Patchwork Pride Pennant, The Knitting Pilgrim, Pacific Contact, and KPT Ep 123: Pushed Aside: Women and LGBTQ and Christianity, Pt 2

Patchwork Pride Pennant

The biggest new project afoot is the Patchwork Pride Pennant, which we are going to hang at Morningside-High Park Presbyterian Church in time for Pride 2024. If you’ve been following along here, you’ll know that I put up three Rainbow Yarn Bomb installations last year for Pride, and two of them (one at Morningside-High Park Presbyterian Church, one at Todmorden Mills) were vandalized and stolen—a giant disappointment. The one that succeeded in staying up was located at Crieff Hills Retreat Centre.

There was wonderful support after the theft of the two yarn bombs. Lisa Easley, a knitter who lives in Georgia, reached out via my website and offered to re-crochet one of the yarn bombs herself, providing the yarn and all the work involved. I am thrilled about this and look forward to sharing her work when she sends it.  We plan to place it on the same tree that hosted our original yarn bomb, just further up – past where the trunk splits into two big vertical branches.  We are hoping that no one will be able to do it mischief there.  A massive thank you to Lisa for her support—and her crocheting. It’s a lot of crocheting.

Crieff Hills has asked for another Rainbow Yarn Bomb this summer, so I’m excited about that.

And at Morningside-High Park, fellow knitter and congregant Sandy Takeda and I have decided to try something new: what we’re calling a Patchwork Pride Pennant, made of knitted 6” squares, all the colours of the rainbow—something we can hang on the building up high so unhelpful interlopers can’t easily reach it. We’ve put out the call and have an amazing number of knitters who have reached out to knit squares. Would you like to join us?

Here's the very straight forward pattern:

Feel free to leave the tails on the squares — we can use them to help sew them together. We need all the squares delivered by Saturday June 1st, 2024 so we can assemble the pennant at a Pennant Party the next day, Sunday June 2nd. I will definitely need some assistance — so if you can drop by Morningside-High Park Church, 4 Morningside Avenue, Toronto, at 12:00 noon, I would welcome the help!

You can either deliver your squares to the church, or you can hand them off to me directly May 18-19 at the Knit City Toronto marketplace, Westin Harbour Castle, 1 Harbour Square. The ever-wonderful Christopher Walker and Jamie Godin of Cabin Boy Knits have invited me to hang out at their booth and have volunteered to be a drop-off location for Patchwork Pride Pennant squares. The more, the merrier.  If neither of those options works for you, please reach out to me via www.kirkdunn.com, and we’ll figure something out.

And if you’re at Knit City, please do stop by the Cabin Boy Knits booth, whether you have Patchwork Pride Pennant squares or not. Their hand-dyed yarns are to die for.

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The Knitting Pilgrim at Brantford’s Sanderson Centre and Central Presbyterian Church in Hamilton

Most recently, we performed The Knitting Pilgrim at Brantford’s Sanderson Centre (April 17) and Central Presbyterian Church in Hamilton (April 20).

We had a lovely time. Here’s a testimonial I received via my website the day after our show at the Sanderson Centre which moved me:

And here I am, pre-show, at Central Presbyterian.

We welcomed our new projection operator, Hussein Esmail, to the show. Hussein joined me at our last two shows and was a complete natural. In fact, the IATSE crew of The Sanderson Centre couldn’t believe that he had only ever run the show once before that performance. If you’ve seen the show you’ll know that it has a TON of projections (and if you haven’t seen it, a list of shows both past and upcoming, is on my website here).  I am eternally grateful to the projection operators who work on KP with us. They save my butt on a regular basis and do the things I cannot do. In other words, I take care of the talking and the knitting—they take care of everything else that happens on stage, including lighting, sound, and the live knit cam.

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Pacific Contact

Last week, Claire and I attended the Pacific Contact artist-presenter conference in Kelowna, BC. Here I am working on my Star of Bethlehem wrister pattern on the airplane over… I am still trying to finish it and get it onto Ravelry. Any day now, I swear.

Claire tells the full story of our time in BC in her newsletter (we are now a house of newsletters—one more thing on the pile!)—and if you’re not signed up to her newsletter, give it a go—it’s great (you can sign up here). I can safely say this from experience—not that I’m biased at all.

I’ll just say that we had a great time, I enjoyed the BC craft beer, we saw a ton of great showcases and booked Knitting Pilgrim shows for our BC tour in April 2025, which we’re very excited about.

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The Knitting Pilgrim Talks

Claire and I continue to release The Knitting Pilgrim Talks episodes on YouTube and podcasts everywhere you find what you like to listen to.

Pushed Aside: Women and LGBTV in Christianity Pt. 2

In episode 123 of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, I speak with Rev. Daniel Brereton of St. John’s Dixie Anglican Church about the section of the “Stitched Glass” Christian tapestry depicting a female figure reaching up to the figure of Christ, yet being pushed aside. In the background are pink triangles, representing the LGBTQ+ community and their similar experience of being ostracized by the church. Rev. Brereton talks about the link between women’s rights, gay rights, and their essential threat to the patriarchy of a capitalist society that would rather focus on the biblically insignificant issue of gender rather than the bible’s fundamental message prohibiting idolatry, greed, and the misuse of money.

“It’s not a coincidence that gay rights always follow on the heels of women’s rights. Until women are acknowledged as equal, you can’t even start talking about differences in sexual and gender identity.” – Rev. Daniel Brereton

Episode 123 is available on YouTube here: KPT 123: Pushed Aside: Women and LGBTQ in Christianity Pt. 2

Or, all of the podcast places, like KPT on Spotify, if you’d rather listen than watch.

