Pack Rat Magazine wants to know; where my girls at?

Well, ask for recycled craft blogs and you shall receive them. I came across two different blogs that occupy opposite corners of the recycle movement spectrum. One called The Visible Trash Society, the other is Haute Nature. Visible Trash Society takes a look at what artists in this country are doing with refuse and waste. They scout out a lot of street art and side of the road finds, like the picture of street artist’s Joshua Allen Harris’s Air Bear below. Most of what they hone in on is perhaps more “folk art” where as Haute Nature, as the name implies is the more high end, sheeshy poo poo version of recycled crafts. Both are fantastic sites for inspiration, and Haute Nature actually has some d.i.y. tutorials, like the one for this dollar bill koi fish pictured below. I don’t know about you, but I’m endlessly facinated by how people can reinvent waste into something people want to see. I also love thinking that the art materials people are using have a history, a past, some kind of story. So, check them out. Compare, contrast and over all, enjoy!

Pat Rack Magazine knows that beer is the cause of–and solution to–all of life’s problems.

Now, that I’ve got those Simpsons references out of my system. I, as I’m sure you are all aware by now, am not a knitter. But I love it. Think about it. Tie a knot, make a loop and its one thing. Tie hundreds of knots, make thousands of loops, and if you do it in the correct pattern, a hat, or glove, or shawl begins to appear. Or, in the case of this free pattern I found through The Daily Knitter, a super cute sweater vest. Now like I said, I’m not a knitter myself, but The Daily Knitter appears to be a pretty good resource, with links to tons of free patterns, a large yarn directory, reviews on knitting books and guides and more. If you click needles together, let me know what you think of it. I’d be curious to see how this holds up under some serious knitter’s scrutiny.

Pack Rat Magazine says “Spoon!”

Check it! (said in a Beastie Boys voice) I found this Hamburger Dress created by Colorado based artist Joy Kampia O’Shell in 2005 recently and went completely mooney eyed over it. It’s both fun and beautiful at the same time. Here’s the artist’s statement regarding her work in general:

“Because I enjoy the irony between subject matter and material, I have merged my favorite subject matter (food) with my favorite process (crochet). I love food too much to be satisfied with its transience; therefore I am driven to give it permanence through art. I am a passionate advocate for crochet as an art medium–going beyond its traditional uses and exploring its limitless possibilities. By taking both food and crochet out of their ordinary settings, I hope to challenge the viewer’s preconceived notions of their roles.

And I hope it makes people hungry.”

Pack Rat Magazine likes to party all the time, party all the time, paaaaarty all the tiiiiime!

Hi crafty craftersons! If any of you dudes and dudettes live in the Cali area (specifically San Francisco) and are looking for a big ol’ D.I.Y. show to sell your wares, Renegade Craft Fair will be accepting applications for their San Francisco show until May 2. Don’t be afraid to get yourself out there!

Pack Rat Magazine has 364 days to train for the Boston Marathon.

Weddings are a funny thing. They start out being about two people sharing their love with their closest family and friends, and then they typically become these monster projects that are more focused grouped then a prime time sitcom. In the attempt to please everyone, sometimes no one is happy. One of the alternatives? Don’t half ass it, embrace the things you love, like this totally Knitted Wedding of Freddie and Ben, devotees of knitting and members of the UK group, Cast Off. Flipping through the gallery photos of their wedding, I’m floored by the amount of labor and love that went into this thing. Everything, absolutely everything is knitted. The wedding dress, the bouquet, the obscenely long train, the bridesmaids’ dresses, the food, the cameras, even the cans tied to the back of their “Just Married” bike. Such an outpouring of effort and community love…you can even hear the needles still clicking away. My absolutely favorite moment is when the happy couple come out of the church, under a battalion of over-sized knitting needles held like swords above their heads. If this idea gets your idea box a-thrumming, check out these starter directions for flowers and food and more and make your own knit wedding (mock or otherwise).