A Winter's Saturday Afternoon

Yet again another long stretch without posts or bombing. This does not mean that I haven't been busy!

I was finally able to manifest not 1, but 2 knitting machines. They are old but work smoothly. Both are Toyota's, which is awesome because it will help me with the learning curve. And I can part out one machine to the other if need be.
I've been working on knitting wallpaper, or should I say, wallknitting!

Here's what I did a couple of months ago, finally figuring out how to knit with a worsted weight yarn on a standard machine, which really prefers a fingering/sport/dk weight. Not a needle broken, and only one bent so far.
Knitting i-cord is easy, but in the worsted weight not very satisfactory. So it will be done in the lighter weights from now on. And I plan on making MILES of it!

Tomorrow, the first of January, will be Bomb Day and the christening of a quiet little spot in a corner of the warehouse where I work. A sofa, rug, coffee table and lamp have been placed and have done much to cheer things up in a 15,000 square foot space. Meetings sometimes take place there, or a quiet lunch. It's a spot as far way from "regular" business as one can get.

My goal for the spot: "Beans Wall of Self-Expression"! I'm putting up the wallknitting, and welcoming acts of creativity to be added to it! Not sure I can get all of this material up and stapled into place before the start of work tomorrow (yes, these guys will be working on New Year's Day!) and if not, that's fine. I'll keep adding wallknitting alongside whatever my creative co-workers might add on their own. I can't wait to get this rolling (it's crept into my consciousness at 3:30 a.m. every morning for the last week, keeping me up, but also allowing me to refine my hit!)

YAY!

In planning, I wasn't thinking this should necessarily be a "New Year's" deal, and I question why a winter's afternoon rolling over to a winter's morning makes any difference. But we seem to like these markers in our lives, so I'm going with it. And hoping I can hit-and-run before the peeps in my circle find me leaving the little surprise of a gift.

More tomorrow -
Hasty Bananas!
SK1
Peace On!

Independence Day

I set these out this morning on a busy street corner a few feet from my favorite coffeehouse not only to continue to celebrate Artown, but Independence Day as well. Although not flashy, they are in their patriotic colors of red, white and blue. My little burst of anarchy is my own statement of independence.

A note about my blog of 7/1: all but one of the bombs are gone! I would love to know what happened to them. It would be great if they are relocated to another part of town!

Knit for Peace and Independence!
SK1

Stop the car, Dad!

More Reno is Artown enhancement! I placed these new pieces at the entrance to a local park this morning. They now look more like gifts - with yarn twisted ties to close them up. All you get is a rock inside, but that could change.
I've started work on the next batch. I'm still not sure what direction these will take.


Knit 4 Peace!
SK1

RENO IS ARTOWN! YAY!

In honor of our first anniversary bombs placed during Artown July of 2010, I came up with the idea of covered river rock. I knit tubes, then close one end and make the tube long enough to cinch at the top of the rock, leaving a flare of knitting over the top. I'm not sure if they are urchins, flowers, or pretty little gifts. This morning I planted 5 of them a hundred yards from the door to my place of work.


Within an hour or two, Sharon came to work and saw the plants. She parked, walked over hill and dale and grabbed one up for herself. Came into the shop all excited about the gift she'd found. It's gratifying to me that she took it upon herself to help herself - it wasn't a reaction I'd expected, which makes it so very cool, and which makes it art.

My plans are to add to that pile. First I was thinking of scattering these around Reno for Artown, but with the exception of a single here and there, I think it will be fun to just add to that pile during the month. If you're in town (Reno) and need a clue to where you can find these, drop a comment here. And when you find them, help yourself to one. All I ask is for you to let me know how you feel about it.

Enjoy a peaceful holiday weekend.
Knit for Peace.

SK1

Stitches West

SK1 and I made the migration to the knitting whirlwind of Stitches West in Santa Clara, CA. Despite harrowing wintery conditions and near-nonstop precipitation, we immersed ourselves in fiber splendor. The workshops were great and some of the food was fine, but we did not want to leave without at least a little bit of tagging activity.

Since the Hilton Santa Clara (across the street from the Conference Center) was suffering from Anonymous-Convention-Hotel-Decorating Syndrome, we concentrated our efforts there. It seemed only appropriate to decorate with the products of our workshops.

Our final tag was left as a cheerful message for a fellow yarn bomber.

Knit 4 Peace! SK2

Our 1st Anniversary...........awww......

SK2 and I headed out on a drizzly MLK day in January 2010 to drop our first joint bombs. We were so nervous! A very successful outing that kept us motivated and the creative juices flowing. In terms of K4Ps, it seems to me like it's been a long year. Perhaps because we lived our lives in between bombs and upon reflection I can read between posts what you cannot.

Technically, these were not the first bombs; they came after my initial tag of a visitor's car to my neighbor's house one evening and SK2's likewise tag to a van in the parking garage where she works. Don't forget SK2's incredibly creative Snakey Wire Cozy covering cables for her computer!

And then it was time to seriously test the waters and we haven't looked back. Ideas have come and gone, but we're still persevering when we have the time and energy and opportunities. OP1 came into the picture and added his voice to the chorus, not only here, but internationally! As well as KS4 who put the idea into my head of using not only yarn in the knitted pieces, but creating a bit of mixed media, an idea that OP1 brought along as well. I feel like a rechargeable battery when I'm with any of my partners in "art-crime"! And with experience I've gotten bolder, no longer looking over my shoulder to see if the knitting police were after me, but realizing that you can do things in broad daylight that might catch people's attention, but not their suspicions. Heartening in a world where suspicion and distrust can seem rampant.

I wasn't going to let today go by without acknowledging this anniversary. I'd had my eye on some drain pipes near my place of employment. Unlike MLK day last year, today dawned warm and sunny (if you consider 10 degrees over the freezing mark on the thermometer as warm, which I definitely did at 7 a.m.!) There are 2 other pipes which may or may not get "enhanced", but for now, getting this particular one up, which is so different from past tags, was my goal. A few quick pictures and still time to head to the bagel shop for a soy latte and "the works" bagel with cream cheese. YUM!

From my mother's and mother-in-law's gifts from years ago (two rather large boxes of buttons, pins, tie and ear clips) I found a combination that made for an interesting face. It makes me laugh, plus the ruffle on top forming a shaggy head of hair says, "Beaker" (as in the Muppets). Until the piece was done, I wasn't sure how I felt about it. That's always how my art is - I definitely don't have an emotional reaction until the piece is finished, and again when it's been planted, pictures taken, blog posted. Then I feel like running around like a 5 year old saying, "MOM! Watch THIS!"

Knit 4 peace!
SK1