If you have any questions about any of my projects, would like to book a talk, workshop, The Knitting Pilgrim or Spycraft, please reach out to me at kirkdunn.com.

Pride Project and Ep 122 of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks: Pushed Aside, Women and LGTBQ in Christianity

Hello Friends,

Happy Spring to you all! Here we are at the end of March, which means (among other things) that Pride month is just over 60 days away. Time to get moving on the next Pride Project.

As many of you will remember, two years ago, we installed a rainbow yarn bomb on the majestic maple on the property of Morningside High Park Presbyterian Church at the head of Ellis Avenue.

Alas, it was torn down.

The yarn bomb was repaired, and my brother Marc and I reinstalled it last year… only to have it torn down again within 24 hours.

This year, as Pride month approaches, we are looking forward to our next yarn bomb installation. Something a little bit different, and something that won’t be nearly as easy for unhelpful hands to reach.

Here’s the idea: We are looking for as many 6 inch by 6 inch knitted (or crocheted) squares as we can get, in as many colours as possible. When Pride Month rolls around, we will take stock of what we have, and decide how best to join them together in a multi-hued rainbow craftivist creation to be installed as high as possible on the MHP grounds — it may be on a tree, a sign, or even on the building itself. We’ll figure it out when we get there. The important thing is to have lots of squares to work with. Here’s a sample of what I’ve been able to knit in the past week of knitting on the TTC, while sitting in the church pew, or just hanging out with friends and family:

If you’d like to be part of the project, we’d love to have you!

All you need to do is knit (or crochet) as many 6 inch by 6 inch squares as you’d like. The more colours, the better. You can execute them any way you’d like, but if you’d like a pattern, the one I’m using is below.

It’s a very easy pattern, and because it is knit on the diagonal, you don’t need to guess at how many stitches to cast on — you just cast on the required three stitches, then knit until your piece measures 6 inches across, then start decreasing. No need to worry about gauge, or needle size, or yarn weight, or nuthin’. Easy peasy!

I’m using 4.5 mm needles, but you can use what you like. All we need is an end product that is 6 inches by 6 inches. Here’s the pattern. Very simple — check it out:

Cast on 3 stitches.

Row 1: Knit

Row 2: Knit

Row 3: K1, Yarn Over, Knit to end of row. Repeat this row until your work measures 6 inches across one side (both sides will be the same).

Next row: K1, Yarn Over, K2tog, K to last 4 stitches K2tog, K2. Repeat this row until 6 stitches remain.

Next Row: K1, Yarn Over, K2tog, K2tog, K1.

Next row: K1, K2tog, K2tog.

Cast off.

Once you’ve finished your squares, reach out to me, and we’ll work out how to pick them up from you. You can also feel free to join our knitting circle every Sunday morning, 11:30 AM following the service in the Morningside-High Park fellowship hall. Coffee and cookies provided. Can’t wait to see what we come up with!

the knitting Pilgrim talks

We continue to release new episodes of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, which explore the imagery of the Stitched Glass tapestries in conversation with faith leaders and academics.

Pushed Aside: Women and LGBTQ in Christianity Pt. 1

In episode 122 of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, I speak with Rev. Janet Ryu-Chan of Morningside-High Park Presbyterian Church about the section of the Christian tapestry depicting a female figure reaching up to Christ yet being pushed aside. Rev Ryu-Chan speaks of what it felt like to grow up in a patriarchal denomination of Christianity, her experience as a female member of the clergy, and how differently she’d be treated if she were a six-foot tall white man.

"I never saw myself as a minister, because I just never saw any female ministers, no female Elders." - Rev. Janet Ryu-Chan

Episode 122 is available on YouTube here: KPT 122: Pushed Aside: Women and LGBTQ in Christianity Pt. 1

Or, all of the podcast places, like KPT on Spotify, if you’d rather listen than watch.

If you have any questions about any of my projects, would like to book a talk, workshop, The Knitting Pilgrim or Spycraft, please reach out to me at kirkdunn.com.

The Knitting Pilgrim Talks Episode 121: The Dove of Peace and Reclaiming Symbols

This past week’s episode of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks was #121: Dove of Peace and reclaiming symbols, with Rev. Daniel Brereton.  The timing for this section is good, as the Christian church moves into Lent – 40 days of reflection on the journey of Christ towards the cross -- and toward Easter.  Here’s an image of the full Christian window, with a close-up of the Dove of Peace section:

In speaking of the image of the dove on the tapestry, Rev. Daniel reminded me of the peace that Jesus brought, and how it was different than the ‘peace’ of this world, which is often accomplished through war and subjugation.  The people of Jesus’ time would have been looking for a saviour, a messiah, to turn the tables on the Romans and subject the Romans to just that kind of worldly peace.  Even today, Rev. Daniel pointed out, that’s the kind of peace most of us look for.  The superheroes of our movies succeed by being more violent than the villains. And we think that’s okay, because at least they’re ‘good’ (very similar to the idea that the only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun).  But this was not the kind of peace that Jesus offered.  He offered a peace of love, forgiveness, distributive justice, service, and sacrifice.  And he disappointed a lot of people... which got him killed.

Today, we can look around us and see that the peace the world gives – peace through subjugation – is not working very well.  The peace that Christianity, Judaism and Islam speak of is a peace of kindness, caring for the stranger, and distributing the world’s resources in a just and inclusive way.  In this season of Lent, as Christians remember the journey of Jesus toward the cross, we know that things often get worse (much, much worse) before they get better.  Do we have the courage to push for real peace and follow that same path?

