Oh Alaska! knittivism in the news

What a surprise! The TikkunTree project has sent shoots to Alaska … In her recent article, “Knitters make personal statement about peace, justice” (Anchorage Daily News, 5/12/08), Alaskan fiber artist and journalist Catherine Hollingsworth described the TikkunTree as” [p]robably the most ambitious [peace] project ever undertaken by needle workers.” How exciting to discover that the TikkunTree has cast such a broad shadow and has been received with such enthusiastiasm. Other knittivist projects discussed in the article include Knit for Peace and Afghans for Afghans. You can read the entire article here.

Along with drafting a pattern for the Ying Yang leaf (nearly done), my have been busy with small contributions to two important needles knittivist projects: the Color Orange campaign and Knit a Condom Amulet.

The Color Orange project aims to raise protest human rights abuses in China by promoting use of the color orange as a sign of protest at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing this summer. Contributions to the Color Orange are varied and international; I’ve joined others in the Ravelry fiberarts community to knit objects that can be worn or used at the Olympics by either athletes or spectators, and the challenge has prompted a bit of creative fun - such as a set of felted origami peace cranes, some orange chains, an Olympic rings medallion, and coral peapod earrings - my take on the “envision whirled peas” motto.

The Knit a Condom Amulet project is one of many knittivist fiberarts projects concocted by Naomi DB, the Little Red Hen. The project aims to promote HIV and safe sex awareness among women over 50, by encouraging needleworkers to make special covers for condoms. For me, the project is an opportunity to try a few new techniques while make making something special for a special cause - the health of my friends! I’ve contributed a bit of purse jewelry, a silver piece of purse jewelry -a Seashell Amulet Bag, and an ethnic Mosaic Girlfriends Bag.

What are you knitting for community and peace?

Jump into Peace: a tikkuntree painted frog

Preparation for the Jewish festival of Passover has kept my tikkunknitting needles flying, and although I was engrossed with the work of creating a ” knitted seder” for my family and the Pattern for Peacebuilders series, the TikkunTree and Israeli-Palestinian conflict were never far from my thoughts. The Passover seder table includes a plate full of the ritual symbols of the holiday, commemorating the narrative of the liberation of the Israelites from servitude in Egypt. Committed to Passover as a symbol of freedom for any and all of us, as an opportunity to gather, share traditions, and build hope for a peaceful future, a knitted cup for the prophet Elijah, whose anticipated arrival by Jews presages the achievement of an age of universal peace, was the tikkunknitting project of the moment.

No seder is complete without enumeration of the Ten Plagues, purportedly inflicted on the Egyptians for their Pharoah’s defiance of the Israelite God. While researching and creating knitted representations of the plagues, I learned more than a little about the life of frogs (the second plague) in ancient Egypt, and in modern Israel-Palestine. Perhaps it’s no surprise that a plague of frogs appeared early in the purported contest between Pharoah and the Israelite God … frogs were an important symbol of fertility for the ancient Egyptians, represented by the frog-headed goddess Heqet (who breathed life into the unborn), the source of the hieroglyph for the number 100,000 (a multitude rivalling that of the Israelites placed in slavery, as Jewish tradition tells the story). (check out the Hieroglyph Translator!).

The plague of frogs is an interesting example of the religious irony, the Israelite God turning the table, so to speak, on the Egyptians - suffocating them with their own beliefs and traditions, rendering them lifeless with their own symbol of life. It’s also a means of connecting to modern experience of plagues … most notably, the plague of conflict in Israel-Palestine. Frogs have long been a part of the landscape of Israel-Palestine; indeed, fossilized tadpoles have been found in the Negev (source). Yet symbiotic relationship between the life of frogs and the land is seriously threatened in modern times. According to the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, habitat destruction, pollution, invasive species and disease have endangered six species of amphibians in Israel. And one specie, the Israel/Palestine Painted Frog, has been extinct since the 1950’s, when its Galilean lake habitat was drained to accomodate the expanding post-war Jewish population (see source; and the reconstructed images of the Painted Frog).

