I came across this wonderful find, “Where Do We Go From Here?” at MacLeod’s Books and couldn’t help but post it for more to see.  I’m not exactly sure  when it was published, but my best guess is that it was some time after 1945 (just after WW II).

The Ideological Age is an age where Absolute Honesty, Absolute Purity, Absolute Unselfishness, and Absolute Love will rule all.  It reads like a children’s book, and I really recommend atleast just skimming the pages, it’s a really great example of Post-War Idealism.

Below are some scans of the original pages, and I’ve scanned all 63 pages and made a PDF for all to see – check it out!

]]> http://bluemollusc.com/first-craft-o-rama-at-the-vancouver-hack-space/feed/ 0 http://bluemollusc.com/grown-in-detroit-documentary-about-detroit-teens-becoming-urban-farmers/ http://bluemollusc.com/grown-in-detroit-documentary-about-detroit-teens-becoming-urban-farmers/#comments Sun, 18 Jul 2010 18:25:23 +0000 emily http://bluemollusc.com/?p=652 Originally from Windsor, Ontario, Detroit has always felt like a close neighbour to me.  Crossing the border felt like entering through an aged time warp.  You could see all the prosperity from the ’80s, aged, overgrown and abandoned.  From the crackling paintings at the DIA (which have since been better restored), to the beautifully ornate architecture –

The trailer for Grown in Detroit does a wonderful job describing its current state, and what its hopes are for the future, with urban farming.  Can’t wait to see this one and what is in store for the city.

Also, I’m putting together a presentation for a craft night at Vancouver Hack Space (VHS) on Monday, July 5th. We’re hoping that it will be a weekly event!  (which means we need more people to share some of their awesome ideas ! (I know you have them) – everything from crafting, to gardening & cooking … )  – I’m super excited about this!  and if I don’t already have your email/contact information, please send it over and I’ll put you on the list.  Can’t wait!!

Natural Dying at Baaad Anna’s

We used marigolds to get this awesome shade of yellow.  Apparently marigolds grow all over Vancouver & all you have to do is pick them, dry them, and grind them up.  I have so much to learn!

Straining out the Marigolds:

Post-boiling/Pre-washed:

Magic.

I <3

My main approach to this particular design was to work with how I’ve seen upcycling implemented in real life – ie. taking a part an old or second hand wool sweater and making a new one with it, etc. I chose to also incorporate ideas related to thrift (ie. mending/darning socks), as well as celebrating where our resources come from (ie. trees). Overall I wanted the aesthetic to be more polished, as upcycling itself is about making something that is of higher value. I liked the idea of juxtaposing this aesthetic with more “ragged” elements, like old socks.

in progress sketches:

I’ve been reading Future Fashion: White Papers which is a book I highly recommend!  it has been so inspiring and has really given me the ability to embrace fashion,  while leaving behind the part that I don’t love so much (the polluting side).  I’ve learned so much about process and it has filled in a lot of the “unknowns” I have about materials.

All papers are equally brilliant, but one in particular inspired me to play with some more type.  John Patrick, of Organic had mentioned that when he began his business, he started with the mantras, “Make Less, Better & Slowly” , which really resonated with me.  I’m all for making – but the thought of making “less” really hit home – to make a knitted sweater that takes months to create just one, over buying one for about 50 bucks from the mall.

In a society that is revolving around living & moving faster, it’s totally contradictory to slow down and actually do less. But it makes perfect sense!  We’re so inflated in terms of what we own, and what piles up in our house, it really seems appropriate to simplify.

So, i decided to hand draw the type (which isn’t really new for me), but use my old school iBook (c. 2006), which was much slower than my beastly macbook pro – to assemble it all.   I went through having to delete files just so that I had enough free space, and applications ran a lot slower – and in earlier versions.  But to be honest, it was great!  and seemed really appropriate for the affirmation.  So, I took some screenshots of my process and decided to share them with you!  (Let’s just hope my computer doesn’t crash while I upload this!) Cheers!

In Progress:

Totoro Mittens on Ravelry:

Katamari Ear Muffs on Ravelry:

Awesome Socks on Ravelry:

Knitted Key Cozies (Image found on Flickr):

Knitted Beer Cozies:

Link to beer can Pattern here

Awesome slouchy hat on Ravelry:

Day of the Tentacle Figures: No pattern unfortunately and I think these ones are crocheted.  But super cool anyways.

Book Jacket Pattern found on Ravelry:

]]> http://bluemollusc.com/on-the-look-out-for-awesome-knitting-patterns/feed/ 1 http://bluemollusc.com/a-type-filled-week-end/ http://bluemollusc.com/a-type-filled-week-end/#comments Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:02:28 +0000 emily http://bluemollusc.com/?p=408 In order to unwind & get ready for the week ahead, I spent some time doing some handmade type on Sunday, for a display for some of my work coming up at an exhibition in Chinatown and for Vincent’s relatives in Amsterdam.  Stay tuned for more!

Oh and this photo was taken on my iPhone with the CrossProcess app.  I’ve been pretty addicted to the Hipstomatic app – mostly out of accessibility (I always have my iPhone on me) – but this one’s kind of fun too because you can get bigger photos (the Hipstomatic one crops some of the image) … although, I have this feeling that in about 2 months, all of these holga-y apps may start to be kind of lame.

]]> http://bluemollusc.com/shameless-self-promotion/feed/ 1 http://bluemollusc.com/what-im-reading-bohus-stickning/ http://bluemollusc.com/what-im-reading-bohus-stickning/#comments Wed, 14 Apr 2010 23:57:27 +0000 emily http://bluemollusc.com/?p=273 I was super excited to learn about the  beginnings of Bohus Stickning  in Knitting Traditions Magazine .

The brains behind the patterns is Vienna-born Emma Jacobsson.  With a degree in the visual arts and a PhD in Botany, she had an interest in the handicrafts, but she upset her father when she went into botany, as he felt that she should be doing something more “womanly.”  Little did he know that during the great depression in the 1930s, she would be called upon by a group of women from Bohuslän, a southwestern province in Sweden, to start a business together.   She was largely responsible for the designs and patterns themselves, based on historic textiles, including Peruvian weavings and Chinese textiles, as well as motifs found in nature.  She was known for her high standards, precise recordkeeping, and effective marketing techniques.

Bohus Stickning was born in 1939 and lasted until 1969.

Jacobbsson died in her 90s and all who attended her funeral wore her famous sweaters.

To read more about Bohus Stickning, here are some awesome books on the subject.  Photos found on Flickr: shutterhoney & cherylfrancis

“[...]What you need to know is, love exists here [...] If you let the city give, and nurture you, you have a responsibility to give back.”  amen.

{Images from China Town & Beyond!}