Saturday, December 19, 2009

errata



Dear Next magazine, 

There are knit taggers south of the Bombay hills. Next time, if you're going to use one of our photos, at least mention us.

Love, 
OutdoorKnit.

PS we did heaps more before the heart fence too, aye. 


Also got my grubby mitts on a copy of Yarnbombing. Freaking cool book. Once there is a little spare time on my hands, the convertible cardi is so going on the needles.



Unfortunately it's my fault we don't have any pics in the book (long story, we were asked!). But OutdoorKnit is mentioned, albeit as Australians. Sigh. Bummer. We is most deffo Kiwis.


Had a fabuloso time at The Annual Wellingtonista Awards. We were pipped at the post by Yayoi Kusama for Best Public Art Experience, and Martin Bosley's City Market for Wellingtonian of the year. It was still pretty special to be nominated, and stiX came! Super excited that's she's back in Welly for a week. I'm on a mission to convince her that the capital is the place to be. 

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. In the very New Year there shall be announcements galore around our Next Big Project. 

Love, 
Knitsch xx

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

hello, graffiti alley...


Slightly underwhelming photos. 
First strike of graffiti alley in a while though...seems every time i walk through now there is the smell of fresh paint. Love it.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Eeeeek - 2 days!

Late notice, I know! My apologies, I've had a distinct lack of internet over these last few weeks. Get knitting for climate change!

Knitters Unite for Climate Change
- Monday, November 30, 2009 at 4:53pm

Calling all knitters, we need you - experienced or not!

It’s really simple, you just need to cast 10 centimeters of yarn onto your needles and start knitting. Then send in what you have knitted and we can join all the pieces together. The objective is to peacefully protest around Climate Change and Copenhagen; we will have messages hanging off the very long yarn trail from Auckland's Aotea Square all the way down to Britomart! That's 800 metres to be exact!

There are no aesthetic requirements for your contribution. We just ask that you get it to us by December 11, ready for December 12th's global day of action calling for world leaders at the Copenhagen climate conference to sign a fair, ambitious and binding climate treaty.

For more information, contact Oxfam NZ's climate change Campaign Coordinator Susi Newborn on (09) 355 6852, or susi.newborn@oxfam.org.nz.

Monday, December 7, 2009

It's been a busy wee while here at OutdoorKnit. 

Knitsch yarns had a wonderful soft launch at Craft2.0 on Thursday to the gorgeous sounds of Spartacus R. Thanks a million to the wonderful Sue who does an amazing organising job every time.

Same night I got my dirty little paws on the latest issue of World Sweet World. 

It's been a week of great magazines - new Peppermint, new WSW, and the launch of extra curricular...

Most importantly though, there is an article on the one and only stiX in the pages of WSW. Awww. 
And again, same night, Kowhai of the Wellingtonista passed on our official looking T4WAs nominations - complete with fanfare. Needless to say it was a little exciting. See the one on the left? Yep, that says Wellingtonian of the Year. What an honour. We're nominated alongside some pretty amazing Wellingtonians so it is pretty special just to be considered for the category. Voting is open from now until 15 December, so get your votes in!

Possibly there are enough superlatives in just this post so shall leave it there. In the next few days the grovelling shall begin - we need help! 

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Spesh!

The Annual Wellingtonista Awards are drawing ever closer, as with Christmas and all those other fun December things. 

We are always a bit surprised when people get excited about what we're doing - it's just what we do, you know?

But we'll go with this - a nomination for Best Art Experience (up against some pretty awesome candidates); and a little birdy tells me there is a second nomination to come. Ooooer!

Head over to the Wellingtonista to vote for the best of Wellington 2009 and it would be fabulous to see you at the awards ceremony at the splendid Mighty Mighty on December 17.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Knitsch - the yarns, baby

Well, it's been awhile. How you doin'?

I hope you're as excited as I am. 

Why?

Knitsch has morphed into a line of hand dyed yarns.
Yep.

hand dyed woolly goodness.

and don't worry, all is not abandoned on the guerilla knitting front. Oh-ho no. Plans are afoot. Meetings are being had. Official ones, at that. And OutdoorKnit will need YOU.


Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Peta is amazing!

Look at the gorgeous photos Peta Mazey took of the cutest kidlet in the world (well, apart from the Devil Child) by the fence full of hearts!

Peta may not know it but I am a massive fan after seeing the work she did with Free Range Baby. Possibly the most gorgeous kiddo photos in the world come from that lady.

