KnitRiot guerrilla knitters leave mark at PATH homeless center

The guerrilla knitters from the Los Angeles collective KnitRiot have struck again: The anonymous crafters quietly turned up Saturday at the PATH homeless center in East Hollywood, where they installed their "Wooly WALLart," above. Hats, scarves, gloves and neck warmers were left so that residents of the transitional housing facility, which has nearly 100 beds, could pick out clothing for themselves.

KnitRiot began knitting the pieces in the summer, assembled the installation on Friday night, right, and moved it to PATH early Saturday, above.

"We like to mix craft and art with a message or a service," said one member of the collective, who declined to provide a name. ("Yarn bombing," the placement of knitted graffiti in public spaces, is technically illegal, though would anyone declare making clothes for the homeless a crime?) "We knew we wanted to bomb a homeless shelter. We chose a facility that served the community with the greatest need. PATH serves people who come in off the street." 

The PATH installation follows the group's "ArtisTREE" in Highland Park, where masked members draped an elementary school tree in colorful woolen bills to protest school budget cuts.

Contacted on Monday, a representative at PATH said the organization knew nothing of the installation. That didn't upset the knitters. "We put it up at 7 a.m.," one KnitRiot member said, "and by 9 a.m. people were walking around wearing the handmade items."

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Made by the homeless and formerly homes

-- Lisa Boone

Photo credits: KnitRiot

 

Holiday crafts with kids: modern twist on daisy chains

A classic holiday craft got a modern update this week when artist Emily Green hosted a children's daisy chain party at her Los Angeles home. “I always go back to my childhood feelings,” Green said, citing Christmas and Hanukkah parties of her youth, when she and friends made paper chains — some blue and white, some red and green — then mixed them all up and decorated one another's homes.

This time, Green (not to be confused with Home section garden columnist Emily Green) led daughter Daisy and Daisy's friends in making nondenominational chains from unconventional, often recycled materials: tinfoil, doilies, duct tape, oilcloth, vintage fabric, cut-up plastic flowers, party toothpicks, pipe cleaners and scalloped Bordette, the corrugated trim that teachers often use around bulletin boards.

PHOTO GALLERY: Emily Green's crafty home

The artist, who has her own line of housewares and accessories for children, assembled the materials into interlocking strips with a hot glue gun, and the kids added costume jewelry beads and other details. Green, pictured at right, suggested personalizing the chains with family pictures, written wishes or prayers, or kids' art cut into strips.

“Use things that you don't know what to do with,” she said.

During the party, older kids preferred to write wishes and other sentiments, which were attached as little offshoots to the chain links. Other kids preferred using only pipe cleaners. Whatever the style, the project provided not only colorful decoration but also a way for the kids to interact.

'Hardware Store' decor: Candlesticks made of plumbing parts

One minute, 26 seconds. That's how long it took to assemble the largest candlestick pictured here, one of more than three dozen ideas in Stephen Antonson and Kathleen Hackett's “Home From the Hardware Store.” The best craft projects generate an immediate reaction — quick recognition of a bit of wit. In this case, it's an amusing riff on silver candlesticks using steel hex bushings from the plumbing aisle of Lowe's. Wipe them clean with a damp rag, screw them together, done.

The only other work left is to shave the base of a standard taper, so it can nestle snugly in the top hole, and to light the match.

The authors suggest uniform candlesticks made with hex bushings, starting with one that's half an inch in diameter on one end and three-quarters-inch on the other. That piece screws into another bushing that's three-quarters-inch on one end, and 1 inch on the other. The size of the bushings grow in quarter-inch increments, ending with a 1.5-inch piece as the base. I used the same gradations of hexings but bought different bases, including one 1.5-inch T-shaped pipe fitting.

For the sake of photography, and to emphasize the contrast between the rough industrial candlesticks and the smooth, refined tapers, I left the hardware in its raw silver state. But I do think it would look good sprayed a glossy white or black.

Other projects in the book (Rodale, $22.99) — wall shelves, room screens, retro lighting, even a table runner made from copper flashing — seem plausible, if you don't mind a distinctly homemade look.

The results for this one? Quirky candlelight for a modern loft or even a Craftsman table. A fitting gift for the hammering-sawing-sanding ultimate DIYer. A prank present for the mother-in-law, perhaps wrapped in a Waterford box. The possibilities are endless.

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Concrete cupcakes

Geodesic dome gingerbread house

Top picks from the L.A. Renegade Craft Fair

— Craig Nakano

Photos: Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times

Sweet little cupcake pots in 'Concrete Garden Projects'

What says “I like you” more than a concrete cupcake? They look sweet and are half-baked in a humorous way. In terms of potential holiday table decor and DIY gifts, these little treats — one of many in the new book “Concrete Garden Projects” — have all the ingredients.