The Dove of Peace and Reclaiming Symbols

In episode 121 of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, Kirk speaks with Rev. Daniel Brereton of St. John’s Dixie Anglican Church about the image of the dove at the top of the Stitched Glass Christian tapestry, and how Jesus offered his followers peace… but not the kind of peace they may have wanted. They talk about the importance of remembering both the painful history and the powerful hope of the faith’s great symbols.

"Superheroes in movies manage to save everybody by being even more violent than the villains. And Jesus disappointed a lot of his followers by not being that kind of leader." -- Rev. Daniel Brereton

Episode 121 is available on YouTube here: KPT 121: The Dove of Peace and Reclaiming Symbols

Or, all of the podcast places, like KPT on Spotify, if you’d rather listen than watch.

If you have any questions about any of my projects, would like to book a talk, workshop, The Knitting Pilgrim or Spycraft, please reach out to me at kirkdunn.com.

New Mittens and Ep 120 of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks: "Holy Days"

Hello Friends,

With the Knitting Pilgrim performance at the APCE conference in St. Louis in the rearview, and my work on the Knitting as a Spiritual Practice workshop tucked away, I’ve had some time open up to work on a knitting project of my choice. What to do? My most downloaded pattern on Ravelry has been the Twilight Forest Fingerless Gloves, and a number of people have told me that they would like to see the same design in a full mitten.  Rather than work out the mitten version on the same pattern, I thought I would kill two birds with one stone and knit up the next iteration of the “Little Town of Bethlehem” wristers I created for Christmas of 2021 when COVID gave me the opportunity to go on a knitting kick around the holidays. Here’s a photo of that original prototype before I sewed it up. Soon thereafter the wristers were sold at FACTS (Fashion Arts & Creative Textiles Studio) in Blyth, ON, many thanks to Jennifer Triemstra-Johnston who runs things there.

It’s another version of the starry night theme which allows me to play with the gradations of all those hues of blue, which I love.  Hopefully you can also see silhouettes of some low buildings which give the idea of a small Middle Eastern town.  And then of course, there’s the star of Bethlehem – but it occurs to me that could easily be omitted if you didn’t want these mittens to be exclusively associated with Christmas.  Perhaps even replace it with a crescent moon?

Because of the asymmetrical images on the design, the mitt is worked with the intarsia technique of leaving colours dangling off the back, which means that it is much easier to knit flat than in the round.  This was ideal for the fingerless glove:  after knitting the flat design, I just needed to fold it in half, and sew up the seam, leaving a hole for the thumb which I knit into the piece via picked-up stitches later. Here’s how it looked in process, front and back:

This time around, things are a little more complicated.  I still knitted the design flat, but then I needed to add a top to the mitten. I decided to follow the same process I did with the fingerless glove, but instead of casting off at the top, I slipped the live stitches onto some double-pointed needles, sewed up the seam, and then finished the top as I would a regular mitten knit in the round. 

Things were a bit fiddly there at the end, but that may have been because I had five double-pointed needles going, which got pretty crowded. I’ll try it with three double-pointed needles on the next one and see if that makes things easier. Nonetheless, it seems to have worked out.  Now, it’s time to go back and pick up the thumb. 

I’ll let you know how it all turns out...

In the meantime, just a friendly reminder that I was obliged to change my Instagram account, and I can now be found at @kirkdunnknits on that platform if you want to follow me as I go.

the Knitting Pilgrim talks

We continue to release new episodes of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, which explore the imagery of the Stitched Glass tapestries in conversation with faith leaders and academics.

episode 120: holy days

Holy Days

In episode 120 of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, I speak with Rabbi David Seed of the Adath Israel Congregation in Toronto about importance of Holidays—or ‘Holy Days’—in Judaism. We discuss a section of the Stitched Glass Judaic tapestry depicting a shofar, a menorah, and a lulav—ritual items central to Jewish holidays, which are days set apart as being separate, unique, and which give us an opportunity to reflect on the gifts we have been given in this life…particularly, the gift of time.

"What Judaism is saying is that we have to mark certain days as being separate, apart, unique…so that we pause, and we have an opportunity to reflect on what we have been given." — Rabbi David See

Episode 120 is available on YouTube here: KPT 120: Holy Days

Or, all of the podcast places, like KPT on Spotify, if you’d rather listen than watch.

If you have any questions about any of my projects, would like to book a talk, workshop, The Knitting Pilgrim or Spycraft, please reach out to me at kirkdunn.com.

APCE 2024 in St. Louis, and The Knitting Pilgrim Talks Ep 119, "Burned at the Stake"

Hello friends,

Here we are with one twelfth of 2024 under our belts — and it’s been a pretty full year already.

Claire and I had a fabulous time at APCE 2024 in St. Louis, which was held at the very impressive Union Station hotel — the city’s former train station. The shot below is of me knitting in the foyer, and gives you some sense of the grandeur. It was impressive.

Full disclosure, there were a few tense moments when our Projection Operator, Zev Shoag, had his flight out of Toronto canceled due to fog and it looked like he might not be able to make it for the show. So, while I was working through registration and attending conference meetings and events, Claire was working the phones and social media platforms looking for a back-up theatre tech in St. Louis who knew how to run Q-Lab and whose idea of fun it would be to be thrown into the deep end of running a 65-minute show with hundreds of sound and video cues with almost no rehearsal. Kudos to Claire, she did indeed find two back-ups… who fortunately we did not need, because Zev finally made it to “The Gateway to The West” — at 2:00 AM on the day of the show. Phewf!

Happy to report the show was a hit, and we’ve had people reach out to us to express an interest in bring The Knitting Pilgrim south of the border. If you know of anyone below the 49th parallel who might want to add themselves onto a Knitting Pilgrim tour, please let them know they can reach out via www.kirkdunn.com.

