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Reasons to buy handmade

by on 02. Mar, 2011 in Uncategorized

Read below and sign up too, artists and makers NEED you

This is an excerpt from the UK Handmade campaign

Why Buy Handmade?
Buying from small independent businesses and individual makers has never been so important particuarly given the current economic climate. A recession can often be a perfect time to start a small business and the current cultural shift towards self-sufficiency means that a huge number of people are setting up on their own. Our own forum has over 2300 members with more joining daily!
Not only that but buying handmade has advantages and benefits that you won’t get buying from the larger stores on the high street.

* Many designer / makers will happily produce items that are made to order and bespoke so you can get something uniquely personal at surprisingly affordable prices because many designers don’t have the same overheads as shops.
* Buying locally reduces your carbon footprint because products haven’t been shipped from the other side of the world.
* Buying locally also means the money you spend stays in your area and boosts the local economy.
* Independant makers care about the things they make so building a relationship with local designer / makers means you are guaranteed outstanding customer service and exceptional quality.

I Am A Designer / Maker / Supporter – How Can I Get Involved?

* Firstly sign the pledge over on the campaign page and add your name to the cause.
* Tell everyone you know, friends, family and colleagues about the campaign and why they should buy from you and your fellow makers.
* Add the campaign badge to your blog or website (you can get the html code for the badge from the campaign page. If you do blog don’t forget to let UK Handmade know by leaving a comment on the campaign page!
* Share this article on twitter, digg, facebook etc).
* Tell UK Handmade what you are doing in your own area to support local businesses and designers to improve your own economy and help handmade in general and UK Handmade may post it on the website, contact info@ukhandmade.co.uk with your stories!

Let’s get the UK buying handmade!!

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A celebration to finished knits

by on 11. Jan, 2011 in Uncategorized

I had this idea to start with that this post would be about some little treats I found for you all like this link to all the BBC afternoon plays from 2007 to listen to whilst knitting and then an article on a knitting win but that has slipped from my brain, and then an extraordinary cardigan from Cardigan is here, someone posted on the outcasts page this but instead I think I am going to applaud the completion of the Ishbel by Wildfennel, for those of you aren’t on facebook – this has been a long time in the brewing but it is amazing… well done B

The Amazing Ishbel

Here’s chinking a Campari at you B!
So anyone else got any lingering knits or WIP’s that need to finish brewing?

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what is a knitter?

by on 23. Nov, 2010 in Knit

This post is devoted to the ideas that anyone can be a knitter and a knitter can be anything else too – being a knitter isn’t mutually exclusive to being a homemaker, or a stereotype of being old – hell, I think I am young (but that may be as my mind is permanently set at the age of 24 < it was a good year!) but if you ask my teenage children I am obviously geriatric in my years. In fact ticking any form and filling in a box further down the page fills me with the idea that no matter how young I feel, how much energy I may have, other peoples perceptions of my age group is probably not what I want it to be.

The same can be said of knitting, yes, it may have been having a resurgence in the past few years but isn't the idea of being cool, not even knowing that you are? I work in the arts, across many fields, in fact I am an artist by training but hearing at a meeting the other day about the organisation I work at (jelly) being mentioned in a derogatory way as *oh, they're the knitters* by someone made me see red. Firstly by the implication of knitting being somehow minor and not being able to connect with people (think of the project we recently did in Jacksons, new friendships, Outside Inside festival, developing creativity) and secondly that jelly works with so many people in so many artforms that it made me understand that the problem lay not with the knitting nor the organisation but with that particular persons perceptions of the value of the arts (but don't get me started there).

The definition of a knitter (n.) One who, or that which, knits, joins, or unites; a knitting machine made me smile, take away the activity and think about why we meet – it’s about joining in, sharing, uniting, being with people who’s paths you may be unlikely to cross for geographic, political, social or religious reasons. Sit at knit night and listen to different people talk, engineer, designer, geneaologist, mums, artists, HR, linguists, researcher, product development, new technology, student and the list goes on.

So here, go see work that’s by a *knitter*

Susan Clark, 27/28 Market Place Reading

Sue Clark’s work is inhabiting the window at 27/28 Market Place.

Bird House number 3

I tell stories through collected objects and my own drawings and textiles. I use my imagination to make up explanations for things that I don’t quite understand, and am inspired by museum displays, full notebooks, collections, travelling, writing and open spaces. I use boxes, rooms, bottles and cases to frame or contain my assembled objects. And then there’s a lot more collecting, rearranging and editing until a story begins to emerge. It might be a chance juxtaposition or an unexpected cropping that sets off a train of thought. And then I draw, sew, knit and print to bring it all together. My work rarely turns out to be a picture on a wall. It’s more likely to be a three dimensional, narrative piece with a strong sense of place

Susan Clark, Bird House no 3

All photos © Barbara Ghiringhelli 2010

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Nuit Blanche

Nuit Blanche

by on 13. Oct, 2010 in Uncategorized

Counting down to Nuit Blanche…. the outcasts will be in the ArtPad knitting nightcaps…

Nuit Blanche is an exciting “cultural all-nighter” presenting contemporary art events from dusk to dawn. It enlivens cities all round the world such as Paris, Berlin and Toronto, and 2010 is the debut for Reading. This first year will be a small but magical series of indoor and outdoor events on the night of 15/16 October.