Part of the appeal of Malin Nilsson and Camilla Arvidsson’s book is simplicity: Most of the pots, vases, candle holders, stepping stones and decorative figurines in the book were created using the same easy steps: Find an interesting mold, fill it with concrete, let it dry. 

If you’ve picked your molds well, the results look great. The pots pictured here were made with jumbo cupcake molds made of silicone, which was firm enough to hold its shape but pliable enough to remove the concrete with incredible ease.

The authors recommend brushing molds with vegetable oil; I spray my silicone forms with Pam. Plop in wet mixed concrete, push in a smaller object to create the interior well (I used cheap IKEA glass votive candleholders, also sprayed with Pam), then level and smooth the top with wet fingers. After two days of baking in indirect sunlight, the silicone molds and the votive holders can be removed. Your cupcakes are ready.

These things work best as tea light holders, but if you want to use them as miniature pots with drainage, put a half-inch piece of oiled-up wine cork at the bottom of the mold before pouring in the wet concrete. After the pot has dried, the cork should pop out.

'Weekend Handmade': Do-it-yourself floral luminarias

The simple botanical luminarias in Kelly Wilkinson’s new book, “Weekend Handmade,” disprove the notion that do-it-yourself projects don’t turn out as they appear in books. The pressed-flower lanterns that I made with my kids actually turned out better than I imagined, inspiring us to make more as inexpensive holiday gifts.

I began by searching for botanical fodder in my Hancock Park neighborhood. The recent windstorm made it easy to collect castaway flowers, ferns and other items. OK, and I plucked a few.

We skipped purple sage and lavender, as they were too thick to be pressed between the thin panels of wax paper. Instead we used wispy ferns, scarlet bougainvillea petals, Mexican primrose flowers and maple leaves, dried under heavy art books over a few days and then assembled in about an hour one evening after school.

Using a craft knife, we cut eight 9-by-41/2-inch strips of wax paper to make two lanterns. (In a Mom moment, I accidentally crumpled four of the wax pieces thinking they were trash. Oops.) We arranged the botanical items between two sheets of wax paper, then applied a clothes iron set on low. The sheets fused quickly. Then we bound four panels in the shape of a sleeve using pretty Japanese washi paper tape, which is available in craft stores, specialty stationery outlets such as the Paper Source and online shops too.

The final step is the most dramatic. Add a tea light inside a glass container, and voilà — the waxy sleeve glows, casting beautiful illumination that could be used indoors or out.

The success of the lantern bodes well for “Weekend Handmade”(STC Craft/Melanie Falick Books, $27.50), which is subtitled “More Than 40 Projects and Ideas for Inspired Crafting.” I’ll give the tea towel apron a shot, as well as coasters made from bingo cards and an end table hand-blocked with gilded paper and Mod Podge.

I was happy with the lanterns’ look and especially happy with the cost – about $10 for the two lanterns, with enough materials to make several more.

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Top picks from the L.A. Renegade Craft Fair

Gingerbread house as a geodesign dome

Gingerbread house as beach bungalow

— Lisa Boone

Photo credit: Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times

Renegade Craft Fair: 10 top picks

For those who may be missing the Renegade Craft Fair, L.A. at Home has made its scouting runs to check out makers' holiday gifts, home accessories and other modern craftiness. Our roundup of picks from the show starts with Robert Mahar's rubber stamps for making DIYer gift tags. The one above is complemented by another that says: "I baked your gift. It's delicious. You'll love it and agree it tastes way better than anything else money could buy." The Mahar Craft stamps are $12 apiece and come in a gift tin, perfect for those who would rather give the stamp to a baker than do the cooking themselves.

The monster doll craze seems to have ebbed, we're happy to report, though mash-ups of cartoon drawings with profane messages on greeting cards and T-shirts is popping up more than one would hope. (Yes, that cute animal is swearing. How naughty.)

Foxes are the new owls, as witnessed in the booth of the Riverside outfit Peanut Butter Dynamite, right. Its menagerie of knitted pillows also included a monkey and penguin, each $45.

For the rest of our picks, keep reading ...

Build your own geodesic dome gingerbread house

In a lighthearted spin on Buckminster Fuller's famous look, the Echo Park design practice Scout Regalia has created a geodesic dome gingerbread house. The kit includes a laser-cut dome template, shown below right, plus recipes for gingerbread and icing and easy-to-follow instructions. The dome is about 9 inches in diameter, 6 inches tall and as sweetly colorful as you want it to be.

We have featured Scout Regalia designers Ben Luddy's and Makoto Mizutani's work before -- the modern raised garden kits, the free DIY planting table instructions, their High Desert Test Sites project. But this architectural inspiration is too delightful not to share.