So here’s a new addition to the TikkunTree: a TikkunTree Painted Peace Frog (all he needs is a bit of “paint” (to be added momentarily) ..

If you have an interest in crafting frogs, they’ll have a home on or under this peace tree.

A plague of peace frogs … what a thought.

Knitters will find a pattern for this origami-style felted frog available as part of the Patterns for Peacebuilders series. Additional information about the Passover seder in general (my knitted seder), is available at “Why is This Knit Different from All Other Knits?“; more about the ethical implications of the holiday for current peace efforts soon (on the TikkunKnits blog). Photos of the knitted seder can be found here.

Other frog patterns that might be interesting to try:

• an amirigami treefrog (C), and another, Mr. Frog
• a frog bean bag (K)
• a winged frog (K)
• a flat frog fridgie (C) (pretty cute!)
• a frog pouch (C) (ready to catch flies!)
• stuffed small frog (K)
• frog (hackey sack) (C)
• a simple origami jumping frog
• youtube money frog demo (why not make a donation to a peace-building group?)
• youtube origami frog demo (for a splendid, and challenging bit of folding; would work with stiffend fabric)

Goodness Knows: “the olive plan 2008″

The myriad of ways we find to make connections between the creative work of our hands and peace is endlessly fascinating. This week I crossed paths with Em-En’s I Like Lemons blog. She’s knitting olives for peace … large olives, small olives, black olives, green olives, stuffed olives and not … at least one olive a week, for peace. As Em-En describes her project for the year,

I’ve come up with an idea that is quite simple in its basis, but which I am hoping will help keep me optimistic as I begin the journey into this year.

I intend to knit at least one olive every week this year. Why olives? Well, olive trees/branches/fruit symbolize peace, prosperity and love (”olive you”). By the end of the year I should have a jar full goodness. Ok, ok. So I also need to use up some yarn, but with each olive I knit I’ll be reminded of the things I wish for myself and the people I care about.

Inspired by Em-En’s gentle approach, I’m planning to check out her patterns, raid my sock yarn basket for remnants, and hope that the TikkunTree will show signs of bearing fruit this week.

p.s. If you are interested in knitting olives instead of leaves for the TikkunTree, there are any number of possibilities for inspiration and patterns in addition to Em-En’s olives, including the few I’ve found:

• Em-En’s knitted cherries, which can be converted to use for clusters of olives
• felted olives by Mary Jane, Midge, and Mink (which were Em-En’s inspiration; M, M & M provide a useful tutorial as well)
• Bittersweet’s peas (which come along with a very sweet pod)
• Pat’s hollyberries
• Roxycraft’s crocheted cherries
• any others you know of and can share?

Knit for Peace Day

Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it. Micah 4:2-5

Friday was Knit for Peace Day, a relatively new event for a number of socially-concerned knitters around the world. Initiated by Randy/KnitforPeace, an American knitter living in Sweden, Knit for Peace Day is an opportunity to commit both the work of spirit and hands to the pursuit of peace. She found time to reflect on:

1. a lasting solution in Israel, where everyone can live in peace and dignity”;
2. religious freedom for Tibetans;
3. an end to the war in Iraq and an honest restructuring of the Iraqi; infrastructure;
4. an end to the misery in Darfur; and
5. understanding within my family for different views and different ways of doing things.

All of these found their way onto my list, along with a few others regarding local concerns as well, chief among which were wishes for the continued reduction in the number of homicides in my city, and care and reconciliation within the Democratic party (Clinton and Obama campaigns), so that eventual unity and electoral success can be achieved.

My knitting time was devoted to thinking creatively about the relationship between the Jewish holiday of Purim and peace (a few recent essays on Purim violence and traditions certainly stimulated me), and ways to promote the pursuit of peace in the American Jewish community. Much creativity will be needed in this endeavor, so I’ve been working on variations of “co-existence leaves” for the TikkunTree Project.