The Nuit Blanche Reading website will list the program organised by partners OpenHand OpenSpace, jelly, Whitley Arts Festival, Rising Sun Arts Centre and arjeea21, with activities in the Town Centre, Whitley,
and the Keep on Oxford Road supported by Reading UK CIC and Reading Borough Council. New events will be added as people join in, so keep checking back to www.nuitblanchereading.org.uk and prepare to become cultural night owls.

A taster of the evening includes:

Sunset Walk, Restoration Centre, Dawlish Road, Whitley, Friday 15th October, Meet from 5.15pm, leaving 5.40pm


Join the sunset walk, with artist Jo Thomas from The Restoration Centre to the Water Meadows in Whitley (20 minute walk) to watch the sunset at 6.11pm. During the experience you will encounter the instruments and artifacts that artist Jo Thomas has created in the previous two months. After the sunset walk, a narrow boat will take you into Reading Town Centre where you can experience other events taking place as part of Nuit Blanche

Diamond necklace Affair, Mirren Kessling

Toile de Joi, Friday 15 October 6.00 -12.00, 173 Friar Street Special creation by Mirren Kessling: “Toile de Joi” 15 Oct 6-12pm. Work will be shown there until 31 Oct. Gallery 3 is part of the Whitley Arts Festival and this year is being curated by jelly’s Open for Art Project, funded by Reading UK CIC. There will be no public access to the space.

Lit Forest, Friday 15 October 6 – 10pm, Market Place, Reading
The Lit Forest will be a light installation in Market Place; supported by Blachere Illumination (UK) Ltd
Blachere are the provider of the town centre festive lighting displays, funded by Reading UK CIC through the Business Improvement District. Blachere is supporting a drawing activity being delivered by the jelly team where participants will be invited to create their own light design

photgraphy by Salvo Toscano

Night Photographers, The Artpad, 3rd Floor, 42 Market Place, Reading 6 – 8.30pm A special photo studio where photographer, Salvo Toscano, will be photographing 100 visitors to the Nuit Blanche event using a medium format camera and roll film. Salvo will then lead one of the artists talks around Reading at 8.50, bring your camera along and join in. Any photos taken that night can be added to the Nuit Blanche Reading flickr group.

The Artpad 3rd floor, 42 Market Place Fri 15 Oct 6-12pm An evening of creativity up at jelly’s artpad, including spoken word workshops, knitters knitting night caps, sound workshops, projections, a creative space. Art walks will leave the artpad at 6.50pm, 8.50pm and 10.50pm. Pop up for an update on what’s happening and where. Please note there is limited access to the space

Hereabouts Fri 15 Oct, 6.30 – 9pm, Reading Town Hall. Projections and interventions by Jo Thomas as part of her Hereabouts exhibition, WAF’s major art commission for 2010

St Marys Project
, Friday 15th October 9.00pm – 10.30pm, St Mary’s Church, Reading Town Centre

In its second year Chris Lambert (MFZ Productions) and visual projectionist Porij re-vision the iconic St Mary’s Church and its surroundings with music and visuals that challenge and illuminate the historic building. The project is curated by Whitley Arts Festival, supported by the Open for Art Project

Parcel Fever, From 6pm 15 October until 5am 16 October, Event takes place on the ground floor of the Keep, 571 Oxford Road, Tilehurst, Reading RG30 1H
An art exhibition celebrating the anticipation and enjoyment of unwrapping parcels. Instead of the usual procedure where submitted work is unwrapped and installed beforehand, the whole process will be enjoyed by all. The evening/night is likely to consist of artists and visitors hanging out together, unwrapping art, setting it up, looking at it, playing with it, eating and drinking, trying to keep warm and not to go to sleep!

The Dawn Chorus, Sunrise Market Place/ Forbury Gardens
See in the sunrise by joining the dawn chorus.
The Retreat Singers are absorbing guest singers for the Dawn Chorus @ Reading Nuit Blanche. Rehearsals at the Jelly for two weeks, culminating in a dawn chorus, 6am on Saturday 16 October

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A wet weekend

by on 28. Aug, 2010 in Uncategorized

sssshhh, don’t tell anyone else I am here but I was looking at knitting for art’s work and this made me smile.