The other success of our St. Louis experience was the inaugural presentation of a “Knitting as a Spiritual Practice” workshop.

Not much of a surprise there, really, because when asked about how they would define spirituality, the workshop participants talked about feeling linked to something greater, a sense of compassion, love and enlightenment. It didn’t take long to connect those things to knitting — an act of creating, of linking loop after loop, knitting items for others that express care and compassion in a rhythmic, calming, mindful way that opens us to inspired thoughts and ideas. We might say that knitting cannot help but be a spiritual practice… whether we realize it or not.

Once the workshop and the show were under our belts (both took place on the 25th), I was free to enjoy the last two days of the conference. It was a refreshing and rejuvenating experience to be among hundreds of people, focused on celebrating their faith and actively looking for ways to seek justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with their God in a spirit of radical inclusion.

the knitting Pilgrim talks

We continue to release new episodes of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, which explore the imagery of the Stitched Glass tapestries in conversation with faith leaders and academics.

episode 119: burned at the stake

Burned at the Stake

In episode 119 of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, I speak with Rev. Dr. Stuart Macdonald, professor of Church and Society at Knox College, University of Toronto, about the section of the Stitched Glass Christian window tapestry depicting a corruption of the burning bush: a figure being burned at the stake. While the church’s response to heretics or non-believers is no longer so drastic, Stuart and I discuss the kind of thinking that can lead to such extreme responses to theological differences.

“If you can persuade people the way they can deal with their fear is to attack someone else, that’s pretty powerful. ‘If we only get rid of this group’ -- and that can be a heretic, a witch, a communist, a capitalist… The labels change, but what we are doing is very similar.” — Rev. Dr. Stuart Macdonald

Episode 119 is available on YouTube here: KPT 119: Burned at the Stake

Or, all of the podcast places, like KPT on Spotify, if you’d rather listen than watch.

If you have any questions about any of my projects, would like to book a talk, workshop, The Knitting Pilgrim or Spycraft, please reach out to me at kirkdunn.com.

A New Year, with new frontiers. And The Knitting Pilgrim Talks Eps 117 (The Qu'ran) and 118 (Bamiyan Buddhas)

Hello friends,

Welcome to 2024! This brand new year is bringing with it some brand new frontiers — as all new years should. Monday morning, Claire and I will pack The Knitting Pilgrim set and props into our trusty Kia Rondo, and begin the 12-hour trip to St. Louis and the APCE (Association of Partners in Christian Education) 2024 conference, where I’ve been invited to perform the show and present a workshop titled “Knitting as a Spiritual Practice.”

Of course, I’m looking forward to the first presentation of The Knitting Pilgrim south of the border, and can’t wait to chat with the audience members after the show. What I’m REALLY excited about (okay, I’m slightly terrified, too) is the workshop. When the invitation was extended, I jumped at the chance. I have been contemplating knitting and spirituality for a long time, and have wanted to build a workshop about it, because this is what The Knitting Pilgrim — and my knitting practice — is all about.

I see spirituality as the understanding that we are all inextricably linked by a power greater than all of us, and that our connection to that power and to one another is grounded in love and compassion. For me, knitting is a physical manifestation of spirituality. Knitting is an act of creation, linking things together, making them or repairing them. It brings comfort, peace, and care to the knitter — and to whoever is the benefactor of the knitter’s craft. The repetitive, contemplative action of stitch after stitch dissipates stress, and invites enlightenment and insight — literally, in the meditation of knitting, we often achieve inner-sight: we see inside ourselves. And when in flow, we know that what we are doing is possible, though perhaps difficult, and our sense of time disappears. We forget ourselves. We feel part of something larger. And we create something beautiful.

During the workshop, we’ll be working on a small piece based on a blessing painted on a small wooden block Claire and I received years ago from a good friend of ours, Deborah Huber-McBride, a Canadian Presbyterian minister who works with an order of Nuns in Versailles, France — Les Diaconesses de Reuilly. Here’s a shot of two versions of the “Peace Patch” and their inspiration:

As I mentioned, I’m a bit nervous — or is it curious? — about how the workshop will turn out. But hey, I’ll be working with folks who are into spirituality and knitting… It’s hard to see a downside there.

We’ll let you now how it goes.

In other news, it pains me to say that my kirknitsofficial Instagram account is no longer under my control. Sadly, some nefarious individuals are now using it to push bit coin. It’s a long story which I won’t go into here, but the good news is that I have a new account, and you can find me on Instagram at kirkdunnknits. Please feel free to unfollow the previous account, and follow my new account, kirkdunnknits. Hope to see you there.

the knitting Pilgrim talks

We continue to release new episodes of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, which explore the imagery of the Stitched Glass tapestries in conversation with faith leaders and academics

episode 117: the Qu’ran

The Qu’ran

In episode 117 of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, I speak with Imam Jihad Turk of the Bayan Islamic Graduate School about the holy book of Islam, The Qu’ran. We talk about the history of the Qu’ran, its importance to Islam, and its consistent thematic message to Muslims about how they should live their lives with justice, compassion, mercy, truth, and beauty.

“The (Qu’ran’s) very first commandment is to read. This inspiration...transformed a society that was largely illiterate within just a couple of generations to being one of the most prolific civilizations the world has ever seen.” -- Imam Jihad Turk

Episode 117 is available on YouTube here: KPT 117: The Qu'ran

Or, all of the podcast places, like KPT on Spotify, if you’d rather listen than watch.

Episode 118: Bamiyan Buddhas

Bamiyan Buddhas

In Episode 118 of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, I welcome back accomplished physician, scientist, theologian, and Muslim community leader Dr. David Liepert as we chat about the section of the Islamic tapestry depicting a 6th century statue of Buddha in the Bamiyan province of Afghanistan, and how the Taliban twisted the Islamic prohibition on idolatry to justify its destruction.

