Wool Week 2016: renewing the knitted graffiti

I've decided to do some form of 'wool work' – and blog about it – every day this week, for my own personal celebration of Wool Week.

Today I've updated the knitted graffiti on my local lamppost.
The previous pieces have been out there for over a year and it was impressive to see just how robustly they'd withstood the weather. Slight fading on the grey/blue big wool, crispiness on the red eyelash yarn, and a couple of leaves tucked in.
And on a more personal note, I've pinned down exactly what set of scarf my OH would like me to knit for him: about 6ft long, quite narrow, in garter-stitch welt, navy blue. I'll be casting on soon...

Before and after pix

As seen on screen: Yarn – the Movie review

Tonight, for one night only, Yarn – the Movie is being screened in cinemas nationwide.  Some showings, at Showcase cinemas,  are 'knit-alongs' which sounds like fun. I've just had my own private screening and to be honest, although the film really made me want to start knitting, and to create all kinds of projects out in the world, I'd have difficulty doing it in the dark, and I'd want to concentrate on watching the film.

Yarn – the Movie is an award-winning Icelandic documentary that also takes us to Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Poland, UK, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Hawaii, Cuba, USA and Canada on a journey that explores the endless possibilities of yarn, with artists who work with yarn through knitting, crochet and other modes of creative expression.

It's cosy and comfortable on one level, covering how women pass on their skills to each other, wand how women all over the world are connected by them, and how yarn can be connected in oh so many beautiful, thought-provoking and meaningful forms.

The film features the work of Polish crochet artist Olek, known for camouflage-pattern crochet, Japanese artist Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam of Net Play Works who creates giant three-dimensional knitted, knotted playgrounds, Tilde Björfors, the founder of the contemporary Swedish circus company Cirkus Cikör and Tinna Þórudóttir Þorvaldar, yarn graffiti artist from Iceland. (Reykjavik was the first place I ever saw graffiti knitting – I wonder if it was by Tinna.)

Watch the Yarn – the Movie trailer and find your nearest screening. Obviously, this film deserves a wider audience; I hope to see it on TV soon.

Knitting hits our screens

Given the number of crafters out there, you might expect to see craft portrayed in films a little more often. But it proves elusive... there was Kate Winslet in The Dressmaker last year (who learnt to sew for the role), back in 1995 Winona Ryder sat and stitched in How to Make an American Quilt. The film of the enjoyable book, The Friday Night Knitting Club, by Kate Jacobs, has been 'in production' for about a decade.

But now there are two new knitting viewing experiences to enjoy!

On small screens now, via Netflix, as part of the Slow TV movement, are National Knitting Evening and National Knitting Night. Both are Norwegian, and feature different knitters, tutorials and world record attempts.

And on the big screen, from September 23 in Shetland, nationwide from October 9, is Yarn – the Movie. It's an award-winning Icelandic documentary that also takes us to Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Poland, UK, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Hawaii, Cuba, USA and Canada on a journey that explores the endless possibilities of yarn, with artists who work with yarn through knitting, crochet and other modes of creative expression.

I'm a big fan of Iceland – I've been three times – and it was the first place I ever saw graffiti knitting.

Watch the Yarn – the Movie trailer and find your nearest screening.

Read up on Kate Winslet – and more famous crafters
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Yarn arts with a twist, by Banksy

Not going to make it to Dismaland so contented myself with a Banksy exhibition at Croydon’s Rise Gallery. I have to say I found the approach through the arcade of dilapidated shuttered-up shops in St George’s Walk a little depressing. (Don’t get me wrong; I’m not dissing Croydon; it’s near where I grew up and was my Saturday shopping haunt as a teenager and I’m aware of the regeneration that’s going on.) 

But the gallery space was great, and the wall pieces by Banksy including Di-Faced Tenners, Rude Copper and Grannies (above) were thought-provoking and amusing. Grannies illustrates the point that knitting and the yarn arts aren't all about knitting sweet little baby booties (and older people can be a bit controversial). 

Nice Iceland

One of the (many, many) wonderful things about Iceland is the attitude to traditional crafts like knitting (ordinary people going about their ordinary everyday business wearing the traditional Icelandic jumper, or lopapeysa), and sewing: check this pic of a woman embroidering on the 5,000-kronur note

I also saw a couple of examples of yarn art in Reykjavik (and if anyone speaks Icelandic or knows what they mean, I'd be grateful for a translation/explanation)



If you fancy knitting your own lopapeysa, you can find free patterns at the Nordic Store. And if you're off to Iceland, one of the best places to buy one is the Handknitting Association of Iceland, with a shop in the street Skólavörðustígur in Reykjavik ("scowl-a-fore-thust-ee-goor"). There are lots of other funky shops selling handmade stuff on this street, and in Laugavegur round the corner

Purl and pedals

On a day trip to Whitstable, Kent (a place which has changed beyond recognition from the quiet seaside town I remember from childhood visits; now it's full of what I call knick-knackery shops, and loads of galleries and coffee shops). Sadly gone are the magnificent charity shops of my youth, where I got a Pucci-esque print sundress, and a silk dress patterned with watercolour-style blazing autumn leaves... But there's still lots to like, like these graffiti knit style bikes. So bright, so fun, so gorgeous. Am thinking about how to knit a little cover for mine...