(ps it is actually sunshine right now as I write this but last night was a very wet Friday night at Reading Festival 2010)

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Outside:Inside Festival – call for submissions

by on 08. Jun, 2010 in Uncategorized

http://www.outsideinsidefestival.com
The Outside:Inside Festival is a month long celebration of the arts. Music, Film, Art, Theatre and Dance are all showcased throughout the festival period amongst the festivals inside and outside spaces.
The Concept? Simple. The Outside:Inside takes the inside art institutions outside for the general public like yourself to enjoy out on the streets, and open spaces; whilst the outside festival vibe is taken inside, into the venues and into the shops, the restaurants, bars and quite possibly some pretty unusual places too, but you will have to keep your eyes peeled for that.

Performers will be descending on Reading from around the globe, with acts representing many great nations including Israel, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Canada, the USA, and even Transylvania, Romania. These top global acts will bring a wealth of differing global styles with them, interacting with the huge amount of local talent whic will be drawn to the festival.
Interaction is the key, build an art installation, stroll the art market stalls, chooe from a worldwide array of food, ponder the outside art, sing along to the bands on stage, take a moment to reflect on the poetry and spoken word, be suprised by the random improvised theatre, foot-tap to a bit of Jazz or getting down and dirty at one of our inside venues afterparties or headline shows alongside the festival profile bands, big name DJs, and organisers till the wee hours.

The Mission:
The Outside:Inside Festival is brought to you by Outside Inside LTD with the support of Reading UK CIC.
Their joint aim. To provide Reading with a new more vibrant and celebrated culture, whilst providing a voice to the wealth of artistic talent and young enterprise in the Thames Valley area.
The festival is for you. The people of Reading, the familys, the shop workers, the shop owners, the bartenders, the professional, the young, and the old. This is why we have made all outside space free. It won’t cost you a penny to come along and interact.

The Art Bits:
Submissions/ proposals are invited to use the following spaces at the following times. Please send all proposals to suzanne@jelly.org.uk. All submissions must be received by 28 June 2010

31st July
Behind BSM/ Civic Office area/ Dusseldorf Way, Clomnel Walk area
12-8pm( or hours in between them)

14th August
Market Place
-Through Bristol & West Walk, outside either ends of the space
12-8 ( or hours in between them)

21st August
Forbury Gardens
-Any area really –
12-8 ( or hours in between them)

looking forward too hearing from you!

Suzanne Stallard
Director

e suzanne@jelly.org.uk
website http://jelly.org.uk

jelly is an arts organisation in the heart of Reading. Established in 1993 as an artist led studio and exhibition facility, jelly is a registered charity limited by guarantee 1100730, running exhibitions, educational activities, special arts events with the visual arts and creative excellence being top of our agenda.

jelly’s charitable objectives are:

• To promote the development of the arts and in particular the visual arts for the benefit of the local community by providing studio space and facilities for public exhibitions and by organising events which improve public access to the arts

• To advance education by promoting understanding and learning about the creative processes involved in the visual arts

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Creating Together

Creating Together

by on 17. May, 2010 in Uncategorized

Since the Knit A Poem letters and our Outcast banner we’ve worked together on two secret projects.

Emma’s birthday mitts, an Outcast project for a special birthday.

The Skein Queen Hug Blanket, which the Outcasts contributed to along with other fans/friends of Skein Queen. Blogged about here.

Group projects are always fun but there’s something extra special about these secret projects. The knitters conspire and strategise to combine their efforts into something greater than what the individual would achieve. The finished objects end up with such fantastic stories of their creation.
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Give fleece a chance

by on 09. Feb, 2010 in Uncategorized

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Belated Happy New Knitty Year

by on 26. Jan, 2010 in Uncategorized

Outcast are still knitting away and meeting each week. Just been a bit quiet on the blog. To kick off the new year – have a look at this animation “Life Behind the Scenes” by David Shrigley for Pringle. Hope it makes you smile.

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Outcasts Banner Pattern

Outcasts Banner Pattern

by on 23. Oct, 2009 in Uncategorized

It’s been a busy Autumn so far for us at Outcasts HQ and our knitting-in-public appearances at IKnit Weekender in London, and LMEYD in Reading, presented the perfect opportunity to finally knit an ‘Outcasts!’ banner – after all, there’s nothing like a deadline or two!

Knitted bunting was our favoured style of banner so after drawing up lettering charts we started on the stash. Exposing our inner yarn snobs to the suitcase of banished acrylics in the corner proved extremely painful for some but resulted in remarkably quick knitting! and a very effective banner. The real gain for us though was the sheer fun of creating something together.

A free pattern and blank chart for your own personal use is available to download here. We’d love to see what you create with it so drop us a post here or on our Ravelry pattern page here.

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