Thanks for letting us know Peta

xo

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Craft2.0 rocks our woolly world

Craft2.0 is on again this coming Saturday 24 October, and the lovely Sue has again invited us along for the fun.

We will be knitting and crocheting up a storm by the kids make table with all the tools of the trade - you just need to bring your lovely selves along.

If you would like to prep in advance feel free to get creative with anything of the growing kind - leaves, flowers, fruit, veges, trees, grass, animals...and we'll do a bit of an installation on the day.

As per usual we'd like to thank the truly splendid folks at the New Dowse - whenever we tag in their vicinity they do their utmost to look after our woollen misfits to keep in the place as long as possible.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

It's good. Real good.

The fence pic is part of an article on urban embellishments in the latest Good magazine called 'Pimp your street'.

Seeeee! The fence!
And then a bit of a write up on graffiti knitting including Knitty Graffity and the amazing Slip project from Christchurch.

I love Good magazine for the community building ideas it promotes. So go on, pimp your street! And say hey to your neighbours while you are at it! Speaking of neighbours, I owe mine a lemon meringue pie for some garden tools I borrowed. ;)

Thanks Good!

Friday, October 9, 2009

miscellany

and we're big fans of the awesome, fun, lovely Wellingtonista crew. Did we mention they is awesome?

Each year they run the TAWAs - or The Annual Wellingtonista Awards. We reckon you should suggest some nominees...and as a bit of shameless self-promotion, would love to be nominated for best art experience. Cos love is always nice!

Check them out here 

Of course there are some super duper exciting plans up our knitted sleeves. And plenty of other exciting yarn bomby things going on round the world. 

Check out the giant knit poem in the UK for starters. 

I also met the lovely lovely Amy from The Loop Knittery in Christchurch. We had a great chat over a cup of tea, and felt up her yummy worsted yarn. Mmmmmm... She's been doing great stuff for Chch knitting in public and hopefully she'll be on board for future projecty fun.

You must be sick of words by now so here is a sneak peek of one of the reasons I came home from London...and must I say it is great to be back!
clockwise from back left - the loop knittery, hazelknits, needlefood, cherry tree hill and artisan yarns...a bit of research...

Staveley stitches


My lovely maternal aunt runs the Staveley store (just out of Methven, mid Canterbury, not far from Mt Hutt ski field), where i've been hiding out the past couple of days. There's nothing better than sitting in the window knitting, drinking her awesome coffee and feeling like part of the community...so gave her a little 'OK' tag. 

Monday, October 5, 2009

OutdoorKnit goes corporate

Just a little... and for a worthy business...

A fellow crafty mate who happens to work at Ideas Shop asked me to knit a sign to go outside their office. You see, they have a hand craft shop below and were in need of some street cred with the stick weilding types. I hope like heck it worked!

If any other businesses feel the need for a knitted sign - lemme know: outdoorknit@yahoo.com

And in other news... I have moved to Auckland. Watch here for my attempts to win over the hearts of the big city.

Luckily the ever fabulous Knitsch has returned to keep the knit alive in Wellington. She'll surely be able to post some of her latest soon. ;)

stiX

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Nanageddony rambling on Sunday

Lucy from RadioNZ interviewed me for Arts on Sunday (Aug 23rd) as one of the craftists (ha!) exhibiting in the Nanageddon show.

I haven't listened to it (as I have no internet access at home at present)... so if I sound rubbish, please let me know and I'll deny any knowledge of anything. Much appreciated.

Here are a few pics from Nanageddon. I didn't get any from the opening unfortunately as I was flitting from person to person and trying to stop my child from jumping all over the gorgeous crochet work that was displayed on the floor. No mean feat I tell ya!

Ceci n'est pas un Banksy... ou une pipe
Flew all the way from London, sent by the wonderful Kitsch

Nanarchy by stiX

Awesome duck made from plastic bags by Shar Young

The exhibition has some neat stuff in it. Head along to Roar Gallery if you are in the Wellington area... and say hey to Gaelen and Becky. They rock!

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Action in Amsterdam



While stiX has been having lots of fun in Wellington, i'm embarking on the grand tour of europe - first stop - Amsterdam!

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Hearts on Vivian

Finally I have photos! The complete set are here and below are a few of my favourites.


