Filed under: opportunities | Tags: daina taimina, latvian centre, stories in textures, textures conference
Fiber Stories with Daina Taimina
Hyperbolic crocheter Daina Taimina has announced an open call for participation in her experimental fiber project tentatively titled, “Story in Textures.”
Last month, Taimina retired from her profession as a Mathematics professor at Cornell University. Because she experiences difficulty expressing this emotional transition in words, Taimina has begun outletting her feelings through fibers.
Her hope is that, if someone asks her how she feels about her academic career and retirement, she will be able to hand them a tangible object that expresses her loss for words. The challenge will be creating beautiful work that also represents the pain of her transition.
Taimina is inviting other fiber artists to express a story or emotion through small fiber work ranging between 20 and 50 centimeters in any direction. Whether you include the story or emotional experience that inspired you is optional. Entries must be received by the end of March at the latest in order to be included in her talk at the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Arts’ “Textures” conference in June.
For more information, visit http://fiberforthought.multiply.com/ (you do not need to register to view the site).
Filed under: opportunities, resources | Tags: doctors without borders, haiti earthquake, knitters without borders, medecines sans frontieres, the knit signal, yarn harlot
The Knit Signal
Though the organization Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) is typically among the first to respond in the event of a disaster, its Haitian hospital has been shut down due to the damage sustained in Tuesday’s Port au Prince earthquake.
While MSF’s sister sites in other countries are working to send aide and resources, Haiti’s facilities have been relocated to tent sites in their former courtyard. The situation is grim.
Knitters: here’s how you can help.
Stephanie Pearl-McPhee of the Yarn Harlot knit blog asks you to take the Knitters Without Borderes Challenge. This week, every time you make a purchase, ask yourself: Is this a need (food, water, shelter, medicine, or safety) or a want? For crafters, this is an exercise in putting our hobbies on hold for the sake of those without such privileges.
In my case, the Knitters Without Borders Challenge will mean donating 50% of January’s Spinhandspun Etsy profits to MSF International.
If you would like to make a contribution, MSF recommends donating to them in the form of an “undirected” gift, for example by selecting “Greatest Needs” or “Emergency Relief” in the website’s drop-down menu. This will allow MSF to continue to responding to all international crises while the world has its magnifying glass on Haiti.
Finally, to encourage relief, Stephanie has started a Knitters Without Borders Tally for knitters who donate. After making your gift, e-mail her at kwb@yarnharlot.ca with your name and e-mail address, and she will register you to win knit-related prizes.
For more information, visit the MSF website, and Stephanie’s blog at Yarnharlot.com
To learn about “The Knit Signal,” see Bookishgirl’s post at: Throwing up the Bat Signal.
Filed under: inspirations, opportunities, resources | Tags: art yarn, denise litchfield, knit a poem, leanne prain, mandy moore, michelle mccosker, molli the woodtagger, rachel elwell, rockpool candy, spinhandspun, subversive yarn, the shed jumper project, word on the street
Attention yarn artists! Looking for ways to share your work and gain inspiration from other like-minded folk? Rachel Elwell of the fabulous Art Yarn blog has created the social networking site Subversive Yarn . Ning for knitters and crocheters alike! Members have access to event promotion, portfolio sharing, forums, group discussion boards, and more. Below are just a few examples of member work:
Word on the Street, Vancouver. September 27, 2009.
Photo courtesy of Leanne Prain & Mandy Moore
http://www.yarnbombing.com
Zoe’s Cover of the Sculpture
Jade on Her Park-Bench-Couch
Photos courtesy Matthew Venables via Michelle McCosker
Knit a Poem
Crime Scene Do Not Cross
Photos courtesy of Molli the Woodtagger
http://www.myspace.com/mollithewoodtagger
Knitted Plastic Bags
Photo courtesy of Denise Litchfield
http://dneese.blogspot.com/
The Shed Jumper Project
Self Assembly: Crocheting Ikea Curtains
Photos courtesy of Rachel Elwell
http://www.artyarn.blogspot.com
Plastic Jellyfish
Handspun Plastics
Photos courtesy of Rockpool Candy
http://www.rockpoolcandy.typepad.com/
Again, check it all out at: http://www.subversiveyarn.ning.com !
Filed under: opportunities | Tags: 500 felt objects, angelika werth, call for entries, felt, lark books, spinhandspun
Open Call for Book Entries: 500 Felt Objects
500 Felt Objects
Juror: Susan Brown
Entry deadline: March 6th, 2010
Lark Books seeks images from artists/designers across the globe for publication in a juried collection showcasing felt objects. Categories in the book will include Garments, Jewelry, Furniture, Bags, Art Pieces, Headwear, Functional Items/Home Décor, Floor and Wall Coverings, and more. Felt must be the focus of all work, but other materials are allowed. While Lark usually features hand-made work, for this book, innovative designs in industrial felt are acceptable. For more information and a downloadable detail guideline, click here.
