Yarn Art at the Vancouver International Children’s Festival

7 June, 2013

We often receive requests for yarn for charity knitting and are happy to oblige when we can. But earlier in May, I received a request from the Vancouver International Children’s Festival for their Weaving Workshop. I could not have been more delighted when I saw these photos of what our donations helped make:

Vancouver’s International Children’s Festival is a non-profit world-renowned festival of performing arts that educates and inspires young audiences. This Festival has been attracting over 2 million visitors since 1978. The Festival bring performers from all over the world to share their culture with the children. In addition to performances there are over 15 hands-on activities for the children to further their imagination and learnings.

Here’s the email I received from Heather Jones of Biscuit Tin Studios this morning:

I want to thank SweetGeorgia Yarns for the donation of incredible yarns you set aside and gave to me last week. These yarns were incredibly special in the most gorgeous rainbowy hues. We used them for very specific purposes, one of the most notable being the creation of the snake eyes.

Attached are a few images of the snake created at this past weeks Vancouver International Children’s Festival. Artists Heather Jones and Islando Bocock, with workshop support from Maggie Winston and Meta Vaughan, created the skeleton of a large two headed snake (a hydra). Over the course of the week thousands of kids came through the workshop, taking a strip of fabric each and weaving it into the snake. The snakes body formed a tunnel. It was a magic woven rainbow inside with twisting ribbons hanging down and speckled sunlight coming in through the cracks. Kids would run through the tunnel, from one end to the other and back round again, over and over again, inventing new games each time inside this hidden world.

In addition to the snake, some of the yarn was also used to create complex woven webs between the trees, with ribbons tied into them, they caught the sunlight and inspired a festive creative spirit. The whole park, from its fence running the entire perimeter around the park, to the trees, to the large snake running through it’s middle, was woven with rainbow strings, ribbons, and fabric strips. It was a beautiful and inspiring project! Thanks so much SweetGeorgia Yarns for your support in creating these art pieces through your generous donation of yarns!

Handwoven Hydra, designed by Heather Jones for the Vancouver International Children's Festival
Handwoven Hydra, designed by Heather Jones for the Vancouver International Children’s Festival

What a magical and imaginative installation! And my favourite photo of them all is this little girl crouched inside the body of the handwoven hydra.

We do often have a lot of seconds yarns on hand and while we do sell them in the studio for a hefty discount, I also like to ensure that some of that yarn goes to school programs or non-profit events like these. We do also donate yarns to groups who make items for charity. I only have two hands and can only knit so much… but I love the idea that our yarns are being made into things that will warm, sustain, and inspire people.

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