The New Rebellion - Knitting

I just had to buy The Grauniad today after Bath Crafting Cranny's (thanks Jess!) tip-off about the free rebel knitter's guide give away. This turned out to be 12 knitting patterns by Marisa Turmaine, who hit the headlines recently following her freebie Dr Who monster knitting patterns on the internet were seen as a bad thing by the BBC.

I rather like the idea that something as innocuous as knitting seems to have taken a more edgy, subversive turn. In the guide I learnt that there are knitting guerillas from a group called Knitta, who adorn public artefacts such as signs and statues around the world with bits of knitting. This seems to be a more extreme form of the Innocent drinks' The Big Knit, where over 400,000 mini hats were sent in by knitters from all around the country last year to adorn Innocent drinks bottles, thus raising over £200,000 for Age Concern. I'm hoping that my SUP friends will be joining me in this year's campaign in the Autumn.

I'd heard about this pattern already and I must admit I was a bit skeptical, as being a previously daily banana toting commuter I'd been accident free for over 25 years - though I did nearly cause an international incident at Singapore airport a few years ago when their security thought the banana in my luggage was a hand gun. So I was prepared to pooh-pooh the rest of the patterns. However, I found myself thinking 'oh, I'll try that' (a re-usable hot drinks cup cover, plus a wristband to hold a doorkey and change - ideal for when my Moonwalk training for next year really gets going) and 'that's a good idea' (using plastic bags and cassette tape as yarn for e.g. placemats - and we need some new ones soon). There was even a more complicated (and nicer) version of the fingerless mitts I knitted last winter to avert a gardening disaster, with a design based on basil leaves - what more could a gardening friend want? So I'm a bit of a convert to the cause.

Now, a combination of guerilla gardening and knitting - wouldn't that be fun? How about publishing a pattern for your pink dahlia festooned balaclava to kick things off Arabella?

Comments

  1. Linda26 July 2008 at 23:41

    I really enjoyed this post ... as I'm a knitter too! Thanks for the links to the various patterns and sites.

    Come by and visit The Crafty Side of me.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lucy Corrander27 July 2008 at 07:48

    Solidarity Comrade!

    MAGIC BLANKET

    Lucy

    ReplyDelete
  3. Arabella Sock28 July 2008 at 21:10

    Funnily enough the last thing I knitted (half knitted)many years ago was my own design for a jumper with fluffy flowers sticking out of it. I got bored halfway down the back so it never got finished. Perhaps I should start on the balaclava...

    ReplyDelete
  4. VP31 July 2008 at 19:16

    CG - glad you liked it! I'm on my way over...

    Lucy - must go see...

    Arabella - I think you should, do it now!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Helen/patientgardener3 August 2008 at 13:55

    This looks like fun - I participated in knitting jumpers for African orphans some years ago - I think it was organised by GMTV so am up for any big knitting event for charity - let me know

    ReplyDelete
  6. VP12 August 2008 at 23:54

    PG - sounds like a plan :)

    ReplyDelete

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