Tickled Pink about her forever home!

This just in... I think the Yarnburners' piano is going to be well-loved in her permanent home... take a look:

"Tickled Pink" arrives at Day Nursery thanks to the GO Ahead & Play project! @womensfundindy @Stockannette @ece pic.twitter.com/QFL6IWVp6o
— Ted Maple (@TedLMaple) August 21, 2013

Read about Day Nursery here.  Oh, how it warms my heart to know that our piano will be able to bring joy to the children, families, and the staff there!  

Our pink knit & crochet #Indypianos unsung heroes...

There are certain features of our yarnbombed piano that will only really be enjoyed once she reaches a forever home at a Women's Fund grantee organization - but that does not make them any less fabulous!  In fact, these wonderful knits are two of my very favorite parts:  

If you've visited any of the pianos out in public, you've seen that they have uniform, gray, custom-made benches, equipped with GO Ahead & Play information and maps, tethered to them. Here is Claire's gorgeous piece that covers the seat of the "permanent bench" (the one that came with the piano - bench and piano will be reunited when she retires to her indoor life of luxury).

We lined the inside of the permanent bench, leaving some of the music books and a notebook of the child (Emily) who once learned to play on our Betsy Ross Spinnet.  See that bright pink book on top?  That "sheet music" was knitted by Wenchciara, who transcribed the notes of "You Are My Sunshine" on one of the pages!  (She's also responsible for making all the lovely treble clefs that we've attached to the piano!) 

Indianapolis, you've only got a few more days (until August 18th)  to head down to Monument Circle and find "Tickled Pink, Tickling the Ivories" - GO Ahead & Play!

Weekend photo review!

Wow, what a whirlwind the GO Ahead & Play 'opening weekend' was!  I've seen so many tweets and videos and facebook posts and news stories about our "pink piano on The Circle" (and her 19 piano friends)!  It's heartwarming to know that people are enjoying this.

Friday I took a day off work.  First, I drove around to see several of the other artists' nearby pianos (I've been to see 12 of them but only got pics of 11 so far!)  

Then Kevin and I headed downtown to take some pictures and see if we saw anyone playing ours... well, we did!  But first we removed the vase that had been designed to tip over for when/if she needs to be covered to protect her from rain, but it turns out no matter how many 'florist marbles' you have in a vase, Monument Circle is windier than you think, so the thing tipped over a lot! Then Kevin attached this small felted bowl from my pal Sandi, and filled that with the flowers - it's very pretty, and low-slung, so no wind will tip it!

We talked to several people, encouraged them to play, took pics for them so their whole group could be in their photos!  Our friend Josh and his boyfriend Jonathan came down from their offices on The Circle to take a look (and play). 

We also met our piano's "Buddy" - the person who'll apply her custom-made cover if it rains.  He came down to make sure there were enough maps in her bench pocket!

After all the delightful piano hubbub, I headed to the south side, where I volunteer for a local animal rescue group.  Earlier volunteers had already cleaned all the cages and fed and watered everyone, so my "job" for the day turned out be petting, hugging, and playing with bunnies.  I guess I took 'socializing' literally; I kissed this sweet rabbit right on the head!  



 

 Merino and I also went to a movie, and had  delicious fried chicken and local corn at my  brother- and sister-in-law's, and I finally  finished the baby blanket I'm knitting for our  nephew-to-be, but I don't have pics of any of  that stuff, so here's another video of Kevin  playing our piano, because I still want to  know what you're going to GO Ahead &  Play.

Today's the day!

As I write this, the volunteers from Jay's Moving are placing (or have placed) the last of the pianos out around Indianapolis!

When telling people about yarnbombing a piano, I've had several say, "Oh, I can't play!" as if that's a valid reason not to experience pop-up art.  I can't play either, but I can appreciate finding something beautiful in an unexpected place.  So, I'm not asking you to only go see the pianos if you can play Beethoven from memory - I'm saying, go, and see if you can remember how to play "Chopsticks," or want to take a picture with an original work of art, or if you want to take a seat on a sturdy bench and look at our lovely City from a unique perspective.  

Today's video features a Women's Fund staffer's son... his song isn't long, but he played it for me - and you - and it's wonderful!

