banners

production is in full swing on a series of 4 1/2 foot long, 1 foot tall crocheted banners in a variety of hideous colours and textures. i think my favourite misfit banner thus far is the green and black sparkly/fake mohair one. it just has so much to offer…

actually crocheting the banners takes time (although i managed to pump one out in a record 24 hours) and it’s definitely taking away from opportunities to put energy into other endeavours. however, it’s all going to be worth it once the g20 rolls around. these banners are meant to draw attention to the g20 and the protest efforts going on around it and the g8. my hope is to distribute them throughout the downtown core in strategic locations that have key significance to the protest actions. that said, i’m not looking to get instantly arrested, so i’m staying away from the perimeter fence in the financial district.

keep an eye out for the banners!

peace, love, and yarn for all!

Filed under: banners, g20 protest, planning, works in progress

qknit gets mentioned on yarnbombing.com!

amazing! yarnbombing.com mentioned me in their blog on march 31! i am so excited that the word about qknit is getting out there.

i haven’t been super active lately, i’ve been mostly working on banners for the g20 protest and they take up a lot of time and yarn. i’ve still got two yarn bombs ready to go but i’m waiting on shelter in that end of the city, which looks like it’ll happen closer to the 20th. i’m going to start working on some stuff closer to home in the near future while balancing my other life with one hand. it goes though, it goes.

i wish i could be like that traveling gnome and take pictures of myself with a bright yellow suitcase in various cities across the globe. alas, i cannot; partially because i haven’t yet learned the many ways of the gnome, and partially because i’m broke as a joke. one of those concerns is far more pressing than the other (hint: it starts with a g and ends with n-o-m-e). instead, i shall post photos of myself in different hats with different drinks. this will be difficult since i usually only drink two things: arizona iced tea and coffee. especially bad coffee.

don’t forget to check me out on facebook, twitter and ravelry! peace, love, and yarn for all!

Filed under: banners, facebook, g20 protest, planning, rambling, ravelry, twitter, works in progress

qknit is on twitter!

you heard it here first – qknit is now on twitter! you can find me at twitter.com/qknit. follow me to get instant updates on yarn bombs, takedowns, new ideas, and other such magical events!

while waiting for larger projects to come along, i’ve been crocheting soft cases for my packs of cigarettes – this is ironic at the moment because i have no cigarettes. however, i’m crocheting one in a different colour for each day of the week.

i have no life.

peace, love, and yarn for all!

Filed under: planning, rambling, twitter, works in progress

queen + morse revisited

i passed by my yarn bomb at queen and morse a few times in my travels and in my later visits i started to notice two things:
1. it had started sagging and had a tendency to fall to the bottom of the pole; and
2.  it was filthy.
something had to be done! just by chance, i remembered how many stitches i’d used to make that particular yarn bomb, so i started with five less than that and made a whole new bomb in a different colour. i tagged it with hot pink, which is probably the coolest yarn i have in my possession at the moment. i’m trying to use it as much as possible, but the greedy part of me wants to keep it for myself for some other project. i’ve found it a home, though – more on that below.
anyway, today was one of those random early-morning wakeups so i threw on my disguise and traveled over to queen and morse. i first cut off the old bomb, then attached the new one, being careful to secure it really well. i’m pretty sure it’s not going anywhere fast. after that i grabbed a coffee and some iced tea and headed home. i went back out this morning and took some photos of this latest project. here’s one now:

as i was saying, i found a home for the hot pink yarn that i covet so much: it’s part of a 4 and a half foot long banner, coupled with bright yellow, that’s going to be a protest sign against the g20. i think the two colours go smashingly together and they really catch the eye. how can you not stare at something that bright? anyway this is one of a series of long banners i’m making to protest the g20 summit here in toronto in june. they’re time-consuming, but i think they send a message: that people are willing to put a lot of hard work and love into showing their opposition to the g20. i am still in the process of planning where these banners will be distributed and part of that depends on where they choose to put up the giant fence that will keep protestors out of the area.

i’m always looking for helpers who either have knitting/crocheting experience, are willing to learn to knit or crochet, or who would be interested in helping me put up yarn bombs in the early morning hours (in the GTA). if you want to help me in any way or if you have yarn to donate to the cause, don’t hesitate to contact me! leave a comment on any of my posts or email me at qknit [at] hotmail.com.

i’ve had a busy blogging morning! now it’s time for some breakfast and a cold shower. peace, love, and yarn for all.

