Tuesday, October 16, 2012
It is really amazing and gratifying to stop a moment and to contemplate how far we have come in the crochet world. To think that back in 1994, when the Crochet Guild was beginning to hatch, we were begging for good patterns, rarely saw a new book, didn't have a conference, didn't have guild chapters...We've come along way baby!
During this last week, I've been gasping for breath, running around, busying my mind all due to crochet activity. There is so much to celebrate and October 12 was I Love Yarn Day sponsored by the Craft Yarn Council (CYC). I had the idea of yarn-bombing as a way of showing my love of yarn. I threw out the idea and 3 other chapter members stepped up to join my effort. I had spied a "delicious" set of 3 bronze statues depicting children holding hands and skipping. "How perfect and easy," I thought, "to string chains of squares from hand to hand to lend color to this wonderful sculpture.
Concetta and Annie (no last names necessary) are experienced yarn bombers and Concetta kindly contributed THIRTY squares. I made 5 more and also the six-foot chains on which I connected all the squares. Janice said she never does anything "bad" so she was all a-twitter during out late night clandestine journey on October 11 to the local public library. "It feels so good being bad," she said.
I had scoped out the library during daylight and night-time hours. I needed to know how long to make the chains so they would fit between the hands. I checked out the lighting from the parking garage to see how much light shown on the shadows and I decided on a parking place that wouldn't draw attention from the neighbors.
We all met promptly at 10:00 PM to complete our task just as the library was closing. It was drizzling rain. I wore black and Janice was nervous. Annie and Concetta reassured us that even if the cops came along, they wouldn't be too worried. We could be thought of as library employees or artists doing our thing. It happens.
We had great success and did our decorating without any problems.
The morning after. The library seemed honored to be yarn-bombed and they posted a photo on their Facebook page. We also got a shout out on the Facebook page of the CYC!
I've been busily finishing up some more of my signature cabochon pins
using fused glass created by my friend, Debbie. She is having a glass show this week and invited me to add these pins to the mix. It will be catered and BYOB, so should be a fun evening.
EXCITING News: A grassroots movement has staarted in Wisconsin to establish a Knitting & Crochet Heritage Museum. A symposium will be held on Nov. 8-10 to discuss the progress and where to go next. There is corporate sponsorship and some big names will be presenting at the symposium.
The Vision:
Raising the status of knitting and crochet
Enhancing the visibility of the art form
Making knitting more attractive and relevant to current and future generations
Creating a space dedicated to knitting scholarship and public education.
In sum, we want to preserve, promote and help knitting and crochet continue to evolve.
Goals:
To preserve and promote the wonders of the works of our hands: past, present and future
To restore the status of knitting and crochet to its historic levels.
To increase access to and the accuracy of its documentation in history, costume and textile collections.
To create a home for the source materials of the America’s knitting superstars, as well as exemplars from all the ethnic groups who brought their fiber traditions to America with them.
To foster the continued development, exploration of, and experimentation with, knitting and crochet as an expressive art form so that they remain relevant and vital elements for future artists and crafters.
Objectives:
To collect, preserve, document and share knitted and crocheted objects and related study materials.
To provide academic research resources and internship opportunities
To create display space for both permanent and traveling exhibits, as well as a home for the collections and papers of leading designers,
To host workshops and classes and the social interaction that promotes creativity and the expansion of our art.
Why?
Sadly, beautiful exemplars of vintage and historic knitting and crochet are being lost every day, as attics and trunks are “cleaned out.”
Existing institutions are not meeting the needs of our knitting and crochet community for access, accuracy and inspiration.
Whether as part of general collections held by historic museums, or more specialized costume and textile collections, knitted and crochet objects seldom get first billing.
Documentation of the few knitted and crochet objects in these collections can be incomplete or inaccurate.
Articles are seldom available for study, or exhibited to the general public.
Recent Developments
An Ad Hoc Exploratory Team of knitters nationwide is discussing forming an American institute/ museum to serve the goals and objectives outlined above.
With the support of the Wisconsin Historical Society, Dr. Ellsworth Brown, Director, we are planning a one-day symposium Spring 2012 in Madison, WI, to explore the concept, and determine next steps.
On June 8- I located the collection of Mary Walker Phillips, safely with her family. I can say the Knitting Heritage Museum was born June 12, 2011 when TNNA’s Yarn Group, the committee that supports knitting and crochet, voted to give the symposium effort $5000, $2000 more than my request.
Jim Bryson, one of the Yarn Group leaders, created an endowment fund for the Museum, in memory of Bev Galaskes.
AMAZING how far we have come since April 29. There is so much more to do. For more info, contact cityknitsdiva or Knitheritagemuseum at gmail dot com
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