 If he can do it, so can you: GO Ahead & Play!

Young? That depends. Restless? Yes!

The excitement is building!  I can hardly wait!  The Yarnburners' piano, Tickled Pink, Tickling the Ivories, is about to make her outdoor debut!  What will you play when you meet her?

Today's video features our newest Yarnburner, my best friend Kevin, who doesn't even knit (yet?)!  He came along to the GO Ahead & Play workspace one day to help me (thank goodness!) and the next thing I knew he had a needle in hand and was miraculously, expertly stitching pieces to other pieces in contrasting yarn, which really makes for a fabulous finished look.  Don't worry, this is not the last you'll see/hear of him!   

This blog entry is meant not only to share an inside look at our process with you, lovely readers, but to tell Kev that his love, support, and humor throughout the years mean the world to me - especially his involvement in this crazy piano project (though he never once told me I was crazy for trying to cover a piano with yarn).  I love you, Boy.

Countdown to downtown!

It's about to happen!  Later this week (in three days... but who's counting?), our piano will be on Monument Circle!  Are you ready?  Have you been practicing your piano skills?  Here's a video of Tim from A Tune Above Piano Tuning (who volunteered his time to tune 20 pianos - twice!), playing a bit of music on our piano, Tickled Pink, Tickling the Ivories.  I know, you want me to zoom out so you can see the whole thing, but I didn't want to ruin the surprise when you see her in person!

It's not all about pianos and yarn.

... sometimes it's about pianos and paint.  Or pianos and mirrors.  But for me, especially today, it's mainly about pianos and smiles (and videos!  Click my links, I'm serious - I got this stuff on video)!

At first, I thought it was simply going to be cool to cover a piano with knitting (oh, I'm right about that; but I digress).  I was tickled when I'd find crochet pieces in my mailbox, and pleased as punch every time one or more of our merry band of "fiber enthusiasts" would join me at a "piano knit night."  And how nice to walk into the LYS (local yarn shop) and find someone had left a knitted piece or a ball of yarn in the "Pink Piano" basket!

Then I started to notice as I would encounter other artists or Women's Fund staff or their families in the workspace, every single time they saw our pink, yarny piano, they smiled.  They touched it.  They told me they wanted to hug it.  Then they smiled some more.  Sure, I thought, these are people on the journey with us.  Of course they are being supportive.

There were two preview events for for the pianos today, and I went to both - these were the only chances people would have to see all 20 in one room!  At the first one, there were lots of kids... and they loved our piano (especially the pom poms).  One toddler tapped on the keys for a minute, with a big smile on her face, and then she looked at me very seriously and said, "Thank you for making this pretty piano."  I swear, I teared up!  I thanked her for playing it, and I had to look away because I didn't want a baby to know I was a crybaby!    

At the second event, people were admiring "Tickled Pink, Tickling the Ivories" and all the pianos, taking pictures, smiling all the while.  Then, as a gracious speech was winding down, we were told that for 18 months, the GO Give Back students had really put their heart and soul into this project... and someone started playing Heart and Soul at a piano behind us.  People smiled.  Then Tim (yes, Tim the intrepid piano tuner) started playing it on Cheryl Anne's piano beside us.  More people smiled, and then another person joined in playing on our "neighbor," Nancy's piano... and then another in the corner of the room... there were huge, wide smiles all over the place.  It was really a wonderful moment!

I can hardly wait to experience random passersby reacting to pianos all over town!  I hope people will want to see as many as they can... and I especially hope that a certain pink piano on The Circle makes them smile.

Drum roll, please!

[Insert big official announcement music here!]  The Yarnburners' piano (titled Tickled Pink, Tickling the Ivories) will be on Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana!  She's yarn-clad and tuned up and ready for everyone to visit August 1-18, 2013! 

The exact location will be 40 Monument Circle (Southwest quadrant - right in front of our sponsors, radio stations 93.1 WIBC FM and Soft Rock B105.7).  Here's a link to the interactive map.
 
