knitting.

I like knitting, you like knitting, the world likes knitting.

Craft Hope… On US shelves now!

| Betsy




When I started craftivism.com so many years ago, I had no idea what I wanted it to be. In my wildest initial dreams, I would have loved for it to have been Craft Hope, that Jade Sims has so lovingly and amazingly created. A site that is a catalyst for mass action, but sometimes what we hope isn’t a) what we’re good at, b) what we’re meant to do, and c) where we’re needed.

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.



Congratulations, Jade, on such a lovely book and for all the thousands of people you’ve aided along the way with donations from your Craft Hope projects! And thanks for filling the void that I thought I initially needed to fill, doing a mightier job than I ever could of done because it’s where you need to be.

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!

Craft in Prisons…

| Betsy

The above pillow is part of Fine Cell Work’s newer collection of pillows.

Currently Fine Cell Work is in need of volunteers in Yorkshire. If you know anyone in Yorkshire that might be interested, please pass this along or direct them to the Fine Cell Work website.

WE NEED VOLUNTEERS!

Fine Cell Work is very eager to hear from any keen stitchers who might be interested in chatting to us about the possibility of going in to HMP Wakefield in Yorkshire to teach our group of male stitchers there. The group is well established and is full of very able men but currently no teacher is visiting and they would really benefit from a weekly or fortnightly visit from anyone who is familiar with stitching, either tapestry or surface embroidery – or even better both!

We are looking for 2 to 3 volunteers to go into the prison together and would need people who could commit to at least a year on a weekly or fortnightly basis. This is a great opportunity for anyone who is a keen needleworker to help foster and encourage our stitchers in a prison where the group has been established for some time but is now needing more regular contact from a visiting tutor.

If you are interested in helping us at HMP Wakefield then please phone the office and chat to Kim Nightingale on 0207 931 8973 or email kim@finecellwork.co.uk

And that’s only one example of programs that allow inmates to dually gain from the therapeutic process of craft and the practical product to sell. Here are just a few more examples:

A Stitch Doing Time
Our Children’s Place (NC)
Embroidery at Cuddalore Prison
No offense: Crochet Behind Bars
Hiland inmates restitch their lives
Shakopee Women’s Prison Project
Knitting Behind Bars (via Interweave)
Lithuanian prisoners knit for poor Afghans
Inmates learn social skills through knitting
Lebanese inmates stitch their way out of prison
From scraps of prison cloth a miniature world grows
Female convicts knitting winter clothes for Afghans
Stitching in Cells: Teaching prison inmates the art of quilt making
Lady Anne Tree: Meet the aristocrat who’s got the prisoners in stitches
Mosaic Liberation (post about Carrie Reichardt from Radical Cross Stitch)



And this is just the small list… Have any links for specific charities doing this sort of work? Send ’em on!

Button’s Bit (How A Patriotic Pup Helped Knit His Bit!)

| Betsy

“Button’s Bit”

I cannot sew, I cannot knit,
I wish that I were wiser;
But I resolved to do “my bit”
To help to down the Kaiser.
The days grew warm, my hair was long
And softer than chamois;
They sheared my coat, and spun soft wool
And knitted socks for Sammy.

Every so often, some sends you the most amazing thing in the world. And sometimes that most amazing thing in the world gets eaten by your inbox and you discover it later only to be kicking yourself that you didn’t see it properly the first go-round. I’m blaming inbox monsters. If they can exist under your bed, why not in your inbox, too?

This is one of those very times, as this book is absolutely incredible and about a wee little dog. A very special wee little dog with super soft fur everyone compares to fleece, so like a sheep he is shorn so his fur can be made into wool which will be knit into items for soldiers at war.

Thanks so much, Erica! You are awesome.

When was the last time you actually took time to listen to other people share their stories? Learn how it can be a rare gift over here at Make & Meaning. Added bonus: Details on places to find herring, Civil War reenactors and fancy peanuts included.

Knitting Video (Pimping Natural Gas)

| Betsy

I wish my house suddenly transformed into the house in this video. I wouldn’t have to wear socks 24/7, my toys would look even cooler than they already do, and my radiator would be extra warm. This was forwarded on by a high school friend, thank you Facebook!





Some of my favorite lovely crafty/creative things of late:
*Caroline Hwang
*Dave Blumenkrantz
*Ink and Spindle
*Empower Playgrounds
*Bead For Life (Thanks Mary!)
*The Creative Lives (via Hwang’s blog)
*Blown glass with knitted wire by Emmy Gai Palmer


P.S. Need to find pattern for tiny lovely knitted alligator!