Ravelry

Since the inception of Ravelry, a social network for knitters and crochets, in 2007, craftivists have gained access to the global knitting community. This has allowed for many of the movements and groups included in this curation to exponentially increase their exposure, since Ravelry has over 1 million members from all over the globe. 

The tradition that is embodied by craftwork is vital to the success of these craftivist movements. Through network society, we can expand our visions and utilize those related to us in thought and activity. Craftwork and network culture combine to create a "low"-tech, high-tech rapport to spread causes globally. The 2000's saw an increase of this ideology due to network society. Hopefully the two cultures can continue to work together to spread the peace that is inherent in the making of an object, whether low or high-tech...

Knit a River

Knit a River, Photo Courtesy of iknitlondon

Knit a River is a project that perfectly embodies the Craftivist collision with Network Cultures. It was organized by the London group I Knit in conjunction with WaterAid, a charity organization that aims to provide access to safe water all over the globe, as a protest to raise awareness for this inequality. In June of 2006, I Knit invited the global knitting population to contribute to the project by sending six inch blue squares. The squares would then be sewn together to make a patchwork blanket of squares from all over the world. 

I Knit received 100,000 blue squares and the blanket traveled to venues around Europe in parades or draped across surfaces to invite people to hang out in the "river." In May 2007, over 200 knitters and WaterAid volunteers joined to carry part of the river down the Albert Embankment to give to the Prime Minister in order to put the issue in the spotlight right before the G8 Summit.

Knit a River, Photo Courtesy of iknitlondon

Knit a River embodies the type of peaceful protest that can occur when likeminded individuals come together to promote change. Through the use of a global network, I Knit was able to exponentially increase their workforce, just the type of activities which occur when social networks and services crowd source their online communities.

The Giant Knitting Nancy

At the London Festival of Architecture this Summer, a giant knitting installation was assembled as an interactive seating component. The Giant Knitting Nancy was designed by London design collaborative Superblue. The theme of the LFA was "The Welcoming City" and the Giant Knitting Nancy invited passerbys into the installation area to help knit the piece, or to just hang out and sit on the balls that are covered with knitting! The knitted piece also represented network cultures woven together through the festival.
Pictures courtesy of Superblue

Heather L. Johnson

Heather L. Johnson is an artist associated with the Christina Ray gallery in New York, which focuses on psychogeographic art. Johnson uses graphite and embroidery as her main media, investigations "movement, memory, identity and distance."

Her beautifully intricate embroidery looks at the inner workings of the city, such as mechanical systems and steam pipes. Recently, her work was the subject of an exhibit, Erasure, in which she reconstructed the site of an old mental asylum through drawings and embroidery. 

Johnson also recently created an embroidered logo for WIRED, showing the front and the back of the logo, which relates to the concepts presented in the Open Source Embroidery project, relating Code to Embroidery. See the images below, from the Christina Ray blog. 

Non-Sign II

Non-Sign II. Image courtesy of Flavorwire

Lead Pencil Studio is a firm based in Seattle, Washington, created by Annie Han and Daniel Mihalyo. They constantly blur the line between architecture and art and Non-Sign II is yet another manifestation of this blending. 

Non-Sign II is a billboard, or a non-billboard, really. It is located near the border of the United States and Canada and was commissioned by the US Government. "The billboard-shaped void contrasts with the omnipresent advertising hoardings of the surrounding area, inviting viewers to concentrate instead on the natural beauty of the landscape." 

Non-Sign II. Image courtesy of Flavorwire

Although the Non-Sign II would not traditionally be considered a work of craft, it embodies craft through its' technique of woven strands of steel. It is interesting how the purpose of the project was to focus the viewers' eye on the natural landscape, rather than a sign selling a product or service. The act of using the woven texture, which historically is linked to folk art and an "earthy" art form with natural fibers, evokes an appreciation of the landscape. Yet with the introduction of man-made steel as the fiber that serves as the lens to view the landscape provides a contradictory yet visually stunning approach. Perhaps Lead Point Studio was aware of this ironic juxtaposition, or perhaps they just wanted to create a shocking commentary on our attention spans and consumerism.

Craft Mafia

The Craft Mafia was established to "promote sister groups in other cities, share web traffic, and provide helpful information to other professional craft designers and groups." There are mafia "familia" in cities around the US and groups can apply to become part of the Mafia, but there are strict guidelines as to who can be permitted. In a sense, the original Craft Mafia (from Austin, Texas) is curating their own group of craftivists. The various Craft Mafia familia organize craft shows, such as the DIY Trunk Show (Chicago) and Handmade Holiday (Richmond). There is also a blog where all of the familia can contribute their crafty efforts. The whole Craft Mafia network culture was established to promote each other's business practices.

Knit Your Bit

In contrast to the M.24 Chaffee, a different type of wartime knitting was organized by the Red Cross. Knit Your Bit was an effort to gather handknit garments for soldiers. Volunteers were part of a "Production Corps"and would knit everything from socks to sweaters. This was meant to support American Troops with warm clothing. The tradition is still alive today with knitters making helmet liners for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

The Production Corps represents social networking and network theory in that at the national level, there were many women and children knitting for the cause. Together they formed the Production Corps, yet they were not necessarily ever in the same locale. They were joined together through this invisible network of knitters who were all working towards the support of soldiers. Thus the knitters were all contributing in their own way to the war efforts.

Posters (Screenshots of Redcross website): Left, L.N. Britton, 1918. Right, Wladyslaw Teodor Benda, 1918.