Keep in mind, she has 19 piano friends in the area and all around town - transformed with everything from paint to paper, sculpted to carved - who would also love to see you!    If you're like me, you'll want to print out the downloadable map so you can plan your trips to see each one!  Play a song, take some photos, have a seat and sing a little ditty anytime - and when you're tweeting, instagramming, pinning, etc., use "#indypianos" so we can see how you like her!

When in doubt: YouTube!

So, The Yarnburners' GO Ahead & Play piano is done!  At least, that's what I've thought since the last work day (June 30).  However, we hit a little snag.  We stitched (very securely, I might add) over some parts that had to be opened for piano-tuning purposes!  Silly me, I thought it was just the top that had to open!  I should have paid attention when my childhood piano was tuned; failing that, I should have looked on YouTube just to make sure.  I swear I have learned so many things from YouTube, I don't know why checking there didn't occur to me!  Tim the Tuner sent me a link to this informative video - isn't it amazing?

I went and removed some of Kev's delightful seam stitches yesterday, and will go back tomorrow to alter the design ever-so-slightly, so "Betsy's" innards can be easily accessed for future tunings... we want her to sound her best!  It's just a few minor adjustments; she's still going to be breathtaking when people in Indianapolis see her in public (August 1 through 18 - stay tuned for location specifics, coming soon!)

Here's another sneak peek for you:

Whatcha doin' Sunday?

 

Wanna help stitch pieces together and/or apply them to our piano this weekend?  Leave a comment with some way to contact you and I'll send you details. 

Yarnbombing a piano in Indianapolis!

Remember when we tagged the inside and outside of the Harrison Center for the Arts with yarn?  Well, there's a new project on the horizon - I submitted a proposal, it was accepted, and work has begun (let me know in the comments if you want to join in; there's still plenty of time)!

First, a little bit about our group: the Yarnburners are a group of central Indiana knit graffiti (“yarnbombing”) artists. We enjoy beautifying and bringing attention to the beauty in everyday objects by dressing them in knit, crochet, and weaved yarns.

And now, about the project: we will be fitting an upright piano with a custom-made yarn wrap for the Women's Fund of Central Indiana's GO Ahead & Play pop-up pianos public art project.

The overall theme of our installation will be “Tickled Pink, Tickling the Ivories,” and the main colors of the knitted/crocheted work will be various joyous shades of pink! The choice of colors was made to symbolize women and honor their vibrancy and strength, while at the same time inviting passersby to smile, gather together, and maybe even sit and play for a while!  Here's our "concept image":

We have three workshop times set up in the next couple of weeks:

TODAY: Tuesday April 30 from 5-7 pm
Thursday May 9 from 6-8 pm
Saturday May 11 from 10 am-3 pm 

Bring: knitting needles or crochet hooks and a folding chair or something comfy to sit on. We have some yarn, but bring any stash you want to contribute and/or knit with.  Can't join in, but have some pink yarn to contribute?  You can drop it off at Mass. Ave. Knit Shop!

The workspace where the piano is being housed is at 5358 W 38th St, Indianapolis (in Honey Creek Plaza at 38th and Moller Rd.). The space has been donated, so when you see a “for lease” sign and white-papered windows, you’ll know you’re in the right place! It’s between Machu Picchu and the tepanaki place.

The completed piano (ours is one of twenty working uprights, each showcasing a different artist or group's medium) will be placed around Indianapolis in August, for the public to enjoy and interact with.

Bravely into the weekend, I say!

I've had a pretty exciting (exciting for me, anyway) day! First, I didn't go to work. Then the letter carrier brought me a check from taking surveys. So I left this morning to deposit the check, and I went by the Harrison Center to get photos of the rest of the Yarnburners' stuff that got put up after I left that day. Then, since I just happened to have leftover sock yarn (no, silly, I still don't know how to make socks - I make HATS with it) and my size 3 double-pointed needles in my bag, I headed on down to Mass. Ave. Knit Shop to see if Susan could help me get up to speed on the sock yarn mitered blanket - yes, the perfect thing for me to do with all the little odds and ends left over when I am done with my hats! There's a knit-along, or a group or whatever you call it, that just started meeting in June, the first Tuesday of each month. So, I spent a couple of hours sitting in the Shop and knitting, and got a square done! Imagine, if you will a bunch of these, in all different colors, stitched together to form some sort of useful, delightful item! I'm told it can be done!