"It’s just tragic how easy it is to do bad things in the name of something good." -- Dr. David Liepert

Episode 118 is available on YouTube here: KPT 118: Bamiyan Buddhas

Or, all of the podcast places, like KPT on Spotify, if you’d rather listen than watch.

If you have any questions about any of my projects, would like to book a talk, workshop, The Knitting Pilgrim or Spycraft, please reach out to me at kirkdunn.com.

Project Menorah wraps up, and The Knitting Pilgrim Talks Ep 116: The Body of Christ

Hello, Friends,

Last night, Thursday, December 14th, was the final night of Hanukkah, and the last night of Project Menorah. For this year, anyway. Here’s how things looked in the front window of our house:

The Hanukkiah flags, or pennants, knit up pretty quickly, they were a pleasure to create, and very easy to hang in our window. Not that much work at all, really. Claire and I were deeply touched by the feedback we received from our friends — Jews and non-Jews alike — who told us they appreciated our support, and echoed our deepest hopes that peace and understanding will emerge from this terrible time. To echo one of the hashtags of Project Menorah, Only Love Lives Here.

We will be back next year.

the knitting Pilgrim talks

We continue to release new episodes of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, which explore the imagery of the Stitched Glass tapestries in conversation with faith leaders and academics.

episode 116: the body of christ

The Body of Christ

In Episode 116 of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, I speak with the Rev. Dr. John-Peter Smit about a section of the Christian tapestry depicting the Body of Christ – a euphemism for the Christian Church. We talk about the challenge the church faces to incorporate many disparate views of the faith, and the mystery of the sacrament of communion through which Christians can experience the holy. Rev. Dr. John-Peter is the recently retired Regional Minister for Congregational Health for the Synod of Central, Northeastern Ontario, and Bermuda.

"For Christians, we always have to be cautious not to get too arrogant about what we believe. At the same time, we have to stand for what we believe. Particularly when we encounter hate." - Rev. Dr. John-Peter Smit

Episode 116 is available on YouTube here: KPT 116: The Body of Christ

Or all of the podcast places, like KPT on Spotify, if you’d rather listen than watch.

If you have any questions about any of my projects, would like to book a talk, workshop, The Knitting Pilgrim, or Spycraft, please reach out to me at www.kirkdunn.com.

Project Menorah and Knitting Pilgrim Talks Ep 115: Islam and Science

Hello friends,

The holiday knitting continues! After finishing my hat for Morningside High Park’s mitten tree, I continued working on my Christmas tree themed rustic holiday bunting (see last week’s blog). And while I was working on those small pennants, our eldest, Fin, remarked that I could knit up a Hanukkah version as well. Great idea, Fin. Then, a few days later, a post about “Project Menorah” showed up in my Facebook feed:

And it was pretty obvious what I needed to do. So, I quickly adapted the Rustic Bunting to sport a Hanukkiah motif. I started knitting like a fiend, because Hanukkah was only a few days away, and I needed 8 pennants, one for each day of the holiday. But a very clever person on Facebook commented that I could hang one new pennant every night, just like lighting a new candle on a Hanukkiah. Fabulous suggestion, which also gave me time to knit the remaining pennants. Mind you, if was going to replicate a Hanukkiah with pennants, I would need one special pennant to represent the Shamash, or ‘helper’, candle. So I made a slightly larger pennant featuring a Star of David to be my Shamash pennant. Here’s a shot of them in process:

And here’s how they look today, in our window, as part of Project Menorah, on the second day of Hanukkah:

For those of you who might want to knit a Hanukkiah yourselves, here’s the link to the Rustic Bunting pattern on which I based my version. I’ve included the two charts I created below. The only other adaptation I made was I purled the row after the pattern was finished (row 29 for the Hanukkiah, and row 35 for the Star of David). This formed a fold line. I then purled the next row, (row 30 Hanukkiah, row 36 Star of David) and returned to stockinette stitch, decreasing at the end of every second row to mirror the shaping of the front. If you have any questions, send me an email via www.kirkdunn.com. Happy Knitting!

Hanukkiah Pennant Chart

Star of David Pennant Chart

the knitting pilgrim talks

We continue to release new episodes of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, which explore the imagery of the Stitched Glass tapestries in conversation with faith leaders and academics.

episode 115: islam and science

Islam and Science

In Episode 115 of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, I chat with accomplished physician, scientist, theologian, and Muslim community leader Dr. David Liepert about Islam and science. We use the Islamic tapestry’s image of a winged figure (that of Abbas Ibn Firnas, who experimented with flight in the 9th century CE) as a jumping-off point for a conversation about the incredible contributions and technological breakthroughs made by Muslim mathematicians, engineers, and physicians throughout history.

"Everybody was free to think… to practice their religion… to explore… to reason. Because in fact, the Qu’ran told people to do all of those things." -- Dr. David Liepert.

Episdoe 115 is available on Youtube here: KPT 115 Islam and Science

Or all of the podcast places, like KPT on Spotify, if you’d rather listen than watch.

If you have any questions about any of my projects, would like to book a talk, workshop, The Knitting Pilgrim, or Spycraft, please reach out to me at www.kirkdunn.com.

Fruity Knitting Live Appearance; Mitten tree at MHP; and KPT EP 114: Balancing the Past with the Present

Hello, Friends!

Moving toward the holidays, the weeks become jam-packed — have you noticed this?

