate with each other on their passion for knitting. There are sites with information, videos, weblogs, web shops, forums, and communities. But: personal contact and knee to knee knitting is irreplaceable.

Stitch ‘n Bitch (in Dutch: Breien en Beppen) started in the Netherlands in 2004. Knitters of all ages and backgrounds gather in a cafe. With a latte, a glass of wine or a beer they knit, discuss and exchange patterns and inspire each other. Knitting in progress, knitting books, new yarns and completed knits are proudly showed and admired. There are now nearly 90 knitting groups in the Netherlands.


Knitting at a Stitch ’n Bitch group is without any obligations and free of charge. You only pay for your own drinks. There´s always a experienced knitter to help the novice knitter with technical difficulties. Learn about new materials and tools, such as bamboo needles, Japanese knitting books and soy, milk protein or stainless steel yarns!

Do you want to start knitting with Stitch ’n Bitch? You´re most welcome. Find all information on Dutch Stitch ´n Bitch groups on www.stitchnbitch.nl

Photo´s: logo Stitch ´n Bitch the Netherlands and First Knit by Carla Meijsen

“GAME ON”

By Anne Reijse, artist



The knitting project “GAME ON” started!

Visitors are knitting the elements of a set, that finally will end up in a knitted computergame.

Do you remember the computer heroes from a while ago…..Pacman, Donkey Kong, Space invader an Mario? These heroes have to be knit before you can play the game.

There is a lot of work to be done…. Everyone is welcome to knit the game. The more is knitted the sooner you can play the GAME. We need all hands, even when you have never knitted in your live before…this project gives you an opportunity to be a great knitter!! If you are already a knitter, you are also very welcome to enjoy this knitting project! When all the pieces of the project are knitted you can start playing the GAME.

The hole set up of this project consists of four different games children (or adults) can play. Imagine playing with a knitted Maria hero in a computergame!!

Let the GAME start to grow!!