TAWAs

Apologies for the average photo! 

Last night saw The Annual Wellingtonista Awards at the Mighty Mighty. We weren't nominated for anything but decided to make an appearance anyway.

It was a fabulous night and I was lucky enough to meet the mysterious person behind Newtown's illuminated dots. yuss!

Waitangi Park - just in time for this on  Saturday

Crochet on Cuba

I have been gazing longingly at the scaffolding outside my work for a week or so, waiting for the moment where I could adorn one of the many poles that surround the entrance.

I took my chance with this piece of crochet. Quick and easy. It blends in quite a lot with the orange 'danger' tape and grey pole so I may add to the pole art next week with something a bit more vibrant. If I'm feeling ambitious I may dress each pole.

After a blissful day at Toast Martinborough, the train got tagged.

Making our mark

We risked arrest and publicly knit tagged the New Dowse during Craft 2.0 back in October.

It was actually the coolest tagging that I've done (mine below) as people actually had half a clue what the heck I was doing, courtesy of the Outdoorknit table inside the craft fair being [wo]manned by Knitsch.

Nana core fo' life!

I know, i know, Craft2.0 was a whole two weeks ago. A big, massive, belated thanks to all who came and said hello, brought an OutdoorKnit kit, or just walked by. Craft2.0 is always the best of fun, and I want to say thanks to Sue who is absolutely fabulous and did an amazing job of organising, as always. 

The one thing i forgot to take was my camera, so i don't have any photos from the day. It seems that blogger doesn't  like the format i'm using to give you a sneaky peak at the OutdoorKnit Kit booklet, so that will have to wait for later in the week.

In two weeks' time i shall have many more hours of time on my hands, and will be launching the big summer project. Help will be needed, so check back soon!

xx Knitsch

is famouser

oooh, after much slack non email checking, i discover we are famouser! 

The wire, no less!

and weenyheart

Go read, these kids are kool. 

And head on out to the New Dowse in the Hutt tomorrow 11 October. Craft2.0 is on again, and OutdoorKnit is proud to announce the launch of our graffiti knit kits. woohoo! Come down and say hello, or check back here for some new tags, and to have a nosy at the kit. We're taking orders via email...ah the joys of the interweb.

I'll be the one hanging out by the eftpos. So i can give you craft cash AND knitting goodness.

Should one be walking in the Wellington sunshine, around the Aro Street area, specifically by the infamous Shalimar, there might be a fluoro orange single cable tag. Maybe.

K2TOG

Can't wait to see what these guys come up with...

Melbourne knitting graffiti artists K2TOG

Maybe they'll spur me into action. The knitting graffiti mojo has been a bit slow of late.

A glorious Wellington day makes a good time to do some tagging. My hungover state made me lazy and so i sat as i tagged. Couldn't be arsed standing and doing a tree or pole...though sitting in the sunshine was inspiration to do more, much much more.

All you need is love!

After being carried in my handbag for months.... the love made it out.

A little piece of love on Cuba St.

By stiX.

It's been awhile...sorry! How awesome is this?

From here

Fingers crossed for ok weather this weekend for some tagging on a slightly...smaller scale!

more famouser

 ... we made it, but only just, on the story about Craft2.0 on Nightline during the week ... go watch it here!

Ten points to anyone who spots the tag! All 'Where's Wally' like :)

The the sun is shining on Wellington today, which is very conducive to some tagging...

So, Craft2.0 was the best fun ever. My large 'arty' tag wasn't quite the right size for any of the poles around so i made do with these two. Along with loads of tiny swatches that got put in goodie bags and handed out to stall holders...

Welcome to anyone who is visiting for the first time...as i've mentioned before, we're always hanging out for company! Send us an email if you're keen to tag along! (oh terrible pun, sorry)

Southern Cross hit in spate of knit graffiti

The Southern Cross fell victim to the newest form of vandalism to hit Wellington City. Police are unperturbed as they feel confident the knit tagger will slip up soon, revealing his or her identity.

When the staff of the Southern Cross were questioned they showed vague disinterest, "Oh yeah, we saw it after we had a couple of people in for coffee. They looked exhausted. I think they may have been hung over.... I never suspected that those two would be associated with criminal activity" said Sheryl. She also remarked that it took a whole 20 seconds to remove the tag. 20 seconds that she would never get back - such is the heinous effect of this graffiti.

I think this goes to show that no cafe is safe.

It's raining, it's pouring

Yet we tagged on.

Meet the newest member of the team. As yet, unnamed. We are thinking 'Crotchetter'


Meanwhile... I tagged another bike stand.

Island Bay has never been so cosy. Tags basking in the glow of the Empire Cinema. Fab hot chocolates.

