Artyarn Workshops: Fusion Knitting and Just So festival

I am couple of months late with this update, but this is one of the things I was up to in August. Artyarn is a Manchester based company, founded and run by an artist Rachael Elwell. She has literally invented a knitting dream, her career in knitting is admirable I must say. Anyhow, I work with Rachael, Artyarn, every now and then, and here is couple of the things Artyarn does (and believe you me, it is just tiny little part of all the projects there is):

We went to an event in Leeds, which was Girl Guides 100th year anniversary. I was thinking that it was just going to be small gathering of girl guides in some little park in Leeds. But no. It was an international festival, with 10 000 of them! It was a amazing. The project that Artyarn had set for the festival, was that everyone was to knit a square, and then bring it to the workshop where the knitted squares where to be sewn together. It was a tiring couple of days, as there was so many squares to choose from. There was literally so many knitted squares, that we couldn't have fitted them in Rachael's car, even if she was the only person in it. Im not even joking. The lovely thing that I learnt at the workshop was, how initiative, skillful and hard-working the girl guides were. They certainly weren't "all thumbs" (a saying that I recently learnt from..erm Desperate Housewives). They just took the needles and got on with it, even the littlest ones. I was very impressed.




Please go and see more images and more information about this project in: http://artyarn-fusionknitting.blogspot.com/ The images above belongs to the website: http://artyarn.blogspot.com/2010/08/fusion-festival-girl-guiding-centenary.html


Another workshop that I was helping with Artyarn on August, was JUST SO- festival. A festival for families. It was the loveliest weekend that we spent knitting by day, and having some beer and chinese food by night. Here is me showing a little'len how to knit:



Image from: http://artyarn.blogspot.com/2010/08/just-so-festival-2010.html

Please Also visit: http://www.justsofestival.org.uk/

Post Uni Blues

Dear All,

As you can see, I haven't updated my blog for months. That is so naughty of me. Luckily I have been around with some projects. After the degree show and all the hard work and the last squeezes for the University Deadlines, I think I, and all of us on the course, needed a break. I went to a really lovely holiday to Finland, and the summer there was absolutely amazing. Not a care in the world- for two weeks. After coming back to the rainy Manchester, I must admit my moods were pretty down. The step to the real world started immediately the next day after landing back to UK. Ringing to job centre and the council, Im not going to bore you with the details. The money that I really wanted to use for buying a camera (I am borrowing one at the moment, thank you Riku!), that would have helped me on my blogging and things, all went to rent and bills.

Well. The good news is, that I already knew where I was going to head next. I am currently renting a studio with 4 other very talented girls, all designers. We moved in on August. I am so lucky to work amongst these people, as they have more experience than me, and their advice might just get me closer to what I want.I already knew about the studio in May, so it made all panicking about the future all a bit easier. I was actually looking forward to just to knit what ever I wanted, setting out my own rules and no needing to justify every stitch. Just knitting with the flow. I mean, I did enjoy my final piece- the knitted toilet, but it took me so long to make, that I had about 10 ideas whilst I was making it, and was suffering as I wanted to finish that piece first.

I feel that I am busy at the moment, but I always have this feeling if I am just kidding myself, saying that I am busy, but actually just doing things much slower than I should. I truly hope that I keep up with the blog, and of course especially I hope that I keep up with my work.

Crochet monster of me!!

Here is a crochet monster portrait of myself made by my friend and fellow yarn artist Helen. At the moment Helen is making crochet monsters from comissions. This one is mine!

See more Helens amazing work at: http://helenmakes.blogspot.com

Yeah!

Open shop Project in Burnley: Knitted teacozies.

For couple of weekends I have gone to Burnley to knit with Artyarn. In open shop project, various artists are doing workshops in Lancashire area including Burnley. Artyarn has curated a community art project the "Knitted Teacozies" for Towneley Hall. Recession has left many retail outlet spaces empty and Art's council has funded different projects to take place in these spaces.
More information about the Open shop Project on:

http://artyarn-openshopproject.blogspot.com/

I found it so relaxing to just knit something small, a bit domestic and quirky for a change. I decided to knit a strawberry teacosy. I made the pattern up as I was going along, but would be good to do it again and write down the instructions. All the tea cozies are fun and innovative and are going to be exhibited in Townley Hall 17th of June.

The Knitted toilet.

So on friday I finally finished this project that I thought was impossible to make until the minute it was ready. This piece required 80 individually knitted tuck stitch tiles for the wall, 16 small knitted tiles for border and 32 knitted tiles for the floor. I also tailored and knitted a close fit garment for a toilet, inside and out. So from easter to last friday intensive knitting and sewing has finally paid off. I am so happy about the result. I have my presentation and feedback coming soon. I hope that doesn't crush my lovely upbeat mood.

The piece is not supposed to be a toilet showroom, but a glimpse of somebody else toilet. A knitted alternative reality. Hopefully these pictures don't ruin the surprise for those coming to see the show. There is a lot of other amazing and interesting work to see all over campus.

Interactive Arts Degree Show 2010
Friday 18th June
6.00 pm
Holden Gallery

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=125641360784094&ref=ts

The things to do list.

I have been missing updating my blog for a while as it has been very busy with the final piece for the degree show. I have done 80 wall tiles, nearly 32 floor tiles (I have 5 left to do and I am going to do them this morning). I found a toilet from my street which was a part of a whole bathroom set actually. Even thought it was suggested, I decided I don't want to have somebody else's old bathroom in my back garden just to wait that I might do something with it some day. So I just took the toilet. I think the neighbors thought me asking for that was weird enough. I spotted the toilet in the middle of the night, but didn't want to be a thief, so I slipped a note to their mailbox, introducing myself as an artist and inquired if it was possible for me to collect the toilet the next day. And they got back to me via phone and my housemate and boyfriend assisted to get the thing in the garden. So that is the story of the toilet. After manic cleaning with all sorts of poisons and rubber gloves I started to work on it. The last weeks as I have been feeling like a taylor, -for a toilet. I truly hope that my future clients will be humans.

Now waiting for the final piece images, I will share the some pictures with the work in progress. It has been progressed more since then, but if I share those images now, then maybe the end result is not going to be so exciting to see!

The rest of today's plan is to follow my things to do list which is:

Knit 5 tiles
Plan and knit details (toilet paper, toilet roll holder)
Go to University
Sew tiles on to foam board
Planning and making mechanism
Calculate how much velcro I need (and preparing to pay myself sick for it, I can't believe how expensive it is outside of the University!)

So, quite a few things to do. See you later!

Hello!

Haven't been writing here for a while as I have been working on one piece, which is going to be big! Anyhow, I thought it would be good to update even a little bit so here is a photo how my tiling career is coming along.