Birley, Sheffield

Went for a stroll this morning and noticed how the leaves have really gone in the past week so thought about my November project

Leaves

Leaves might die and fall from the living tree but life carries on - Enjoy life

5th November 1605

Remember, remember the 5th of November,
Gunpowder, treason and plot
I can think of no reason why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot

Tonight is Guy Fawkes Night here in the UK it is one of the few festivals that I really enjoy - probably because all of the explosions and fireworks.

I am intrigued. Are we celebrating that he didn't blow up parliament and the king, or are we celebrating that fact that someone tried to voice their frustration, to take their stand in such a dramatic way that it give hope to all those who are down trodden.

P.S. I know the history of it, I know the religious basis of it, I know that things like that are still in this world and that really we haven't moved on in over 400 years. I feel saddened that a group of individuals felt so frustrated at their lack of power that they chose to commit an extreme act of violence and that it could have been sorted if only they had a voice.

Why?

I have been asked by a few people why I am doing this so here is an attempt to explain.

I started knitting again after coming across the fabulous Ravelry a few months back. It gave me an outlet for those vague creative streaks that everyone gets from time to time but also opened up my world to the art form of Knitted Graffiti. At last here was an action that fulfilled my desire to express myself more publically but that I didn't actually have to have an artistic bent to achieve the desired effect.

Graffiti is often seen as something that damages the urban landscape but I see some of it as expressions of life, of making a statement and even of taking a stand. It is a brilliant form of subversive fist waving that says I AM HERE AND I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY.

Knitted Graffiti is a burst of colour and beauty aid the blight of the regulated urban environment and I think that it is about making people smile and softening the harshness of modern life.

I am influenced by others who have taken this amazing art form to the streets all over the world. Some of the knit-activists are spreading a political message. Some are making their part of the world a more pleasant experience for everyone and encouraging a sense of community. I am using my projects to spread a bit of love and smile through the non-threatening medium of knitting. All of my projects are designed to be non-permanent and non-destructive. Basically if you don't like it then just unravel it.