Felter Shmelter

Hi my name is ______, and I'm addicted to felting. At a holiday staff party last night I was introduced to the fantastic idea of felted soaps! Beautiful, practical, and totally customizable, these sell to the average Joe for $15 at Anthropologie.

I recently purchased some fair trade olive oil soap from Palestine that I'm going to try this with. For step by step instructions, see this great tutorial from Mielke's Fiber Arts.

Sadly I do not have any wool, so I am experimenting....


***Meeting tonight! 7pm! Real Art Ways!***

Blog Blog Blog

People are talking about us! (Good things, too)

If I've learned anything from visiting all these new blogs, it's that I need to get more creative with my titles!
BEST BLOG NAME EVER: A Few Queers on the Prowl. They were sweet enough to post a blog on our recent downtown "canvasing." Nothing makes us happier than brightening up someone's day.

When you're drinking your morning tomorrow coffee don't forget to pick up a copy of the Hartford Advocate. I hear Pikachu makes a guest appearance.

 

The Advocate also interviewed Leanne Prain, co-author of The Yarn Bombing book and blog.

Canadian yarn bomber Leanne Prain is one of the most visible proponents of the art. She runs a blog that publishes pictures of yarn bombs from all over the world and also authored a coffee table book on the subject. Prain traces the origins of yarn bombing to Houston artist Magda Sayeg and her group, operating under the name KnittaPlease, and since then dozens of crews have emerged with names like Acrylic, Polycotton, the Skeinstas, and Microfiber Militia.
Prain said there are as many motivations for yarn bombing as there are bombers. Some are making a statement about art and public spaces, but many are just having fun, and finding an outlet for their knitting hobby.
“I’ve met groups of women who are in their seventies who just think it’s really funny,” says Prain, who spoke to the Advocate by phone from her home in Canada.

They also got a response from the Hartford Public Library, which houses the now warmer Mark Twain Statue.

Library CEO Matt Poland said the Committee’s work hadn’t gone unnoticed. Poland said he was upset when he saw the piece, but his anger was directed mostly at the cold weather, rather than the vandals. “My outrage was that Twain was warmer than me,” Poland said. Library staff had snapped some photos of the display, and Poland said he “loved” the new trend. “[This is] what makes living in a city so much fun.”

 To no one's surprise, no comment from the Hartford Police Department. They have bigger fish to fry and we're no threat. I couldn't even get a call back when I was working on my short documentary about urban blight and graffiti here in Hartford.

Today I went to go visit the little babies of the St. Francis Hospital NICU. They have 28 incubators, and try to send every baby home with a blanket and hat. A nurse informed me that they have 16 max lil' guys at once. So baby caps take little to no time to make - sizes from premature to average infant. For blankets - think 16'' x 16''. No itchy fibers, these babies are sensitive. I asked if the blankets could have larger holes from larger hooks (I don't want anyone to get a hand stuck) and it's A-ok.

We meet tomorrow, Real Art Ways 7pm. I said potluck, but it's more like a snackfest. Beverages (soft and hard) are available for purchase. I think so far we have cookies, fruit, and veggies covered. I'm excited to meet some new people!

We did it!

For the first time ever, people are writing about us. However, Harford IMC may have only written this blog for the awesome title chosen: MacraMayhem or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Yarn-bomb.

I thought my "BEET IT!" patch would be a great way to promote Hartford's chapter of Food Not Bombs which meets at the Charter Oak Cultural Center.

As I posted in my Hartford IMC comment we respect graffiti and have nothing against other permanent forms of street art. We also love homeless people! It was never my intention to use language that can be read as disrespectful.

Last Wednesday we went bombing downtown with charming Hartford Advocate writer, Jonathan Campbell.What can I say, he was a natural!

Look for us Wednesday in the Hartford Advocate, then come to our meeting at 7pm at Real Art Ways.

What kind of cookies do you guys want this week?

xoxo

KC

Lots of stuff!

First off, thanks to everyone who made it out to last weeks meeting. We visited the corners of West and Spring St.'s in Windsor Locks where 15yr old cyclist Henry Dang was slain by a drunk Windsor Locks Police officer. Did I mention that a WLPD patrol car rolled by?

Our new business cards came in! Ask around and maybe you'll find one.

We may have something very special in store for next week.... stay tuned!