This weekend, Claire and I are looking forward to joining Fruity Knitting for a live appearance, which will be available to their “Merino” and “Shetland” patrons via Patreon. Host Andrea Doig will be posing questions that patrons have submitted beforehand, and then we’ll open things up for an impromptu conversation. For information about how to be part of it all, take a look at their Patreon page. We’ve seen some of the questions, and it is bound to be an interesting chat!

And of course, as the calendar ticks down toward the 25th, Christmas knitting becomes an issue for those of us who celebrate the yuletide holiday.

Christmas knitting is a tricky thing.

If you want to have a hand-knit Christmas present ready for the big day, it’s best to start on it early. Like, in July. If you don’t (and I speak from experience), chances are you’ll be hiding in your bedroom on Christmas Eve madly knitting away while your family wonders why you aren’t enjoying a cup of egg nog by the fire with everyone else.

Thing is, even if you do get all your Christmas knitting wrapped up by Hallowe’en, as the yuletide season approaches, the urge to knit something warm and cozy intensifies. In the end, you’ll be knitting anyway. And this is where knitting for charity comes to the rescue. The good news is that there plenty of places looking for warm woolies for those who need them over the winter, and you don’t have to do this knitting in secret. In fact this knitting is best done in the presence of others — a chance to visit with friends, build community, make a difference in the world, and inspire others to do the same.

Hats off (or on — not sure what the appropriate salutation is here) to my good friend Sandy Takeda, long-term member of Morningside-High Park Presbyterian Church, for organizing this year’s Mitten Tree to benefit LAMP Community Health Centre. For the next three Sundays, Sandy and I will be hosting a Knit-Along following the service for folks who want to knit a little bit of love and care into something that will keep someone warm this winter.

Claire and I have both gotten in on the act. Claire wasn’t so sure about shaping and ribbing (what she calls “all that fancy stuff”) so she has opted to go with a classic scarf. I’m trying out the new-to-me “Barley” hat pattern, courtesy of Tin Can Knits. A big shout-out thanking Briggs & Little Woolen Mills for the yarn. You can check out our work in the photos below (along with a progress shot of the Christmas pennants I mentioned last week).

Looking forward to an egg nog in front of the fire…

the knitting pilgrim talks

We continue to release new episodes of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, which explore the imagery of the Stitched Glass tapestries in conversation with faith leaders.

episode 114: balancing the past WITH the present

Balancing the Past with the Present

In Episode 114 of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, I spend time with Imam Jamal Rahman of the Interfaith Community Sanctuary in Seattle discussing the section of the Islamic tapestry that features a set of scales with the new millennium on one side and the year of the Prophet Muhammad’s death on the other. We talk about Islam’s challenge in balancing the past with the present, and that the progressive anti-patriarchal ideas of the Prophet are very much in line with the modern world.

"[People ask me] ‘Why is it, in each of the (Abrahamic) traditions, there is so much exclusivity, violence, patriarchy, and homophobia?’"- Imam Jamal Rahman.

Episode 114 is available on YouTube here: KPT 114 Balancing the Past with the Present.

Or all of the podcast places, like KPT on Spotify, if you’d rather listen than watch

If you have any questions about any of my projects, would like to book a talk, workshop, The Knitting Pilgrim, or Spycraft, please reach out to me at www. kirkdunn.com

Maison Depoivre in PEC, Advent Knit-Along at MHP, and Episode 113 of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks

Hello, Friends!

This past week Claire and I took a mini-vacay, visiting with friends on Amherst Island and Prince Edward County. On the way back, we stopped in at the Maison Depoivre Gallery, just outside of Picton on the former Base 31 — a pilot training facility for the Allies in WWII. We took in the excellent exhibition Positive Masculinity, to which our friend Christopher Walker of CabinBoy Knits fame contributed a knitted piece. Fantastic show. I recommend it.

Claire took the fabulous photo above of me just outside the gallery. I love the blue sky, the wrap-around red and green of the building’s roof and walls and the punctuation of my seasonal sweater. “I meant to do that,” said Claire.

Advent Knit-ALONG at Morningside-High Park

The small piece I’m working on is a Christmas tree pennant for a knit-along we’ll be having following the services at Morningside-High Park Presbyterian Church (4 Morningside Avenue, Toronto) every Sunday until Christmas, starting Nov 26. You (and everyone else) are invited to stop by, have a tea or coffee, and muck about with some knitting needles. In addition to the above mentioned pennants, we’ll be working on tree garlands, hats and mittens for our mitten tree, and patterns for preemies to donate to neonatal care units. There is something for all knitters, beginners to experts. Join us.

the knitting pilgrim talks

We continue to release new episodes of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, which explore the imagery of the Stitched Glass tapestries in conversation with faith leaders.

Episode 113: the tetragrammaton

The Tetragrammaton

In Episode 113 of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, we look at the central image of the Judaic tapestry which features The Tetragrammaton (the four-letter Hebrew name for God) which has been superimposed over a representation of the Talmud. Rabbi Daniel Mikelberg of Temple Israel in Ottawa takes me through the background of the Ineffable Name, and introduces me to the Talmud, a text created by ancient Rabbis to provide a path of how to live Jewishly in a non-Jewish world.

"When Moses asks God 'What is your name?' God replies 'I will be what I will be' – a reminder that God can be so much." - Rabbi Daniel MIkelberg

Episode 113 is available on YouTube here: KPT 113 The Tetragrammaton

Or all of the podcast places, like KPT on Spotify, if you’d rather listen than watch.