Just when I thought I couldn't take any more excitement, on my way home I saw the Pride floats lined up along Mass. Ave., in preparation for tomorrow's parade! Did you know that the cast (well, at least some of the cast) of Wicked are going to be the Grand Marshals? True story.

But wait, darling reader - there's more! I got home to find that someone had purchased my blue glass vase (thank you, Etsy Yart Sale)! They've already paid, too, so I sealed up the box and raced on down to the post office, arriving with mere moments to spare. That's right, people: same-day service! I will miss that vase a little; it really is sparkly! For some reason, I'm picturing it heading east on an adventure, its carton sealed with tiki tape and adorned with fragile stamps.

More pics from yesterday!

Woot woot!

Guess what I did this evening? Yup! It was really fun! Something's up with flickr; I'll upload more photos when I can.

Well, I did it.

I took some of my profit from the scarf sale and put it right back into the EtsyKarmaUniverse. Yep; same-day service! I bet you think I bought yarn, huh? Nope. I bought a print of a cyclops using yarn! It's called Gary Takes Up Knitting, and it's the non-yarn thing I have coveted the longest since starting my shop. I know y'all are jealous that I snatched up Gary before you could, and you should be! I kid; you can come visit him at our place in a week or so. Or perhaps you should obtain one of Gary's compatriots for yourself.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go sweep the feather boa shrapnel up off the living room floor. What? I just finished my second piece for Friday night's knit graffiti install.

For those of you who do not feel compelled to buy a copy to send to your momma, like I did.

Here is a link to Indianapolis Monthly's mention of our knit graffiti crew, although if you don't go purchase the actual magazine, you'll miss out on the fun of trying to read my photo credit in the teeny-tiny print in the gutter (crack) of the magazine.

Yarnburners in June issue of Indianapolis Monthly!

Keep your eyes peeled for it; my dentist's office got the new issue in the mail yesterday. On page 34 there's a little interview with Strick 9 and one of my photos (below), complete with photo credit! I'm so thrilled for "Ms. Stitchley" - the magazine chose this piece of hers from among about a hundred photos, and it's no wonder; this was the first thing I saw on installation day, and was one of my favorites, too.
June 5: we're tagging - errrrr, yarnbombing - the outside of the Harrison Center with the Indy Craft Mafia... come on by!

Weekend update.

I'm about to settle in for a nice knit on a green hat this evening. Tomorrow's agenda: work some more on my pieces for the next knit graffiti installation. Again? So, what's the big dif, Stockannette? This one is outdoors, and I will be incorporating some non-yarn materials in my pieces. Whee! The Yarnburners will be working on this June show in conjunction with Indy Craft Mafia, in preparation for the Indieana Handicraft Exchange (whose logo completely rocks, in my opinion).

For future reference (or, things I learned my first time taggin'):

It takes longer that you'd think to stitch things to objects! It took me almost two hours to install my four small pieces (photos below). Oh, and a note on planning: think about how you are going to be installing a piece when you are binding off. Sometimes you'll want your long yarn tails to end up on the same edge of your work, and sometimes you'll want them to be on the diagonal, depending on the application.
It's exciting! People seem very supportive. A guy from Keep Indianapolis Beautiful wandered by and said, "Hey, I like your door handle!" The whimsical nature of knit graffiti makes the artist and other people smile. They can't help it.

Finally, whatever you do - don't get yourself involved with a knit graffiti crew; their stuff might make yours look like crap in comparison! I'm serious; I was literally flabbergasted when I saw what some of the other Yarnburners had done; it was immense, and detailed, and beautiful. I was completely unprepared for the quirky, random, thoughtful, colorful spectacle of it all!

Rebel without a list.

If only people actually knew about this blog and read it, I would implore one of you to remind me to bring the following things tomorrow when I go to install my pieces in the Harrison Center (as it stands now, I could review this entry... unless I were to throw caution to the wind and write a list):

• the actual knitted pieces - door handle covers, pipe cozy, and light switch cover
• pouch of scissors, yarn needles, etc.
• extra yarn, for sewing pieces on
• zip-ties, just in case
• camera!

Hee hee.