I managed to knit four leaves (each takes less than an hour), including “integrated” striped leaves, a ying & yang leaf (pattern available shortly), and a felted leaf, a combination of the simple garter leaf pattern and co-existence leaf. Any leaf pattern will work for the felted leaf - just use US 10.5 or 11 needles and 100% wool yarn. These leaves were made with Peace Fleece worsted wool - Peace Fleece felts beautifully, though requires a bit of elbow grease (or extra time in a machine). But then, peace is worth the extra effort.

Try knitting for peace - with the onset of spring, contribute to the new growth of the TikkunTree in 2008.

p.s.  Friday was also the Jewish holiday of Purim.  In keeping with the spirit of Knit for Peace Day, I also worked on a felted “Peacetaschen” Hamentaschen cookie (more information here).

Looking for new growth and co-existence

Perhaps winter has felt as long for others as it has for us, in spite of the unusual (and troubling) bursts of temperate days and rainfall rather than cold and snow. Certainly recent events in the mid-east (and Africa, and Balkans) are dispiriting at times - one wonders how it will be possible for Jews and Palestinians (or Sudanese tribes, or Serbians and Kosovans) to settle their political and ethno-religious disputes in the face of continued violence.

As I try to stay abreast of the news, I continue to knit for peace, and hope that others will carve small bubbles of time out of their busy lives to join me. The most recent round of violence in Sderot-Gaza and Jerusalem prompted me to respond by creating new foliage TikkunTree, knitted leaves that join colors and stitches, like the disparate peoples that must eventually find paths to co-existence.

These first efforts feel something like knitted prayers, each leaf an opportunity to reflect on a variety of ways I can (and ought to) contribute to the peace process: through art, through conversation, through financial contributions, through political activism, through prayer.

Here is the pattern for a medium-sized, single-sided leaf. Instructions for the double-sided version will be added soon, along with the modifications for a somewhat larger leaf (with a more prominent, 6 st cabled vein) and a two-color “coexistence” version. NOTE: this post will be edited and updated freely until all the patterns and their photos are included and corrected, with date of last revision included.

Links to pdf versions will also be available on the Patterns page soon.

TikkunTree Cabled Leaf and variations
(rev’d 3.13.0

Materials:

• two shades of green worsted weight yarn (one used as main color, the other color used for the central cabled vein)
• Size 6 needles (4.0 mm), 6-8″ dpns or circular

Abbreviations:
MC — main color
CC — contrast color
RS / WS — right side / wrong side
CO — cast on
M1 — increase 1 st (either by yarnover, or a “ladder-lift” increase)
M1R — make 1 right-leaning st by knitting into right side of next stitch below (instructions and video demo here)
M1L — make 1 left-leaning st by knitting into left side of two sts below (same st) (instructions and video demo here)
ssk — slip 2 sts as if to knit (knit-wise), return these to the left needle and knit together
k2tog — knit 2 sts sts together
C4R — slip 2 sts to cable needle and hold to back, knit 2 sts from left needle, knit the 2 sts from the cable needle

Directions:

To set up the body of the leaf:
Cast on 4 sts with main color (MC) [note: remember to leave a 10" tail so that the leaf can be tied to the TikkunTree when exhibited]. Work a 6-8 rows of I-cord (directions and video demo here if you are unfamiliar with this technique), ending with an MC row.

For a medium leaf:

With MC, cast on 1 st knit-wise, using a cable cast-on technique (knitting on the new st), then 6 sts purl-wise (11 sts total)

Continue as follows: (note: contrasting cable sts are indicated in italicized blue)

Row 1: (RS) Knit 7, pick up CC and K4, then CO 7 more sts - 1 st purl-wise (purling on the new st), and 6 sts knit-wise. Remember to carry new color under the working color when changing colors.

Row 2: (WS) with MC in front, K7 with MC, bring MC to back, P4 with CC, bring MC to under CC and to front and K7. Remember to bring MC from back to front, and vice versa, on WS rows. (18 sts total)

Row 3: K1, yo, K, k2tog (this decreases one MC st under the CC st), K2, ssk (again decreasing one MC st under a CC st), K5, yo, K1
note: remember to knit or purl all yo increases tbl to avoid creating holes in your knitting. Alternatively, use a ladder-lift increase if you want to make the tight increase in a single row.