A wonderful time in Wisconsin, and Episode 112 of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks: Women and Islam

Hey friends,

I’ve just returned from a marvelous visit to the Madison Knitters’ Guild in Madison, Wisconsin. Wisconsin is known for its dairy farming, and Madison is known for its beer and bratwurst… and knitting! Does that sound like a great state, or what? I must admit that during my visit I sampled a little bit of everything (okay, okay, I went particularly heavy on the knitting). I had a fabulous time being hosted by the Madison Knitters’ Guild. We kicked the day off with a ‘Color with Kirk’ workshop, attended by the most attentive, engaged, and happy class of knitters I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Later that night, 150 Guild members in person (and almost the same number online) were a wonderful audience as I regaled them with tales of my installation, Stitched Glass, the play we’re currently touring, The Knitting Pilgrim, the WWII play about a knitting spy which we’re developing and hope to produce in 2024, Spycraft, and many COVID projects. Really hoping I’m able to get back to Madison sometime soon…

The Knitting Pilgrim talks

We continue to release new episodes of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, which explore the imagery of the Stitched Glass tapestries in conversation with faith leaders.

Episode 112: women and islam

Women and Islam

In episode 112 of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, I talk with Samira Kanji about women and Islam. At the top of the Islamic tapestry is a section featuring a feminine eye, partially obscured by mesh, evoking the Western impression that Islam is inherently patriarchal. But is that really the case? Samira takes me through the Qu’ran’s metaphysical equality of male and female, and the impact colonization has had on the patriarchy of Muslim societies. Samira Kanji is longtime President & CEO of Noor Cultural Centre, an Islamic religious, educational and cultural institution in Toronto dedicated to learning about Islam and Muslims.

“Isn’t the problem, either way, when you dictate to women how they should be dressed, you are oppressing them?” – Samira Kanji

Episode 112 is available on YouTube here: KPT 112 Women and Islam,

Or all of the podcast places, like KPT on Spotify, if you’d rather listen than watch.

If you have any questions about any of my projects, would like to book a talk, workshop, The Knitting Pilgrim or Spycraft, please reach out to me at www.kirkdunn.com.

Kirk goes to Madison, WI, and KP Talks Eps 109 (The Resurrection), 110 (Islam and the Media), and 111 (The Church and The Holocaust)

Hello friends,

A few months ago, I received an email from the Madison Knitters’ Guild, inviting me to attend their November meeting and give a presentation about my colour work. I told them I’d be happy to give a zoom presentation, but they responded that they wanted it to be in person. Nice! And so, this Sunday, I am winging my way to Madison, Wisconsin, to not only give a PowerPoint and talk about my knitting, but also to host a knitting-in-colour workshop. Being flown in as a special guest to a knitting guild is lovely, and so, to mark the occasion, I came up with a couple of new patterns. Below is a photo of the Harlequin Pin Cushion — a project that functions as a colour work exercise in using multiple strands and multiple colours, and results in a handy pin cushion for storing needles, pins, and assorted pokey tools close by and at the ready. I’m working on a couple of other pin cushion options designed for my American friends as well — here’s hoping I can get them finished in time!

the knitting Pilgrim talks

We continue to release new episodes of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, which explore the imagery of the Stitched Glass tapestries in conversation with faith leaders.

episode 109: the resurrection

The Resurrection

The 9th episode of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks looks at the section of the Christian tapestry evoking the resurrection -- the Christian belief that Christ has risen from the dead, reassuring us that life in God cannot be killed by death. I speak with my father, The Rev. Dr. Zander Dunn, about the importance of this doctrine, the story of the empty tomb, and what that story means.

"The trouble with the empty tomb resurrection story is that I can’t believe it. Because I believe that God works through the ordinary natural laws of life." - Rev. Dr. Zander Dunn

Episode 109 is available on YouTube here: KPT 109 The Resurrection

Or all of the podcast places, like KPT on Spotify , if you’d rather listen than watch.

episode 110: islam and the media

Islam and The Media

Episode 110 of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks looks at a section of the Islamic tapestry dealing with the poor treatment Islam receives in Western media. I speak with Dr. Katherine Bullock about how the need for click-bait plays into a misunderstanding of the faith.

"There’s a need nowadays for clicks on the website and human nature likes and is attracted to the extreme, and sound bites of Muslims doing those things fit perfectly into that need.” – Dr. Katherine Bullock

Episode 110 is available on YouTube here: KPT 110 Islam and The Media

Or all of the podcast places, like KPT on Spotify , if you’d rather listen than watch.

episode 111: the church and the holocaust

The Church and The Holocaust

In episode 111 of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, I speak with Rev. Dr. Stuart Macdonald about the section of the Stitched Glass Christian tapestry evoking the poor performance of the Christian church with regards to the Holocaust during the Second World War. Looking at the image of the Star of David behind coils of barbed wire, we discuss the Antisemitism behind the Church’s silence, and its continued presence in our society today.

“We’re talking about centuries in which Antisemitism has just grown within Christianity. And so, we need to begin -- or continue -- the process of moving away from that. But it is going to take time…and listening.” Rev. Dr. Stuart Macdonald

Episode 111 is available on YouTube here: KPT 111 The Church and The Holocaust

Or all of the podcast places, like KPT on Spotify , if you’d rather listen than watch.

If you’d like to have me visit your knitting guild, book The Knitting Pilgrim show, or have questions about episodes of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, let's talk! Please feel free to reach out to me at www.kirkdunn.com.

The Knitting Pilgrim in Muskoka, and KP Talks Episodes 107, The Five Hands Of Peace, and 108, Tikkun Olam

Hello, friends,

It has been almost a month since my last blog — which just happened to coincide with the Hamas attack on Israel. So much has transpired in the world since then, and so much hateful rhetoric has been flung about that it is difficult to hear voices of reason and hope. There can be no doubt that the actions of Hamas were indefensible. While the occupation of Gaza may have been flawed, it in no way justifies the terrorism inflicted upon Israeli civilians. Similarly, while the Israeli campaign into Gaza may remove the threat of Hamas, it will result in terrible casualties among the innocent Palestinian population. The challenge for us all is not to allow one wrong to become the justification for another. And as with all such dilemmas, the answers are elusive, and we are left with the difficult questions.

