counter craft

600 Monsters For Connecticut

Using the popular knitting site, Ravelry, they started the group “600 Monsters Strong For Connecticut” dedicated to making stuffed animals to send to every student at the school, according to the group’s Facebook page.

So far the group has just more than 1,100 members [now 2,233], and many have been posting photos of their monster creations on one of the group’s threads. There are a set of guidelines the knitters must follow when it comes to stitch pattern and materials used — but there’s no limit to the level of creativity.

“This is Francis,” Ravelry user myriadflowers posted on a thread showing a picture of her monster that is grey with hints of turquoise. “I picked the name Francis because it’s my dad’s middle name, and this set of muted colours reminds me of him and the sense of assurance and strength he has always given me.”

One of the reasons we’re happy to see them arrive is that we’re starting our work with other organizations to help out kids affected by gun violence. I’m sure you all saw the sad story of the firefighters shot in Rochester, NY recently. At least one of them had small children. We’re in the process of getting some contact information for the families so we can coordinate a monster delivery to those kids. Having monsters on hand will make that so much easier and faster! It means our work can really begin, and the reason for that is because you all hav been so incredibly generous in your monster making. We never dreamed we’d be able to help more than just the kids in Newtown.

We are still on call for Newtown, though, so please don’t think we’re collecting these monsters under that guise, then passing them on to other people. The town is still recovering from the media circus, the funerals and probably dealing with a very, very hard holiday. Our contacts there are still sending positive messages, but we are respecting their privacy, as we will do for ALL the families we work with. We’re hoping to get in touch and start coordinating the delivery process after the new year.

Thank you all so, so much for helping us out, and for helping these kids. Know that every monster you send will go to a good home and help a child know there are good people out there.

Foreclosure Quilts - Kathryn Clark

via Kathryn Clark’s website:

“My previous work as an urban planner made me acutely aware of how big an impact the foreclosure crisis would have on our cities and towns throughout the United States. However, very little was mentioned in the news.

It was important to me to present the whole story in a way that would captivate people’s attention and make a memorable statement. Making map quilts seemed an ironic solution. Quilts act as a functional memory, an historical record of difficult times. It is during times of hardship that people have traditionally made quilts, often resorting to scraps of cloth when so poor they could not afford to waste a single thread of fabric.

The neighborhoods shown are not an anomaly; they are a recurring pattern seen from coast to coast, urban to suburban neighborhoods across the US. The problem has not been solved, it is still occurring, just changing shape, affecting more of us.”

For more information read her blog post about the series and an article from The Atlantic.

Kathryn Clark worked as an architectural and urban designer for seven years before becoming a full time artist in 2005. A traditional painter and photographer for twenty years, her studio slowly became full of remnants of yarn, wire and stacks of linen and burlap. One day, she put the paints and paintbrushes away, pulled out the fabrics and began sewing and layering thread.

Kathryn’s work revolves around the wabi-sabi principles of simplicity and awareness of time. Sewing and weaving express the time and effort it takes to create each piece while emphasizing the simplicity of needle and thread. She also writes a blog to inspire and inform other artists who work in the unique genre called Articraft: artists who use craft in their work and craftspeople who make art: www.kathrynclark.blogspot.com