Wednesday, March 05, 2008

What Goes Around...

I just received an email from Janine (yes, blogless Janine of the missing package containing 60 feet of yellow garter stitch. News update: it may have been stolen! Imagine the look on the thief's face when he opens the package expecting a camcorder or something...). Janine grew up in Tennessee and knows from Jesus Loves You. I think her words were "You Yankees are so serious and take things so literally" Ok, Janine! I am laughing at myself. But what can I say? I have a 2000-foot long space in my head where all that knitting used to be. I had to fill it up with something!

More importantly than God and Man, I need to share a project that has come to my attention. It is titled The Lost Boys and it is being created by a Canadian artist named Michele Karsh Ackerman. She has spent time at the Pouch Cove artist residence where she was researching and working on installation projects dealing with World War I and the connection of the young soldiers with the lost boys in Peter Pan (which was first published during the first World War). In her research at The Rooms, she came across the devestating story of Beaumont Hamel.

Her new project is to knit a miniature (doll size) sweater for every soldier who was killed that day at the Battle of the Somme--700 in total. She has 200 knit and needs around 500 more. She would love some help from other knitters, especially knitters in Newfoundland. The sweaters are to all be white or off white (natural). Any kind of yarn can be used (she wants differences in them) but approx. the worsted weight. Please use a medium size needle - about 5mm or 6mm. You are also welcome to tuck any kind of note or personal memorial of your own inside the sweaters.

I have the pattern and would be happy to email it to anyone interested in knitting sweaters. The finished project will be presented at The Rooms, I believe this summer. I am not completely sure the best way to get the sweaters to the artist but I have offered to be a collection point and to carry them to Newfoundland with us in May. If you are interesting in knitting, I will give you more details as I know them via email.

Given that I have been the beneficiary of volunteer knitting from upwards of 90 generous knitters, I thought I had better get some little sweaters cooking on the needles. The first will be for my great uncle Eddie who survived being gassed in the trenches in France in WWI. Then, I think given the senseless and tragic deaths that have been adding up in our name lately--as senseless and tragic as those of the poor Newfoundlanders at Beaumont Hamel--I think there are plenty other memorials that can be made.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

thanks so much for posting this robyn. the final installation will be at the rooms in november (for remembrance day). also - although the pattern is for stocking stitch, michele says you can do any kind of fancy stitch instead. xxx