THE HYPERBOLIC CROCHET CORAL REEF

You are all invited to join us in a hyperbolic space -  

The Crochet Coral Reef is the brain child of Margaret and Christine Wertheim, co-directors of the Institute for Figuring in LA.  Crochet and coral are the only ways to explain hyperbolic space, a very new discovery, and possibly the construction of the whole universe.

I am not going to attempt to describe to you how and why, because Margaret and Christine explain it so beautifully on their website http://www.theiff.org  where you can learn about plant life, maths, space, and follow their easy crochet patterns.

This project also raises awareness about how sick our coral reefs are.

The Crochet reef is currently showing at The Chicargo Cultural Centre, but the London Reef will be exhibited in the main foyer of the Royal Festival Hall from Wednesday 11th june - Sunday 17th August 2008. The thing is....WE HAVE TO MAKE IT FIRST!

Everyone can join this project and make some sort of coral. Remember no two plants are the same and there are NO RULES! Any yarn, any size and any colour is fine. The Southbank will be holding crochet circles through the summer and check the Prick Your finger events page for free workshops. The deadline for your named contributions is 2-8pm on Tuesday 6th May 2008 in the White Room, Spirit Level, Royal Festival Hall, or post to Cathy Woolley , Learning and Participation, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, SE1 8XX or deliver it to Prick Your Finger. For a contribution form e-mail ukreef@southbankcentre.co.uk.

DRASTIC PLASTIC ACTION

This is a simple way of cutting up plastic bags, ready for knitting without having to tie lots of knots. 

1. Take a plastic bag and wash it.

2. Cut off handles and the bottom of the bag.

3. Fold it from one side to the other but not all the way.

4. Make cuts, leaving one side free.

5. Open it all out. Now cut the strips into one continuous strip by cutting diagionally from the end of one strip to the beginning of the next one along on the other side.

You can knit with it, or, spin and ply the plastic, into a fine yarn, or bring it to PYF and we can do it for you. 

Knit useful things in plastic as much as you can. Here is a film about plastic pollution. 

http://www.alguita.com/movs/pelagic_plastic_mov.html

and here is a u tube demo incase you don't understand my instructions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4gJSR4RtDw&feature=related

HACKNEY SWEET HACKNEY

Nothing like a new purchase to make you feel at home. 

'Hackney Sweet Hackney' was knitted by Clare Murphy, who will be showing again soon at Fabrications, Broadway Market. The busy mother of two, once knitted a frieze of the Hackney siege, and the fire at Momart Art Warehouse, when Tracey Emins tent went up in flames. 

Anyway, this piece is now nailed to the wall and we love it.

RIBBONS

Dear Customers,

I noticed today, I got the price of the ribbons wrong. Louise sells them cheaper than I do. Please accept my apologies. I'll put them down to 50p a meter.

Here is an old song about ribbons. 

"I'll dye my ribbons, love a bonnie true blue,

because the lassie I love she's constant and true;

She's constant and true, and soon shall be my marrow,

And that's the rizzen why I winna dye them yallow."

COLONY STARS WASH HANDS AT LAST.

The Colony Rooms of Soho, now have five roller hand towels, stitched together from bits of old towel, as first shown in their raw state, on this blog, February 15th last. 

To celebrate this momentous feat, Prick Your Finger is giving away  Free Green Face Flannels. All you have to do is answer this simple question;

Q. Who is mopping his brow in ecstasy with the said hand towel?

 

Answers on postcards to, Prick Your Finger, 260 Globe Rd E2 OJD, but for lazy entries, a comment will do.

Thank you to Hilary Penn for whipping her camera out of her handbag to capture these special  moments.  

DAYGLO WOMAN

Best dressed at 'Glow in the Dark Knitting' this Saturday night went to Barley Massey of Fabrications, Broadway Market, who, along with our friend Sue,  sported rather lovely pairs of glowing nipple tassels, in celebration of International Women's Day. 

We were all delighted to join Barley, in being women. And the men thought it was great that we were women too. A good time was had by all.

HACKNEY LIBRARY FULL OF KNITTERS

Louise knitted this cheeky little book worm. We wanted to leave it at the library. However when we got to the library, we discovered there were lots of them already. 

If you get stuck with your knitting, ask your local librarian, they are certain to know what's wrong.