KENDRA writes:

I love the photo of the children in hand-made sweaters and hats.

My mother is a wizard at knitting. She can make just about everything, and even speaks the language of knitting. She started when she was very young while she was trying to quit smoking. It kept her hands busy and produced several 10 x 10 foot long afghans. She has also made adorable matching baby outfits for all of my kids, and still knits wool sweaters, fringed ponchos, hats, and blankets for them. It definitely is a lost art and I hope that my daughters carry on the tradition.

Our local arts community recently sponsored a handicraft fair by the Handicraft Exchange group. My cousin is an artist and quilter, and told me of her negative experiences with the ultra-feminist “Craft Mafia,” a local Indianapolis group of women who hold regular “knit-and-bitch” meetings and sew for sale infant onesies with embroidered profanities, create hand-made skull shaped goat’s milk soaps, and stitch wall hangings with quilted machine guns. The women in this group insist on the title “mafia,” and use textile arts to promote such ideas as anarchy and radical feminism.

Their latest project is called “knit tagging” which is akin to graffiti, [see the post here on knit tagging] and includes knitting continuously around objects such as trees, outdoor bike racks, street signs, light fixtures, stair handrails, and light posts. I will never forget the sight of one of these installations. They had knit continuously around a staircase railing and onto the floor with bright red yarn. It reminded me of a bloody crime scene.

This is from the Indy Craft Mafia blog:

“As you all know, we have been commissioned to tag the outside of the Harrison Center and, instead of sticking to yarn for our tagging, we invite you to create something using whatever textiles material you feel most comfortable working with. There will be artists working in crochet, macrame, knitting, needle felting, quilting and more. You can wrap a tree branch, door handle, stair railing, etc. Wherever you want to leave your mark.”

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