As of tonight, I’ve been back a week from Guatemala. It’s funny how I was there only a few days, but have spent the past 7 mulling the disparities in our lives. The knowledge that I know they’re never going to be equal in my lifetime, no matter how hard I try to suss it out, cuts me to the core. And I have an idea. Maybe it will resonate with you, maybe not. I just wanted to air out the thought.

After writing about the altruistic applications that craft can have for years, it was eye-opening to be faced with a situation that we could really help change, if only a little. Right in the middle of everything, just past the field where the children play, smack dab between two houses, next to a pasture with a sad looking cow, with a path running down its right edge leading to more houses, was the village dump.

Literally smoldering in a heap of rotting food and crisp packets and carrier bags and other daily detritus, was exactly what we try so hard to ignore. What we hide from sight, our dirty little secret, a melange of foul odors and disintegration, what is taken from our houses and placed somewhere faraway and out of sight. And this is just trash of a small village, without the luxuries of microwave meals and individually packaged tea bags.

But in the DIY community that’s one thing we’re good at, right? Using our trash in creative ways? What have we learned from those crafty trials and late night genius ideas, are they just fodder for our personal blogs and craft forums? Is it proof positive that we are creative? Do we do it for ourselves, or for the possible recognition?

As I walked through the village, I asked one of our interpreters what the wisps of material I kept seeing tangled up in the power lines were. They were kites made by children. Constructed by crossing thin sticks together to make a hexagon frame with cut-up plastic bags laid taut on top, and tiny strips from bags fluttering as the tail. What else could they make from trash, perhaps something they could play with that couldn’t get loose and fly away only to be trapped out of arm’s reach?

I’m not writing this to be damning or critical of where you choose to show your creations, I’m just enlivened by what could be done. It’s a challenge, really. What toys, household devices, yard items, gardening tools could we, the DIY community, come up with? We’ve managed to decrease the size of our own household trash and recycling bins. Why are we doing it? To create? To reuse? To save the earth? What about saving people with these same ideas? Is that too much of a leap? Does it make things too real, too big?

I think the answer is no. I think we are ready to use our ideas to help others in developing countries. I think it might gives us the jumpstart we all need to truly challenge our creativity. We’ve shown our peers and parents and television audiences how to reuse and remake and how to be crafty, what about seeing what we can do with a slightly different demographic?

The main (and most toxic) thing that needs to be tackled are ways to reuse the plastic put in the dumps, mainly plastic carrier bags, snack packets and soda bottles. Burned in the dump, on the curb, in houses the plastic enters the lungs of children as they run around streets already filled with broken bottles and disease-ridden homeless dogs looking for shade and scraps.

Maybe it’s just me that’s near breathless with the possibilities that could be created for people who have next to nothing. Something solar? Something handy around the house? Something waterproof? I can still see and smell the stomach-wrenching blue fumes steadily drifting down the village street. And while I might want to look away and ignore it, it’s already singed me and got my brain on fire. What about you?


Here are some ideas that have been called attention to by some friends:
*Flip Flop (I Was)
*Pure Vida (Eco Block)
*Terracycle
*Conserve India
*DIY Solar Solutions for Developing Countries
*15 Innovative Eco-Friendly DIY Projects
*Making a Soccerball from Plastic Bags
*Solar Powered Water Heater Made From Beer Bottles & Hosepipes


The last photo above is from my trip. The other photos are by Tommydavis209 and Islandgyrl, respectively. Many thanks to Kelly Rand for some of these awesome links!

[ETA: I wrote this last night, but I think I've been phrasing this all wrong. The reason why I'm so excited to uncover ideas that are made by the DIY community and see how they could be used in developing nations is not because I think we're doing it wrong. Instead I see the power, the strength, the genius that we hold in our hands but don't necessarily recognize. I don't think we truly see how fascinating our creations are and how they could have broader applications. Sometimes our crafts get dismissed as hobbies or weird pastimes, and they are anything but. They are actions and thoughts and ideas that have true, real world power. We have gifts to share not only within, but beyond our own community, and are more powerful than we may realize. We are powerful, smart and important, moreso than we often give ourselves credit for. Don't just celebrate craft, celebrate your own unique strength, ingenuity and vision- whether by yourself or with the rest of the world.]

Yesterday I received my copy of the new book, Craft Hope, on my doorstep, and it is so incredibly lovely and just, well, perfect! I am so honored to have been included as a designer in this book, along with some amazingly and incredibly talented people.** I whipped up some easy peasy fingerless gloves to donate for people who might want to do some mindless knitting for the greater good and just have a small bit of time and/or a small bit of wool.