I can't even begin to tell you how awesome it was to have everyone down there doing their fence weaving thing. Each listening to my burbled instructions and words of warning about dropping the little yarn spool on the other side of the fence... and then completely disregarding anything I said and coming up with their own ways of doing things with FABULOUS results! haha

Thank you to my Chief Recruiter, Edmund... to the kidlet for behaving herself the whole day and retrieving our yarn when we did drop it... to the boy for taking the photos... to Pia for talking some guys off the street into sticking around and contributing to the project... to my Dad for his advice about efficiency... to all my freaking awesome contributors for showing up on the day... and to all the people who stopped while we were doing it to ask about the project and to say how cool they thought it looked. (And it totally did/does!)

Stop by and check it out if you are in the area. The fence is on Vivian Street... just before the intersection with Cuba, in Wellington City, NZ.

And finally, Wellington City Council - do something with this land! Extend Glover Park... open it up for art work... community gardens anyone? So much potential for so much community minded stuff now that you've gone and cut right through it with the bypass.

Edited: Thanks Sonja letting me know that my gripe should actually be with Transit NZ, not Wellington City Council. I maintain that they are both a bit crap. haha Surely Kerri could put a bit of pressure on? I'll have words.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Nanageddon!

Come join us!

Press release from the Roar! types:

Nanageddon showcases artists who are hailing the revival of stitching and knitting, subverting the idea of "Nana-craft" and reclaiming the art of craft in truly revealing ways.

In this exhibition, what might sound like the work of a harmless old lady, turns out to be the act of some edgy, post-modern and radical thinkers such as … Outdoor Knit, Di McMillan, Caroline McQuarrie, Athina Moisa, Ann Moore, Rowan Panther, Matthew Squire, Margaret Tolland, Shar Young, and KIRAN-X.


Nanageddon is a re-take on traditional craft methods as we know them …with artists who are using craft as an art medium. Recent talk of doom and gloom, global warming and recessions has prompted these artists to embrace the act of knitting, crochet, embroidery, cross stitch, lace-making and so on to positively reuse, reclaim, recycle and re-invent. They’re releasing craft from its personal adornment and domestic decorative responsibilities enticing it into the realms of conceptually driven art. Through their work, the Nanageddon artists are all offering a re-look at our social and political values, and the way we respond.


Nanageddon draws attention to a major shift in political emphasis - altering traditional methods of craft as a means of expressing society’s interest in challenging some of the power structures at play.

It highlights the bigger issues by representing the backlash to our current environmental mess brought about by mass and grotesque over consumption … while at the same time presenting what we, the little people can do to about it. Gatherings of subversive knitters are educating Wellington (and now the world!) on the art of craft, and aim to see an increase in knitting as a way of reviving the anti-consumerism of the past: it's environmental, it's thrifty, and it's damn right useful!

Channelling the Dadaists, hunting down materials, rethinking social mores and ardently shredding the traditional fabric of society … Nanageddon is the end of craft as we know it and its not-for-the-fainthearted!


Join us on Thursday 20th August from 5 -7 pm,

for the Opening Celebrations of

Nanageddon: the end of Craft as we know it!

(And artwork that makes up its own rules.)


ROAR! gallery is a vibrant gallery which aims to support and promote Outsider Art. Its focus is not to define this term but to be open to those who feel connected to an art making approach which is unique, honest, compelling and about a persons total connection with their creativity, uninfluenced by external restrictions and conventions. We're proud to bring you this thrilling combination of talent and awareness.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Proud.

Dom Post today.

Well done, stiX.

And don't forget the fence weaving mish on Sunday...

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Inspiration

Photo just sent by pxt of a fence in Auckland

Fake flower induced smiles.

Awesome.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

The fence mission on Sunday

Contribution thus far from stiX and Drop Stitch

Weather is looking like it may hold up... I'll do my best to keep you all posted on that front.

In other news, walked down Vivian St the other day and see they are doing a whole lotta road worky stuff right outside the fence site. I hope like heck that means they are finally getting their butts into gear to do something about it?!?! (Errr... or maybe not... it might impede the fence weaving process.) I'll go check it out tomorrow and post some news.

And watch the Dominion Post this Saturday as there may or may not be a little feature on us. The website will have a more in depth piece which I will share on here as soon as it appears online.

Andddd the exhbition knitting is well underway. I'm just trying to get hold of some promo material from Roar Gallery.

See ya Sunday! (Hopefully!)

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Join the fence decorating movement!

I've gone all geeky since we got a facebook page and have actual FANS (!!11!1!!!!) so I've made a facebook event for this fence business. But for those who have not been sucked in by bookface then here's the details for getting involved in my army of fence weavers:


Fence-ational Crafitivism

Next Sunday (August 9th) I am going to be at the fence on the corner of Vivian and Bute St in Wellington, featured in this blog post, and I would like anyone (EVERYONE!) to join me in weaving hearts of all sorts of colours into the fence, all the way along the Vivian St side of the fence.

