Knit Activism: cash corner

Okay, the last few posts have been about organizations, so I'm gonna shake it up a bit. This piece was put up at "Cash corner" what is cash corner you ask? it is a place where people, majority of them homeless congregate downtown Calgary, and employers needing day labour head down there to "head hunt" basically. I have heard some extremely rough stories of cash corners, of guys fighting over jobs and of guys being ripped off by the employer which results in the labourer making some pretty scary threats. So I thought they could use some advice and let them know they should "Play Nice"

I purposefully went in the late afternoon thinking that no one would be there anymore but there were several guys sitting along the side walk, this would explain for no wider shots.

they liked the claws!

So while driving past the small cow this morning, it was noticed that he had some signs posted on him, upon further investigation it was noted the signs say " THANK YOU nice person for the new claws"

Hurray! I for see boots and a hat for when the snow comes and maybe a tutu at some point also!

Knit Activism: Inn from the Cold

That "IFTC" banner in the background there is the entrance to "Inn from the Cold"

IFTC is Calgary's only family shelter. While I was putting up this tag, the school buses were dropping off kids and I was heartbroken and happy at the same time to see all the little kids get off the bus, heartbroken that these beautiful children are in this situation, but happy that families are staying together.

the picture of the back is so sloppy, i fixed it up but i was in such a hurry I didn't take a new picture, but i was trying a new technique, the image you see at the top is several felt hearts used as a part of this piece, i quite enjoyed it.

As I was putting this piece up a older gentleman who appears to be homeless approached me and said "oh so your the one who has been putting all theses up! they are very nice...i had seen one several times and later saw it on the ground, so i picked it up and gave it to my granddaughter, she wears it as a leg warmer"

so precious!

Knit Activism: Mountain Air Lodge

As you can see...it was raining the last time I was up at Mountain Aire Lodge(MAL)but the yarn bombing must go on!

So the Mustard seed's website describes MAL as

Mountain Aire Lodge near Sundre, Alberta offers a tranquil environment beyond
the inner city where homeless men and women from Calgary and Edmonton can
realize their full potential and positively change their lives

.

I spent 5ish weeks at MAL during a transitional time. I was there supporting Jamie (as par this is not the persons real name) who was at the time a 18 year old who was coming down from Crystal Meth. I remember a while back reading a story on to write love on her arms about these people who were staying with someone who was coming down from drugs, and they would just sit up and listen to music with her all night so she wouldn't have to be alone. I remember Jamie coming and knocking on my door after 1:00am, instead of music we watch several episodes of sex in the city and cleaned her room. Jamie showed me pictures of herself in the height of her addition, she was skin and bones, her words " i want my meth body back" burned in my mind and then she explained "well i want my meth feelings back to but if i want to keep my son that's not going to happen"

MAL is not a treatment center, and a treatment center was very obviously what Jamie needed, MAL gave her a place to clear her head and prepare herself for the brave choices towards sobriety she would need to make. I have no idea what happened to her....I hope she's doing well

Knit Activism: The Mustard seed street level

Oh Mustard seed how I love you! and street level I love you also! in a different way fro m the shelter. Whenever I am down at street level I get this feeling of being part of history, this is not exactly where the seed started but a lot of its 25 year history is down here. My tag says "Hope grows here" (in case you couldnt tell!) because this is in fact the truth, Hope does grow at the mustard seed!

and I have a very specific knitting story to have to do with street level. Across the street from the doors in this picture is the "creative center" (maybe I will have to tag the creative center and do a seprate post on that!) and up until recently the creative center had a art studio in the basement, I volunteered in the art studio for a while and spent a lot of my time with Julie (again not real names) Julie was a male to female transgender, who happened to be on my caseload at the shelter, it was good to spend time with her exploring her creative side. Julie loved knitting, one afternoon we spent the entire time the art studio was open practicing knitting and walking literally by circling a table, it was hilarious and a memory I will keep with me a long time.

if you would like to read more about the Mustard seed, check out the blog

the neighborhood cow

Okay! okay! so I've never yarnbombed on someones private property and didn't really plan to BUT friends and family were demanding that this neighbor's cow lawn ornament be tagged, and what can i say? i give the people what they want. This was a first for a few different aspects, A) I have never yarnbombed at night B) I have never been extremely nervous while yarn bombing C) I have never used buttons to close a yarnbomb.

I hope it is appreciated and taken with good humor!

Monster claws!

I recently learned how to crochet and oh what fun I have had! it only took me 3 separate tries but I must say it has been worth it.

I've made a few monster claws which are far to lovely!

Knit activism: the low track stroll

The low track stroll. I didnt know very much about where exactly the stroll was here in calgary until a few weeks ago when I went on a ride along with the DOAP (downtown outreach addictions partnership) team(i dont know how but i do hope to tag them). The DOAP team carries several condom kits filled with condoms, lube and wipes and drive down the stroll, they dont offer the kits but rather wait to be flagged down. I was surprized when we were flagged down by a guest I know from the shelter...I think there is a lot to understand about prositiuation, a lot that i straight up dont.

I remember time at the shelter asking one of the ladies where she had been as i hadn't seen her for a while and she told me "in jail" but that she didnt want to tell me why. I left it at that and later she came back and was like "are you going to judge me?" after pinky promising her that i wouldnt she told me "im a prostitute and thats what i was in jail for" she told me a little bit of her story and informed me that now that she's in her mid forties and since she got tricked into starting this way of life at the age of twelve she doesnt really know what else to do. This conversation blew my mind a little as her and i usually talked about how much she loves her grandkids or about africa...

I chose this specific pole because as we drove by the employees of the DOAP team saw someone they knew and said "I would never mess with that girl she's one tough lady"