Even though they don’t know who to thank, there are thousands of people out there with items obtained from Craft Hope projects (like the recent project collecting hand towels for the Institute of Marine Mammal Studies to help clean animals effected by the oil spill, over 65,000 items!) whose days you’re making brighter.


More info:
*Craft Hope over on Facebook
*Interview about the book with Jade over at Lark Crafts
*All month this month over at Craft Hope: Month of Hope! Giveaways! Links! More about my fellow designers!
*BOOK GIVEAWAY! I’ll have an extra copy of the book to give away, and am not sure what I’m going to do with it yet, as I’ve been working on other things than the blog the past few months… Give it away here? Donate it?

**Who are the other designers? They’re Stefani Austin, Ellie Beck, Amanda Carestio, Christina Carleton, Lisa Cox, Maya Donenfeld, Malka Dubrawsky, Molly Dunham, Celine Dupuy, Cathie Filian, Wendi Gratz, Jenny B. Harris, Vickie Howell, Rebecca Ittner, Rebeka Lambert, Kathy Mack, Kaari Meng, Manda McGrory, Jhoanna Monte, Aimee Ray, Eren Hays San Pedro, Amanda Blake Soule, Blair Stocker, Amanda Swan, Beth Sweet, Susan Wasinger, Dana Willard, Rebekah Williams and Geninne D. Zlatis!

As for what these designers made? That’s for you to discover in the book for yourself!

Years ago, when I had first returned to North Carolina, I kept hearing about the amazing works of local artist Sherri Wood. I ate lunch under one of the installations of the 1200 hats she made with women in the North Carolina Correctional Institute for Women. I read about her Tattoo Baby Doll Project. I read Issue #5 of Knit Knit with the photo of her pieces Comfort Room and L.A.T.C.H. on the cover. I eagerly followed the progress of her Mantra Trailer. I interviewed her about her Passage Quilts for my book, Knitting for Good!

So, I was happy to hear that Sherri has started a blog over at Daintytime.net and in one of her first posts, part of a greater mending tutorial, talks about the “unpredictable geography of mending.” Also of note, her Modern Mood Quilt Craft Along tutorial Welcome to blogland, Sherri!

Crafty Links:
*Crochet Ombre Necklace tutorial (via Cut Out + Keep)
*The Great Owl Crochet Along at (Itsy Bitsy Spider Crochet)
*Electricity in Bhutan help women weavers earn extra money
*The emotional knitted sculpture of Johan Ku (via Ecoterre.com article)
*Stethoscope Cozy Crochet Pattern!!!! (via Meet Me In The Day Room)

[Photos above from Sherri Wood's Flickr account of Passage Quilts.]

What’s happening? I disappeared… But finally got internet in my apartment for the first time in over a month. Network “Waterloo” (named after one of my favorite ABBA songs) is up and running!

Right about now you are probably wondering what is The Papered Parlour?

About a year ago, I got a lovely email from Claire Heafford, a fellow Goldsmiths alum, telling me about a new space she was opening up in London. From her email:

The space is called The Papered Parlour and it’s now home to artists, designers, musicians and theatre practitioners. The venue comprises a cafe, an artist’s studio and a gallery space where we will be running craft classes, hosting performances and putting on exhibitions. It’s all based on a cooperative sharing model of artistic practice, and it’s deliberately located away from East London in attempt to dialogue with a non arts audience.

A few days ago, I got an email from Claire saying how The Papered Parlour currently has a 1 in 3 chance of winning £50,000 via The Barclay’s Business ‘Take One Small Step’ Competition! And how do they win this money!? Through votes, of course! Through one little clicky click over here in fact.

Not up for voting?* I have some links for you here:
-“The Brazilian Etsy”
-Knitting in public hits Charlotte, North Carolina (my hometown!)
-Kentucky yoga center moonlights as art studio for the disabled community
-Tsia quite rightly recommended this Reggie Watts video over at Supernaturale
-Photos from Australia, knitting for the war (Thank you, State Library of S Wales!
-The Papered Parlour video for the competition (last attempt to get your vote)

*Really?

NOT NEARLY AS BIG NEWS: My computer died this afternoon. Will be up to speed soon after I’ve moved everything from dead computer to new computer. As you can tell from the weird text formatting, I have no idea how to use it… yet.

And my first big crafting event in my new city is moderating a panel tomorrow at Craft Week DC! Yeah! The panel, The Meaning of Making, is from 6:30-8, preceded by a craft social from 4-6. Sponsored by PBR and held at Civilian Art Projects, set up by the awesomeness that is Hello Craft.

The panelists:

Tom Ashcraft

Christine Ernest

Dana Ayana Greaves

Carole Greenwood

*Ok, Arlington, VA if you’re being technical.