Wellington, NZ

I forgot to mention that this tag was a tribute to Crochetter/The Hooker's (name TBC) nana. She writes a fabulous post on a very inspiring woman over here and sort of sums up some of the reasons behind our motivation to create knit graffiti.

What better to do than sit and knit and watch the world go by? A lovely old lady came by with the comment 'no idle hands for you, my dear!' so i told her what i was actually doing...and she thought it was brilliant. 

A kid on their bike scooted past and asked, 'What are you doing?' 'Making sure the pole stays warm' I said. 

This is on my normal running route if i'm feeling energetic. Hopefully having it there will motivate me to actually go for a run...

I decided stiX's tree cosy in Civic Square needed some company, and i was inspired by the curves on this bench seat. For once my seaming was pretty enough to get in the photo...

A couple of quick linky things...

an interesting article about graffiti

and a must-watch story (tis the top video) about a graffiti house in Auckland. Anyone willing to give up their home for one similar in Welly? Perhaps we could adorn it with yarn. mmmm yarn.

We've also had some publicity (which we always love, don't we stiX?)

Officially famous on the Wellingtonista (bah humbug to the naysayers, i say. What is up with people who comment on popular blogs and never have anything nice to say! Get over yerselves, people) and the Craft2.0 blog, and also here (thanks Strong-Light!)

Also to look out for - Craft2.0 is coming up in the dirty old hutt (i grew up there so i can say whatever i want! and the New Dowse certainly isn't dirty and old. We love you, Dowse) and i suggest everyone go there. it really is fantastic. A little birdy tells me a tv crew may even be in attendance...ooooer!

And yes, there will be more tagging soon. Watch this space!

Please excuse the lack of definition in this pic, and the colours aren't quite right...this is now cosying up to a chair lift bar on Turoa ski field. My fingers almost fell off in the process...

Cushioning

A cosy for a bike stand to cushion any bikes that may errr.. stand. An organic merino cosy no less. Only the best for my bike stands.

Cuba Mall, Wellington, NZ.

P.S. Your purple tree cosy is still going strong Knitsch. And Civic Square still sports a cosied tree too.

For Aunty Helen

Trying to bring a bit more culture down to the suited end of town.

In the middle of the start of Mulgrave St, right outside the Beehive, Wellington NZ.

It actually says 'OUTDOORKNIT' but I didn't quite think it through. Amateur mistake.
Look at the suits go!

Oriental Bay has some new decoration to add to its charm...

It's been a great weekend. We got our first press! And i went on a bombing binge in the name of world wide knit in public day. The more i look, the more i see, and the more i love this city. There's also plenty of inspiration through other knit graffiti-ers around the world...i aim to slowly put links to their blogs up on here during the week. 

PS - thanks to a special boy who is very knit patient and takes all my (Knitsch's) photos. He makes everything look better.

Still going strong! Well, the rain seems to have got it down. But it's still there. Quite a lot has changed around it though, as below. i'm loving this alleyway (by knit world in Left Bank, Cuba Mall), it reminds me so much of Degraves street in Melbourne - an ever changing corner for amazing graffiti. 

There was also a GREAT article about a dedicated graffiti house in Auckland on Close Up on Friday night. See it here (click on the 'graffiti house' link) Everything the owner of the house believes in ring true with my own ideas. Graffiti is art. Tagging is not. There is a vital difference that i think should be recognised by City Councils. That's my view anyway - what does everyone else think?

More Cuba street goodness. I had to go back the next morning to photograph them as the light was so lame - but they seem to have survived a busy post-rugby saturday night...

Knit in public, please

It's World Wide Knit in Public day on Saturday, 14 June. I'd completely forgotten about it, to be honest - woops! Seeing as i'm unofficially hosting one, here's the dealio:

See the website to find a place near you...I'll be knitting and hopefully tagging from 2pm near the bucket fountain in Cuba Mall, Wellington. If it's wet, i'll post on here first thing in the AM to give an alternative venue.

Plus a little something to work towards - anyone keen to collaborate?

Knitting is sweet

It's sickly colours and has terribly seaming (as usual) but this tree in Civic Square is now sporting the sweetest of cosies.

Wonder how long this one will stick around... I have a feeling I am trying to make too big a statement.

Civic Square, Wellington

Lessons of subversive knitting

My pole is naked again. The tree is still cosy.

So, lesson one: "they" don't like adorned poles.

Learning the hard way I suppose.

We'd love to speak with anyone interested in contributing - and you can be from anywhere in NZ. Join the collective, go on, you know you want to!

Get in touch: outdoorknit@gmail.com

more subversive knittyness up this weekend...

Does this make me look fat?

Young people mocked me. Old people smiled. It's a hard life being a knitting graffiti artist.

Pole cosy by stiX on the corner of Ghuznee and Cuba Streets in Wellington, NZ.