Filed under: banners, g20 protest, planning, poles, works in progress

qknit + g20 protesting

qknit could be seen tonight at a meeting of g20 protestors, making stencil artwork in response to the summit of some of the world’s most powerful decision-makers. “qknit against g20″ is a new stencil that may soon come into use in general practice along with my regular yarn bombings. my unofficial logo is a bold take on the skull-and-crossbones with two knitting needles instead of bones. i’m just working on cutting out the stencil tonight and tomorrow and we’ll see how she turns out! this is my first time making a stencil so i’m excited to see what comes of it.

i was somewhat nervous being at a meeting in person and revealing my qknit identity, but i felt that other activists could be sufficiently discreet so as not to ruin the so-far-anonymous image of qknit. the reason i’m so uptight about keeping qknit anonymous is because i want to be able to carry a message without being tied down to a certain identity – i don’t want my age, race, gender, sexual orientation, height, hair colour, or religious beliefs (or anything else) to cloud the waters when it comes to my art. i just want the simple and pure message of art to prevail. so, if you happen to know who qknit is, keep it to yourself – it can be our little secret. i also seek (relative) anonymity as a means of protection against unwanted attention from the authorities – yes, i am proud of my work, but no, i don’t want to be punished for it.

again, give a shout out if you see my work in your neighbourhood or during your travels within the city – i love to hear about people’s interactions with my work! i’d love to see what impact (if any) i am having on various communities in the GTA, and how people are responding to yarn bombing in their areas. if you want me to yarn bomb your area, let me know whereabouts you are and i can see about making a trip out! i’m always up for new locations to mix things up.

in terms of works in progress, i’ve got two suckers ready to deploy on ossington between dundas and queen. i’m just waiting for accommodation in that area before i go ahead with that particular project.

anyway, i’m out, it’s off to bed for me! peace, love, and yarn for all.

q

Filed under: g20 protest, planning, rambling, works in progress

future yarn bombs

here’s a look at what i’ve got planned for the next week or two.

currently being stored in my closet of wondrous things (i actually have two closets. one is “the closet”, and the other is “the closet of wondrous things”. there is a definite distinction.) are two yarn bombs, both destined for the west end of the city. one is going to be living on a tree, and the other on a telephone pole.

i have a third bomb that’s ready to go, but it’s related to the g20 summit and i think i’m going to wait to put it up closer to the time of the summit so that it has a bit more relevance. i have to plan around the fact that, given where i’m planning on putting it, it likely won’t be up for very long, so i need to dispatch it at a key time in the g20 protests when it will get maximum visibility. it’s also significantly larger than anything else i’ve put up yet, so i’ll probably have to get help from a friend or i’ll be out on the street and vulnerable for too much time. that shouldn’t be too much of a problem, though; i mean, who doesn’t want to wake up at 4:30 in the morning to sew woolen signs onto fences or other street furniture?

anyway, i’m sitting here with one of those giant cans of iced tea, thinking about perhaps having some hot cereal for breakfast. it’s nice to be up early; i feel like i have a clear head in the morning and i have a chance to sit down and plan out my day before things get hectic. i can also reflect on the previous day. for instance, yesterday was the bomb diggity; in the desperate need to feed my addiction to body modifications, i called up my piercer and got eight new piercings. i realize that might sound a little excessive, but i have two very basic needs when i get piercings: they have to be in twos, and they have to be symmetrical. so, if i wanted a piercing on my calf, i’d have to get two, and then i’d have to get the same two on the other calf. same thing for, say, my hips. that’s how it worked out to eight. needless to say my mother knows nothing about this, and it’s going to stay that way for a while.

if you’re ever in need of piercings or tattoos, visit my friend lauren over at ace of spades tattoo. they’re at 398 college, which is just east of bathurst. the prices are good, the artists are great, and lauren is a pro piercer. the shop has great vibes and it’s clean and bright. they also sell a good variety of jewellery. hmm… maybe i should do an ace of spades yarn bomb! there’s no better way for me to show my support for a business than to bomb it.

