Ottawa Yarn Bombers Release Manifesto

Did you see the pictures of the yarn bombing that happened last weekend in Ottawa? Someone (four someones, as it turns out, but we’ll get to that) made scarves to wrap around the necks of 14 statues in the city’s Valiant’s Memorial, which commemorates some of Canada’s war heroes, as well as some other places around the city.

The temperature that day was -20 C (or about -4 F), and the scarves had unsigned notes directing people to take the scarves if they needed them.

The identity of the crafters has been revealed as four friends who call themselves Dropping Stitches to Make a Better World and whose manifesto is “peace, love, knitting.”

Michelyn St. Pierre, one of the knitters, said the group didn’t immediately reveal their identities because they weren’t sure what they were doing was legal. But word and pictures of their deeds spread across the Internet and they wanted to let people know who did it.

This is such a great idea that would be valued just about anywhere in the northern hemisphere right now. Here’s to more peace, love and knitting!

[Photo by Chris Mikula via the Ottawa Citizen.]

Next Pattern:

I know that my posts can be read at different times of year and in different years by different people, but as I write this we’re on teh cusp of summer. And I know a lot of people don’t knit as much, and certainly don’t wear a lot of knits in the summer, but I want to encourage you to make and to wear your makes no matter the temperature.

To introduce you to the joys of summer garment knitting, I offer the Tied Vest from Lion Brand Yarn.

This easy project is great to make and wear throughout the year but it’s especially good for summer. It’s worked flat in one piece from the bottom up, mostly in stockinette stitch with a seed stitch edging. The I-cord ties are worked directly onto the garment so you don’t have to sew them on.

The project uses worsted weight yarn, and calls for a blend of cotton and hemp that’s great for warm weather.

There are eight size options, ranging from a finished chest measurement of 35 to 62.5 inches, or 89 to 159 cm. That makes it sound like it should be worn with at least a few inches of positive ease, but the pattern doesn’t specify.

The ties at the front give it a casual look and make it great to wear over a tank top or T-shirt when the weather is warm.

I also think this one would be good to knit in wool or a warmer fiber, too, to make a version you could wear more comfortably in the winter months, too. Though of course you could layer the summer version over a long-sleeved shirt and wear it throughout the year, too.

The tied vest is a free pattern available from Lion Brand. You can also purchase a kit that includes the yarn and optional needles and stitch markers if you need them.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

Knit an Easy Hooded Vest

Knit Vests to Help Transition to Warmer Weather

Next Pattern:

Comments

Have you read?