Local crocheting and knitting

Good morning from sunny South Africa!  South Africans produce the most beautiful works of art and craft and travelling the Little Karoo is an experience of visual indulgence.  Between the pink, yellow, white and purple flowers currently carpeting the area and the works of craft, it is hard to choose a favourite image.

The "Smitswinkel" is a Karoo Farm Shop/Roadstall located on the R62 between Calitzdorp and Oudtshoorn. The shop and cafe is co-owned by Marianne and Frances who also run a job creation project involving a group of ladies living on and nearby the farm. These ladies were born into extreme poverty and challenging social circumstances and now earn a sustainable income through the craft of hooking and knitting Their story will soon be told in a local magazine, the Landbouweekblad and for those interested in the work created from string, Marianne or Frances can be contacted on +27 44 213 3801 or via mail at  smitswinkel@gmail.com

Oh how I wish I could shop and shop, but alas all my purchases are currently influenced by the size of that one suitcase I am living out of during this period of relocating between Malaysia and India via a pit-stop in South Africa.  Have a great day.  Cheers!

The project space where fingers are regularly crafty with string

Bags knitted from string and adorned with crochet flowers  

Images from "The Smitswinkel" where we also popped in for breakfast and cake in addition to enjoying the craft work. Below on the chairs the knitted throws can be seen.

Knitting and Crocheting Narratives

I am fascinated by the human condition - the social, historical, cultural, political, economical, personal, local and global lives and stories of people as told in their own voices, seen through their own eyes, created with their own hands. Narratives take on many different forms from photo-stories to digital storytelling, poetry, art, knitting, crocheting, cooking, writing, playing and more - all representations of personal experiences, thoughts, feelings and emotions. These living stories are poignant, never boring and often vivid in imagery, expressing powerful messages of inspiration, optimism and hope. 

Icelandic knitter Bergrós Kjartansdóttir created a powerful narrative through knitting a series of 7 dresses when someone close to her became seriously ill and Kjartansdóttir herself struggled to accept the sickness and anguish. She turned to knitting as a form of own therapy. It is the second dress in the series, titled "Spring" that I am drawn to over and over again. It is simply beautiful and captures the spirit of the Icelandic spring after the dark, harsh winter. I struggled to find more information on the web other than what was published by the Icelandic Knitter and therefore will quote: 

"It’s all her soul, her anguish as much as her joy, that designer Bergrós Kjartansdóttir put in this wonderful dress. It will make you feel good because who doesn’t like spring? This is the second dress from a collection of “7 happy dresses”. Because she didn't have “7 happy days”".

The pattern is available from Ravelry.

Aleksandr, the very last knitter

Oh you just have to watch this short award-winning animation about the very last knitter.  I am by no means a knitter, oh no I am not a good girl, I am a bad girl, a hooker ;-) indeed! However I really enjoyed this short story about knitting. More about this animation project can be viewed here



Aleksandr (english subtitle) from Aleksandr Team on Vimeo.