Knit Activism

So Knit graffiti is often described as something that shows beauty is places that aren't beautiful. Homelessness is often seen as dirty and something to avoid and something people dont know a lot about so...I have decided to use my Knit art as a way of high lighting different things I care about.I work in a homeless shelter and poverty is a huge issue for me, I have decided to start up some "Knit Activism", over the next few weeks my posts are going to be very centered on organizations, activities and places that have to do with homelessness. I'm not claiming to be any type of expert but I do hope to share some of my experiences and some of the stories I have heard.
(I have a HUGE list of places that I plan on tagging but anyone who might have some suggestions I am open them!)

pole cover

I missed tagging! I haven't put anything up since March, I found this wonderfully lovely colourful yarn and just started knitting, I knew I wanted to do a pole cover and I just haven't been sure of where. I decided to do it outside of the Mustard Seed Shelter. Earlier I did one outside of the Mustard seed's downtown location. I'm not really sure how to explain this but with my yarn bombing I want there to be a clear connection to poverty. I did some stuff when I was in India and I'm gonna see more about doing more in Canada. I see Knit graf as bringing beauty to places that doesn't always get it, and we all know the homelessness is stereotyped and feared, so here we go bringing some beauty. I also want to use it as some sort of tool of activism...not sure how yet but I'm gonna be highlighting these place with my knit graf.

a correction

okay, remember when i posted about how some silly neighbor of mine had taken down my yarn bomb and brought it back to our house. Well my mother was in the back alley and so was a neighbor and he came over and told her that he took it down and brought it back because he was very sad that the school kids had been tearing it apart. Lovely!

Road Trip to Ersilia

A different kind of yarn bombing....

SOS childrens Village

This is the second piece I put up in India. I spent the months before India knitting just long strips unsure of what I was going to do with them, after my time volunteering at the SOS childrens village I decieded that the best thing would be to sew them all together around a tree. While I was putting this piece up the kids were SOO cute, when I was done they like hugged the tree saying "wow wow wow" it made me smile for sure.

Also funny story, when I got home my mom let me know that while I was away one of our "lovely" neighbors took it upon themselves to take down my piece that was up in the alley and deposit it on our porch. Well it was quite nice of them to return it, I will put it back up after some repair....but I guess Im going to have to start putting up pieces in the dark...silly neighbors

India!

so! as I mentioned in a previous post, I have been stockpiling pieces for a project I would be reveling in march, well friends the time has come! Currently i am in Pune India and my suit case was basically only knitted pieces to be put up around this country!

This piece though was made by Laura. This morning her and I went to a slum community to help with a program put on by Peace foundation. Basically Peace foundations supports a local lady who comes and visits with the children, plays with them and teaches them hygiene, they also get a snack when they come to program.
I think Laura was embarrassed when i put this piece up but the people seem to like it, its a very open room and members of the community have access, based on that we don't think it will last very long...which is fine.
stay tuned for more projects from India!

find

found this one in Kensington today, how I do love finding knit graffiti