Row 4: P1, P1 tb1, P5, P4, P5, P1 tbl, P1
Row 5: P7, C4R, P7
Row 6: K7, P4, K7
Rows 7-8: repeat rows 3-4
Row 9: P7, K4, P7
Row 10: K7, P4, K7
Row 11: K1, yo, ssk, C4R, K5, yo, K1
Row 13: P1, P1 tb1, P5, P4, P5, P1 tbl, P1
Rows 14-15: repeat rows 9-10
Row 16: K5, ssk, K4, k2tog, K5 (16 sts total)
Row 17: P6, P4, P6
Row 18: P6, C4R, P6
Row 19: K6, P4, K6
Row 20: K4, ssk, K4, k2 tog, K4 (14 sts total)
Row 21: P5, P4, P5
Row 22: K5, P4, K5
Row 23: K5, P4, K5
Row 24: P5, C4R, P5
Row 25: P5, P4, P5
Row 26: P3, p2 tog, K4, p2 tog, P3
Row 27: K4, P4, K4
Row 28: K4, K4, K3
Row 29: P4, P4, P4
Row 30: P4, C4R, P4
Row 31: K4, P4, K4
Row 32: K2, ssk, K4, K2 tog, K2
Row 33: P3, P4, P3
Row 34: P3, C4R, P3
Row 35: K3, P4, K3
Row 36: K3, K2 tog, ssk, K2 tog, K1 (8 sts total)
Row 37: K3, K2, K3
Row 38: P3, P2, P3
Row 40: P1, P2 tog, C2R (slip 1 st to cn, knit 1, knit st from cn), P2 tog, P1 (6 sts total)
Row 41: K2 tog, P2 tog, K2 tog (3 sts total)
Row 42: slip 2, k1, psso
Tie off last stitch, leaving 4″ yarn. Weave in the top strand.

These leaves were inspired by Cyntergomes’ veined leaf pattern, for the Burning Man Project.

Please don’t hestitate to let me know if there are problems with these instructions; if you want to help test patterns, please contact me (!) at: tikkunknits (at) yahoo (dot) com.

Winter

Sometimes winter seems to go on and on, and on, and on …. and the cold and damp seeps into every corner of life. Even so there are moments of light, premonitions of spring thaw, faint scents of new growth. A few days ago I looked outside the window and noticed the first signs of buds on the rose bushes in our back garden.

I’ve been experimenting with variegated wools (Araucania Nature Wool, left), and working on some cabled leaves. Ellen has been knitting - her last skein of Peace Fleece Shaba Green yielded 15 single-layer leaves (right)! I’ve finally managed to persuade her to expand her knitting repertoire, and she’s jumped into a pair of socks (knit on a pair of Size 0 circulars!) with her usual confidence. What a woman!

There are new windows onto the TikkunTree Project, including various fiber (and other) artists from Israel who found us through Ravelry, and Minka, from Minka’s Studio. Locally, interest in knitting leaves for peace among knitters in area synagogue knitting groups grows incrementally with each conversation (and the power of Ellen’s example!).

My own travel through Ravelry is frequently focused on connecting to others interested in knitting for peace. My stranded knitting chart based on the logo for the Million Voices campaign brought new interest in knitting for peace. To find out more about the moderate majority in Israel and Palestine calling for official pursuit of peace, check out: One Million Voices.

The 198 Countries Peace Project: living in a forest

The challenging current events in Israel/Palestine make the work of the TikkunTree that much more necessary, and difficult to maintain. It helps to have others thinking similarly.

I recently was invited to join an online needlework community, Ravelry, which has offered new paths to share the work of the TikkunTree. One of these is the “Knitting our way to Peace” group (moderated by Hanane of Knitting Our Way to Peace), which carries on a stimulating conversation about matters of religion and religious practices, peace, and ways to use our skills to promote peaceful thoughts and action. A new member of the group, Sophia, recently initiated another knittivist project, the 198 Countries Peace Project. She’s looking to join the flags of the 198 countries of the world, and needs volunteers to make this happen. I’ve volunteered to make the Israel & Palestine Flags, which I plan to join - at the hip, like Siamese twins, which is how I see the two communities (if you are interested, you can read more here). I’ve already charted the pair of flags and the way I plan to unite them. I’ll be using Peace Fleece yarns (of course).