Filed under: g20 protest, planning, poles, rambling, trees, works in progress

caffeinated reflections

i figure that if i get one of those huge coffees from starbucks, it’s a whole meal. it’s got all the important food groups in it:
- meat: starbucks molds its coffee beans from the flesh of wildebeest that they store in underground disco stalls
- fruit/vegetable: sugar comes from a fruit, right? that means if i put in enough sugar, i’ll get a whole serving of fruit!
- dairy: a healthy dose of 18% cream does ya good
- other nutrients: chew the stir stick… it’s fully of woody goodness!

and that is how i explained to my mother why i don’t need to eat breakfast in the morning. she seems to disagree with my wildebeest-coffee-beans theory and highly doubts that i get adequate nutrition from a splash of cream. but that’s just the magic of coffee, my friends.

in terms of useful things to report, i have very little. the yarn i had planned for last week was a mega fail because my partner in crime had to work on a paper and thus i had no place to stay that was even remotely near my target location. then on friday i went to montreal to lose my ipod and go dumpster diving (not both at the same time though). i would have done a yarn bomb in montreal but i came with few supplies; the yarn i had in my bag was already becoming part of a banner. the banner, by the way, is part of my yarn bombing efforts to protest the g8/g20 summits in huntsville and toronto in june of this year. closer to the date of the summits (specifically the g20, the one in toronto) i’m going to find a strategic location to put up this and other yarn bombs protesting this meeting of world leaders. all of my banners and other yarn bombs will be recognizable by the qknit tag that i sew onto all of my work.

today i’m going to meet up with my friend j and see if they have time this week or next to lend me their room and come out yarn bombing in the early morning hours with them. because i have more time to prepare, i’ve already made a third yarn bomb, and i might make a fourth. i didn’t take any measurements for this third one so i’m just blindly hoping it fits the item i’m going to affix it to. i’m going to be in the area tonight so when i’m there i’ll quickly do a measure and see how my creation sizes up to the measurements i get. if it’s too small, i can just crochet some sort of attachment bar that i can sew on to lengthen it.

i’ll throw something else up here after i go out tonight and do my measurements.

ps: carrying a huge pair of scissors around just to cut yarn is hilarious. the looks i get from alarmed streetcar passengers make my day.

Filed under: g20 protest, planning, rambling, works in progress

up to no good…

that’s me! reporting from my lair deep in the middle of somewhere, this is qknit. i recognize that we’ve been in a bit of a slow spot lately posting-wise – i’m gearing up for my next project! this endeavour will be my first collaboration with a fellow artist, who i’ll call j. j is generously lending me their floor to crash on in preparation for the launch of a qknit extravaganza in a whole new part of the city. they’ll come with me to the site and, with a little bit of coaching, will help me put up my work. many hands make light work! this particular project is dedicated to a place that has had an incredible effect on my development as a human being – you know who you are! to those who put up with me for three years, i give you my thanks in the form of crocheted street furniture coverings.

hey, it’s the best i can do. you can’t expect a seahorse to sign a thank-you card, now can you?

okay, i realize that’s not a legitimate argument because it has been scientifically proven that i am indeed not a seahorse. but you get the point, right? i mean, i suppose i could – and should – write a thank-you card. maybe i’ll draw meatballs on it. yeah. meatballs.

for those of you who can, go. eat meatballs. be merry. and check back in on monday for the full report on my fantastic collaborative scheme! pictures will be forthcoming.

Filed under: planning, works in progress

bench arms

i’ve been pretty good about my crocheting lately – every day i pick it up and do some work, and usually i find some time to work on the armwarmers i’m knitting. today i sewed my tag onto the second of two cosies for the arms of a bench in leslieville – i had meant to do the work in white, but i didn’t find any plain white yarn at the store (yeah, weird) so i stuck with some of the extra black i’ve got lying around.

i had an epic trip to the yarn store the other day – so many colours and textures! it’s been a while since my senses have been so involved with something. i came home with some great finds, especially some stuff i found in the basement, and i can’t wait to go out measuring so i know the dimensions of my next project. i just have to decide what part of the city i want to start on next. want to see some yarn bombing in your neighbourhood? drop me a line!

here’s the two bench-arm cosies side by side (yes, i do realize that one is slightly larger than the other. it’s not an exact science, okay?):

i tried to get my cat in the photo but he wasn’t feeling particularly photo-friendly today. i’ll let you all know as soon as i put these suckers up! in the meantime, add me on ravelry – qknittoronto.

Filed under: park benches, works in progress

bench arms part one

i had a miserable little spat with my sister the other day and i was happy to lurk off into the world of crochet. this time i’m working on two matching cosies for the arms of a bench in leslieville. one is green, and the other will be blue. i think i’m going to go with white stitching this time, although that means a trip to the local wool store to get some new wool. oh well, there’s money in the bank.

i’m not going to put up the first cosy until the second one is done; might as well do it all in one go, but here’s a picture of the finished product, minus my tag:

Filed under: park benches, works in progress