Why? I dunno. It's pretty.

But also because in a happy clappy way, I want people to smile.

And the fence is ugly.

And it seems to be going nowhere.

So this is an attempt to make something awesome out of something that is a big fat waste of land at the moment.

When? Next Sunday (August 9th) from 1pm

Who? Me (stiX)... and apparently 10 others if we are to take facebook RSVPs seriously. I don't... I reply to stuff all the time that I know I'm never going to actually attend! But, if you team 1/2 of the facebook replies with all the people I recruited on the bus this morning (Seriously. It was awesome.) then I think 10 is maybe actually slightly truthful... hopefully heaps more though!

Oh yeah, you totally don't need to know how to knit. And I'll supply the yarn. All you need is fingers. And I'm not discriminating against those that are fingerless... it just might make it a tad difficult ya know?

Email me if you want more details: outdoorknit@yahoo.com

P.S. If it's raining then I'm totally piking. By the way. But cold/wind - still totally there. I am a Wellingtonian after all.

Shite. Put the wrong date at the top. It's next SUNDAY! Definitely Sunday!

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Tube stike 2.0


Just couldn't resist - the opportunity presented itself again. 

Friday, July 24, 2009

Tube Strike

Another goal checked off the london list - a tag on a tube carriage. The Bakerloo line, to be specific.

A bit rushed, simple and probably quickly gone. Quite appropriate, really.

(note: I may have been a little drunk, and my camera battery had no juice left, hence crappy photo)

Monday, July 20, 2009

Bute St gets some love

The fence art begins

And continues...

And continues...

Until finally... some love!

More fence art to come, I'm thinking. Because that is one hell of an ugly fence.
The Council seems to have made a lot of changes, torn down a lot of buildings, built a gazillion new roads, but completing the projects is taking forever and we are left with quite a few wastelands.

The latest I hear with the area they flattened for the park by the Basin Reserve is that it isn't going ahead due to a funding cut. What are they going to do with the barren land and wire fence?


I suppose I should be grateful that they give us no end of issues to make fence art commentary on. :/

OutdoorKnit does Craft2.0

This Saturday the 25th of July, at the New Dowse in Lower Hutt, I will be running a knitting circle as part of the ever fabulous craft fair - Craft2.0

So come along to learn to knit, contribute to a graffiti knitting project, or pass on your knitting experience to others... and then venture out into the throngs of people to peruse some fabulous craftiness. You are welcome back into the oasis of calm of the knitting circle afterward to gather your wits about you again so you can return home with plenty of excuses of how that gorgeous little brooch/tshirt/bag/print ended up in your hot little hands.


So from 10am - 3pm at Craft2.0 this weekend, see ya there!

And thank you so much to Sue "make it happen" Tyler. You rock my lady!


P.S. A boring fence got a little yarny action yesterday and may get some more tomorrow night. I'll let ya know

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

more Magda

and you should go listen to her here on NZ's very own Nine - Noon 

Magda Sayeg rocks the knitty world

We think you should go check out Knit, Nicole, Knit, and the video she has posted of an interview with our goddess, Magda Sayeg.


Thursday, July 9, 2009

Spreading the word

The graffiti knit kids are branching out!

I've got some work in the pipelines for a workshop (watch this space), an exhibition (also watch this space!), a photo essay in the newspaper, and hopefully a knitting class at the local high school (errr... space will be watched?).

My apologies that it isn't more concrete. You'll be the first to know when it is of course ;)

Anyway, I just wanted to say that I found the most inspirational site ever for the high school graffiti knit stuff - Identity School

I'm thinking my preferred option might be a little less structured; the class will be more of a space/time in which teens can express themselves... talk about love, lives, and struggles... cross social divides... and pick up a few useful skills at the same time.

Am I kidding myself?

We'll see.

WIP - part 2


The Socktopus project continues...

Sunday, July 5, 2009

It will all be ok

not sure if you'll be able to read the text...(to see the whole picture, click on it)

So perhaps an appropriate time to announce - i'm heading back to wellington. Tough decision, but plenty to be excited about at home right now. Including projects galore.

Just remember: It will all be ok.

Friday, July 3, 2009

WIP

I've been helping out on weekends at Socktopus, located not far from Chelsea football ground in Fulham. The grill on the window is perfect for some tagging...and so it has begun - a work in progress...




Saturday, June 27, 2009

Paris graffiti


Let's take a moment, and drool...