Filed under: opportunities | Tags: knit graffiti, knittaplease, spinhandspun, we knit graffiti
Knittaplease Book Submission Deadline Extended
This just in from Madga Sayeg of Knittaplease: The submission deadline for their new book, “We Knit Graffiti” has been extended to January 31st, 2010.
For more information on how to become part of it, click here!
Filed under: opportunities | Tags: fabric cards, fiber cards, fiberarts, loveland colorado, spinhandspun, valentines day cards
Fiberarts Valentine’s Day Card Contest
Fiberarts magazine, published in Loveland, CO, announces its annual “Send Us Your Love” Valentine’s Day card-designing competition. Since 1947, the Loveland post office has been re-mailing valentines day cards from around the world, adding its own poem and cancellation marks to the design. Fiberarts asks you to submit a handmade postcard to the cause using the following template to allow room for both the poem and the cancellation mark (postcards must meet U.S. Postal Service Requirements).
Submissions will be photographed, and some will be featured in future magazine and website articles. Prizes and challenges are listed on the website.
Send your entries to:
Fiberarts Valentines
201 East Fourth Street
Loveland, CO 80537-5655
Entries must be postmarked by January 15th, 2010. For full contest details, visit: http://www.fiberarts.com/back_issues/January-February-2010/valentine-postcard.asp And for examples of a few already-submitted cards, click here.
Filed under: opportunities | Tags: crochet competition, knitting competition, threadknits, threadless, yarn competition
Threadknits Threadless Competition
Chris Cardinal of threadknits.com has announced an open call for individuals and group submissions of Threadless inspired yarn-creations.
Prizes are awarded weekly in the categories of knitting and crochet, and include: $250 cash money, inclusion on the custom threadless art panel, goodies from ReadyMade Magazine, and free knitting schwag.
Submissions must be completed by Monday, March 1st, 2010
 Octodecapus David Creighton-Pester |
 Octodecapus Rachel Thompson |
For official rules, visit: http://www.threadknits.com/rules/
Filed under: opportunities | Tags: knitta please, yarn bomb, yarn bombing, yarnbomb, yarnbombing
Open Call for Submissions to New Book by KnittaPlease
Attention urban yarnbombers! Magda Sayeg of Knitta Please has announced an open call for submissions to their new book:
The Knitta Book
Hello knitters,We’re making a book!
From Knitta’s beginning, we have tried to focus on the community aspect of yarnbombing – how art brings people together across generational, national, and political lines. One of our main motivations is to inspire continued growth for the movement around the world. As Knitta has traveled to create our own tags during the last few years, we have met countless knitters and yarnbombers who are also participating in the movement. Out of our desire to document this global community, Magda is curating a gallery style book on yarnbombing which will illustrate the international extent of the yarnbombing movement. The plan is to include approximately 275 images from knitters [and crocheters] around the world that represent unique interactions with our urban environments, innovation in textile design, and an overall sense of integration between art and craft. We would love to have you contribute. Photos can be from past, completed projects or from projects specifically designed for the purpose.
Email to request further information on digital image submission specification and photo/project guidelines. Also – please pass this information on to anyone who might be interested! The deadline for submissions is December 31, 2009.
Thanks! I hope to hear from you!
Best,
Karen McClellan
Assistant, KnittaPlease
Update! As of January 4th, the deadline for submission has been extended to January 31st, 2010, so make it a New Years resolution to take advantage of this great opportunity! E-mail Magda at: contact@knittaplease.com
Filed under: opportunities | Tags: knitting contest, knitting opportunity, vaska
Get Cozy with Vaska Competition
Vaska, both coast’s leader in eco-hippie laundry detergent, has announced a cozy-making contest for outfitting their 48oz bottles in handmade wares.
Twelve prizes of $300 will be awarded on January 10th, 2010, meaning that all entries must be received by midnight on January 4th, 2010.
Official contest rules state that, “Cozies can be made from any material washable in Vaska and washed in Vaska using any craft style including sewing, knitting, quilting, macramé, embroidering, crochet, weaving and beading.”
In addition to submitting photographs of your cozy, contestants are asked to submit a personal Vaska experience to be included in Vaska’s 2010 calendar alongside the image of their cozy.
Land-lovers beware! Currently, Vaska products are only available in the hip coastal regions where everything happens first (i.e. New York, Florida, California, and Portland). So if you’re like me (see: Minneapolis indicator on map below) you’ll have to order your product online for about $10.
But hey — a grand prize of $290 total isn’t bad, right?
(Jackson, WY, what are you doing there?)
For full contest details, visit: http://www.vaskahome.com/contest
