Knit for Trees: our Spot on Governors Island

Today Figment got special permission to visit Governors Island while it's still closed to the public. The artists took the ferry across the river, and we were able to see the spot where the artwork is going to live for the summer. The sculpture park has amazing projects and of course, the mini-golf that has been sponsored by Figment for the past 4 years. My friend Sarah came with me, and thankfully corrected all my math mistakes when I measured the trees (did you know that 60 + 20 = 80, and not 70!).

Knit for Trees has a beautiful spots along one of the wings of Liggett Terrace. You can download a map of Governors Island here so you can easily find Knit for Trees when the park opens Memorial Day weekend.

The morning was made more exciting by a goose who started attacking Sarah as we walked to measure our first tree! While we started scolding him for being so inhospitable, we noticed that a second goose was a little further up: a mom nesting. He was not being unfriendly, he was just being a good dad!

 

The project is going to be installed on May 16th, with the help of Sarah and Heather who will do a summer internship with me. My hope is to have the 3 trees is the middle of the walk covered with knitted panels when the island opens. The directive is now: knit faster!!!

Hope to see everyone this summer!

Tutorial Series: Binding off

When you are done knitting, you will need to bind off the stitches to take them out of the needles:




You will have one stitch left on the needle.
Cut the yarn, and pull it through the last stitch: you are now done!

Tutorial Series: Basic Knitting

I use very simple knitting techniques, mostly because I want as many people as possible to participate in the project. This video shows the basic knitting stitch I use:

Work update: knitting done so far

So far, I have been knitting "blind": since I do not know what trees will be used for the project and how big they are, I do not know what size to knit my panels. I made a decision when I got the green light for the project, to make medium size panels. I knit 16" X 18" panels, and my mother who has giving me tremendous help from Florida, is knitting with the same directive so far.

Governors Island doesn't open to the public until Memorial Day weekend, and Figment is getting special permission April 22 to visit the island. Starting next week, I'll be able to knit panels that fit exactly on the trees "given" to the project, and make panels to complement what we have done so far.

Since some of you wanted to see work in progress, I am posting the panels I made, the ones my mother and my sister knitted in Florida (they are beautiful!), the balls of yarn that I cut with the help of Sarah and Mary (and all the Union Pool workers), and a test photo of my panels on a tree in a Bay Ridge park.

My mother and sister's work:

 

My work:

All the yarn cut so far:

Test run in Bay Ridge (I didn't have the FL panels yet... too bad!)

Tutorial Series: Casting on

I have been diligently knitting, waiting for Spring and the opening of Governors Island. We are scheduled to install all the Figment sculptures the week of May 16th, and Governors Island officially opens the weekend of Memorial Day.

In the meantime, I thought it would be fun to have knitting tutorials on the blog.
The first step in starting a knitting project, is to make a slip knot:



You will then need to cast stitches:

Tutorial Series: How to cut plastic into yarn. New Method!

I was looking for videos to explain how to cut plastic bags into yarn, when I came across this new method which has quite frankly revolutionized my work process:

FIGMENT Groundbreaking

Tickets are now on sale for Figment's annual fundraiser event on April 6th at 320 Studios in NYC… Join us for an intimate conversation with FIGMENT producers and artists and preview the art for FIGMENT 2011. Be the first to see the design of the new City of Dreams Pavilion, as we unveil the 2011 competition winner!

What: FIGMENT Groundbreaking
When: Wednesday April 6, 2011 from 6PM-10PM
Where: 320 Studios, 320 37th Street, 14th floor
Tickets: $75 single ticket; $250 VIP ticket package for 4 guests. Cost includes a night filled with food, wine and wonder and a grand view of the city.

To purchase tickets, click here