Sophia is looking for contributions from all fiber artists, not just knitting and crochet. There are still l plenty of flags needing to be made - contact Sophia.

So while the TikkunTree has an ongoing need for contributions of leaves and doves that (hopefully) come out of conversations about mid-east peace, I encourage others to check out the 198 Countries Peace Project and make a flag for peace.

Branching Out: new friends & new challenges

Last autumn, as The TikkunTree Project was only just taking shape online, I received an inquiry from Julie to join her Peaceloving Knitters group in the Bioneers Community, a progressive internet network. Though I was thrilled by Julie’s invitation to share information about the TikkunTree with the Peaceloving Knitters, the opportunity slipped past me as I dealt with the river of daily life and responsibilities. How delightful it was to hear from Julie again, asking to feature the TikkunTree!

Many thanks Julie, and your peace-loving friends, for sharing the work of this project so thoughtfully (link here). We look forward to adding your leaves to the Tree.

First Flight: peace cranes

I’ve been so taken with the knitnowar 1,o0o felted cranes that I made a few for holiday gifts last month. Though not doves, they seem entirely appropriate to nest in the TikkunTree. The pattern is simple (yes, it really does “fold” like an origami crane), and when made in Peace Fleece’s Arctic White, it’s a lovely alternative to the more complicated knitted or crocheted dove patterns out there. And it’s a quick introduction to felting (or fulling, to be more precise).

Making a few more of these for the tree will be my peaceful start to the new year.

Serendipitous Sisters: precious pledges for 2008

Although my typing and knitting has been hampered for the past few weeks by the development of carpal tunnel symptoms, there’s been inspiration coming from various quarters. Bev’s enthusiastic support for the TikkunTree Project encouraged Birdsong to pledge a few leaves from her handspun wool. And Birdsong’s support similarly inspired Nana Sadie (aka KnitNana), whose eloquent reflections are worth sharing in their entirety:

Besides the fact that I adore Peace Fleece yarns, I am very committed to the idea of and philosophy behind this project. I’m ordering my yarns, and getting the patterns ready. (Patterns & specifications are available on each link)

I firmly believe that knitting for peace is an effective means of being a change-agent in the world. As is creating art installations that address peace. I seldom speak of my religious leanings or beliefs on my blogs, but the idea of knitting in silence, meditating on peace and speaking out as the spirit moves, harkens back to my Universalist/Quaker/Congregationalist New England family roots. As such, it blends well with my study of Buddhism, and Taoist thought, as well as my feminist/womanist/goddess thealogy.

While I’ll still participate in (and co-lead) Cloths for Crisis and Knit Red for Women’s Heart Disease, this project will hold the majority of my charity knitting energy for the 2008 year.

If we can’t find it in our hearts to live, eat, breathe, and pray PEACE, then we can’t be surprised if it fails us. Anger and war, hatred and fear, begin in the hearts of each of us. Won’t you join us? Take up your needles to help heal* the world?

The relationship of Nana Sadie and Birdsong, “serendipitous [virtual] sisters from different mothers…all across the country from each other - on the two coasts”, describes some of my recent experience sharing the TikkunTree Project. As I’ve attempted to distribute information, shared “calling cards”, purchased materials, answered email inquiries, or walked about the city knitting Safed leaves or other Patterns for Peacebuilders, I have had many conversations about people’s desire to see peace in the middle east, to contribute to it in some way in their own lives, to knit, crochet, embroider, felt or sew for peace, to teach for peace. I have grown my own virtual knitting family - sisters and brothers - in just the past few weeks.  Welcome also to Emma, whose kind words and generous support is very much appreciated.

The TikkunTree is supported by and shelters an amazing, growing family.