thinking

it is a cold day today - extreme weather alert. So the chances of living and staying healthy on the streets is diminishing.

what you see above is our "pot" of wool! it is this that feeds us. we received some community donations of wool, needles, fabric, and more... so an enormous thank you to donors! we appreciate the attention - it really means much more than the wool, the needles. it means that people are actively thinking about this community. and by doing so, thinking, they begin to imply relationship.

happy birthday afternoon tea

today we celebrated the birthdays of all women with a (vegan) cake - chocolate with vanilla frosting and red icing decorations. around the sides of the cake were written words: crochet, knit, tea, talk, sew... on the top were the words "happy birthday" and some hearts, as well as icing balls of yarn! delicious.

however i felt also like some small piece of this cake was absent. One of the women who comes regularly has now left... and we will miss her but also wish her well as her life continues... it would have been nice to share this cake with her...

today we were 16 women. many of us continue to knit our knee warmers but there are many other projects on the go as well. including baby blankets for one of the women - who is due soon. next week our plan is to begin designing the banners. we are also arranging a trip to the art gallery. and still planning that knit in!

the women are filled with ideas about how to make our shelter systems better. first of all they would appreciate permanent housing, and recognition that shelters are not and should not be long term solutions. they would also appreciate housing for women over 50. there is a sense that perhaps shelters for specific groups would keep more women off the streets... and the usual wish for no bedbugs!

mute, silence

it's what we do, when the television is on and we want to take a phone call, what we wish we could do when someone is talking endlessly about something we may have a different opionion about.... i get a sense that our society would like to keep women who have experienced homelessness on mute...

but today it was noisey. many voices chattering over tea - women from different cultures, countries, with different belief systems all coming together for an afternoon of art. today we were learning how to make knee pads. one woman stated that they would be really helpful when she had to go back to the streets - good for keeping her knees warm. we thought that once we are done we will photograph us all wearing them! the pattern is not too complex, a ribbed stitch, moving into a shaped purl for the knee and then back to the ribbing (k2, p2) - if we figure out how to write a pattern down i may post it. right now we have an example that we are studying.

some of the women talked about the group itself, and that it was helpful. just to spend some time where there were no rules, where beauty was deemed an inherent part of life. and perhaps also it is a place where women can make some of what they have lost. a scarf, mittens, a sweater or hat. a picture for a wall. small and essential parts of life.

and we may well be knitting outside soon. we have decided that we would like to take our work onto the streets in order to bring more awareness of homelessness and what people in poverty face. stay tuned.

This is the sign for our group these days! Enough sugar to make it a sweet time for all of us as we continue to work on the crafts that seem to come so naturally...

The tea pot is filled with the reminiscences of the afternoon - now turned to tea leaves. and in the middle of it is the mash up of contributions -looking gorgeous!

learning from our mothers...

We began our work on obi belts today... hours of work left me with an "h" and an "o"... part of "home" that will eventually be spelled out.

In the quiet of the afternoon, women drank tea, knit, crocheted, embroidered and thought about home.

Today part of what we chatted about was how each of us learned to knit and crochet. We found out that women learned in schools and from the hands of their mothers and grandmothers. Some of us also learned to memorize patterns from a quick look at a book that is too expensive to purchase.

imagine

We have been working at Evangeline this autumn and imagining the kinds of transformation that can take place... Here is a banner that we have imagined. We hope to be able to work toward the creation of a series of banners which incorporate the work that we are doing there... bringing the inside, outside...

knitting

I have been thinking a great deal about knitting and crocheting... large and small. Maybe because i just finished the scarf you see above? And I have been looking at the work of many artists including Canadian Janet Morton. Her large scale (and more intimate projects) are inspiring to this Toronto gal. In fact as we begin the next phase of the Evangeline project we will be introducing her work to the women. Our goal is for us all to begin imagining... and what better place to start than with projects that have used the domestic handicraft of women to transform spaces and places.

Some Small Success to Celebrate

Have been wanting to let the community know that the Red Wagon Collective was successful in receiving grants from both the Toronto Arts Council and the Ontario Arts Council. Our deepest appreciation goes out to these Councils - without their support we would not be able to engage in this community arts project. This means we are starting our work with the folks at Evangeline again, so stay tuned!

Working at Evangeline

The Gathering Space of course changes and somehow stays the same, in its heart. The location has shifted, but the red wagon lives and thrives. We have been working at Evangeline for months now but so busy that we have not posted! We means Loree, Kim (at times), me (Nancy) and Liz. Loree did have to leave us for a post with the Ontario Arts Council... So sad but at the same time... so grand!
And so my intent is to catch up with what we have been doing. And that includes updating, finding images, and telling those who miss us what we have been up to!

Home Sweet Home

          


Home Sweet Home, The Gathering Space's final exhibition at our studio/gallery space at Cool Hand of a Girl in April 2008 featured a unique collection of work that included invitations from artists to participate in the collection and work that was the result of collaborations with community members. We want to thank everyone - artists and community members - for their generous contributions.