"Ben and I are both really into food and cooking and baking, so the SR Gingerbread Geodesic Dome combines two of our passions," Mizutani said. 

The kit is $25 plus shipping at Scout Regalia. If you're a visual learner, check out the fun time-lapse video below.

If you're having trouble seeing the video in our post, you also can view it on Vimeo: Scout Regalia Reel 02: Gingerbread Geodesic Dome.

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-- Lisa Boone

Photo credit: Scout Regalia

Portable sewing machine from Husqvarna Viking

More than 20 years ago, I purchased my first Husqvarna Viking sewing machine for $500. Looking back, I remember thinking that was an outrageous amount of money to spend, even for someone who considers herself a good seamstress and quilter. 

Today, Husqvarna Viking machines can run as high as $10,000 as the demand for machines that can tackle major home décor projects such as embroidery has increased, said Carol Ann Williams, a staff member and instructor at Pollard’s Sew Creative in Pasadena.

Husqvarna Viking’s newest sewing machine, the H Class 100Q, is priced for the rest of us: It retails for about $499, although Pollard's is offering an introductory price of $399.

At a demonstration at Pollard's last week, I found the H Class 100Q to be user-friendly. The controls are easy to read, and I liked that it did not have an overwhelming number of bells and whistles. At 15 pounds, this is a manageable machine for beginners and pros alike who want to transport a machine to a sewing class or take it on the road. 

More than 20 quilting and utility stitches are included, and a one-step buttonhole attachment takes the guesswork out of sizing. Simply place the button on the snap-on attachment, and the machine figures it out for you. A "needle up down" function allows for pivoting, a "fix knot" function automatically ties off so there is no need for reverse stitching at the beginning and end of every seam, and a start/stop program allows you to sew without the foot pedal.

The machine also has some pretty decorative stitches if that's your thing, adjustable feed dogs for machine quilting and a detachable arm for sewing sleeves.

But the best new feature for this seamstress, 20 years later? A built-in needle threader. Thank you.

The H Class 100Q comes with a hard cover and an accessory case filled with five presser feet, one-step buttonhole foot, five needles, screwdriver, seam ripper/brush, edge/quilting guide, spool cap, felt pad, second spool pin and bobbins. For more information, visit your local dealer.

-- Lisa Boone

Photo: Husqvarna Viking

Sarah Bocket dot bowls serve up some retro flavor

Sarah Bocket's hand-painted wooden bowls, spotted at the Renegade Craft Fair over the weekend, sent me back in time.

Put an ashtray and a glass grape cluster next to the leaf dish above, and you have a coffee table vignette from my family's 1974 living room.

The bowls made me smile, and not just because they made me feel nostalgic. I love what the Los Feliz artist, pictured at right, has done with the thrift store finds: Using a tiny paintbrush, Bocket paints each dish with acrylic, covering them with multicolored dots.

The result is a fanciful mix of past and present, particularly when styled with vintage books or tabletop piece, as pictured at top.

Bocket says the dishes are "lightly food safe," meaning they can be wiped clean with a damp cloth but should not be submerged or scrubbed.

They start at about $40 apiece on Bocket's Etsy shop.

-- Lisa Boone

Photo credits, from top: Sarah Bocket, Francesca Balaguer

International Yarn Bomb Day on Saturday

Knitters, get your needles out. Saturday, June 11, is the first International Yarn Bombing Day, when crafters around the world will create playful public art by tagging parking meters with knitted cozies or adorning public statues with crocheted scarves. A yarn bomb can be as simple as wrapping a 3-inch-long knitted band around a street light pole or as elaborate as covering an entire bus in a sweater.  The practice also goes by the names of yarnstorming, guerrilla knitting and yarn graffiti.

International Yarn Bombing Day was created by the self-described "knitting ninja" Joann Matvichuk, a wacky 44-year-old Canadian in Lethbridge, Alberta. The movement quickly gained steam thanks to the power of Facebook, and yarn bombing events are planned in Melbourne, Australia; Berlin; Vancouver, Canada; and beyond. Here in L.A., the KnitRiot Collective is planning to adorn a tree near a Highland Park elementary school with knitted and felted dollars to symbolize the additional funding they wish the school district had to spend on education. Political knitting? We're all for it.

Even if you don't plan to participate, keep your eyes open on Saturday for colorful displays around the city and if you see anything great, send us a picture at home@latimes.com.

To get a sense of what you might see, here's a photo gallery of recent yarn bombs from around the world: www.latimes.com/features/home/la-hm-international-yarn-bomb-pictures,0,928410.photogallery.

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-- Deborah Netburn

Photo: A yarn-bombed bench at Martin Place in Syndey, Australia. Credit: EPA / Tracey Nearmy