In our recent tour of The Knitting Pilgrim to the Maritimes, where we did shows in Florenceville-Bristol (New Brunswick), and then in Liverpool, Antigonish and Cole Harbour (Nova Scotia), in the post-show audience chats I was invariably approached by audience members who spoke of their anxiety and concern over what is happening in the Middle East, and how it is affecting the rest of the globe. In each instance, they told me that the The Knitting Pilgrim was a beacon of hope, shedding light on the common ground we all share, and offering the possibility of a way forward together, in peace. We look forward to bringing that same message to our next shows in Muskoka on Nov 4th and 5th, 2023.

the knitting pilgrim talks

episode 107: the five hands of peace

We continue to release new episodes of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, which explore the imagery of The Stitched Glass Tapestries in conversation with faith leaders.

KPT 107: The Five Hands of Peace

We continue to release new episodes of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, which explore the imagery of The Stitched Glass Tapestries in conversation with faith leaders. In Episode 107, Imam Jamal Rahman explains to me that the word “Islam” literally means to surrender in peace. In the upper left section of the Islamic tapestry, inside the outline of the crescent moon, we can see five hands making the peace symbol, meeting at their extended fingertips. The five hands represent the five continents, and their five different skin tones represent all peoples. While Islam has its roots in 7th century Arabia, for Muslims it is a modern faith through which racial differences can be overcome.

“Islam literally means to surrender in peace. And if one reads the Qu’ran, the insight is that if one can surrender their attachment to the ego… one can bring a heart turned in devotion to God.” -- Imam Jamal Rahman

Episode 107 is available on Youtube here: KPT 107 The Five Hands of Peace

Or all of the podcast places, like KPT on Spotify , if you’d rather listen

episode 108: tikkun Olam

KPT 108: Tikkun Olam

In Episode 108 of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, Avrum Rosensweig, founder of the charity Ve’ahafta (@ve'ahavta) (Hebrew for “you shall love”) speaks with @kirkdunn about the Judaic tradition of “Tikkun Olam” evoked by the section of the Judaic tapestry within the top centre point of the Star of David, which features an image of the globe cradled by a pair of hands. Avrum explains that while Tikkun Olam may not be mentioned specifically in the five books of Moses, it is fundamental to the Torah.

"God Says I am your God. And in order for you to come close to that, you need to do my mitzvot, my commandments. And many of them have to do with repairing the world." -Avrum Rosensweig

Episode 108 is available on Youtube here: KPT 108 Tikkun Olam

Or all of the podcast places, like KPT on Spotify , if you’d rather listen

The Knitting Pilgrim: Episodes 105, The Christian Soldier; and 106, The Sabbath

Episode 105: The Christian Soldier

Hello, Friends,

The 5th episode of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks looks at the section of the Christian tapestry depicting the paradox of the Christian solider, a vocation often held up by society as hero, having paid the ultimate sacrifice of giving their life for their country. And yet, the vocation of soldiering is about as diametrically opposed to the example set by Jesus as one can get. Living in a country ruled by an occupying army, Jesus advocated non-violence and turning the other cheek. The Rev. Dr. Stuart Macdonald, Professor of Church and Society at Knox College, helps me look at how the life of Jesus informs our response to the violence and war that we see in our world today.

"From everything we know, Jesus was indeed a pacifist. The question that Christians have though, is: does that mean we have to be pacifists?" -- Rev. Dr. Stuart McDonald.

Episode 105 is available on Youtube here: KPT 105 The Christian Soldier

Or all of the podcast places: KPT on Spotify if you’d rather listen than watch.

Episode 106: The Sabbath

In episode 106 of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, I chat with journalist, author, and spiritual advisor Ralph Benmergui (check out his excellent podcast, Not That Kind of Rabbi ) about the value of one day of being, after six days of doing. This was inspired by the section of the Judaic tapestry that explores the Sabbath, or Shabbat, featuring images of a loaf of bread (challah), a pair of candlesticks, and a goblet of wine--all items that are a part of the meal that begins Shabbat. But Shabbat is much more than just a dinner – it is a day of rest, contemplation, and re-creation. It is one of the true gifts Judaism has given to the world, and it is a gift that most of us don’t really take the time to understand, appreciate, or enjoy.

“Sabbath is building a fence around the sacred part of your life so that it reoccurs. I tell people: ‘Make yourself a Sabbath. I don’t care what day of the week it is.’” – Ralph Benmergui

Episode 106 is available on Youtube here: KPT 106 The Sabbath

Or all of the podcast places: KPT on Spotify if you’d rather listen than watch.

If you have any questions about this episode of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, let's talk! Please feel free to reach out to me at www.kirkdunn.com.

The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, Episode 104: The Torah

Hello friends, Episode 104 of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks celebrates a section of Stitched Glass's Judaic tapestry featuring the Torah, the holy book of Judaism, on the shoulders of which both Christianity and Islam stand. Rabbi Elyse Goldstein takes me through the importance of these texts in Judaism, how they are incorporated into the Sabbath service, and gives me a new appreciation for what I as a Christian had always thought of as "the first five books of the Bible."

Check it out on YouTube The Knitting Pilgrim Talks or wherever you get your podcasts https://open.spotify.com/show/56EUPqQLyI6jnobbA3ilIT

If you have any questions about this episode of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, let's talk! Please feel free to reach out to me at www.kirkdunn.com.

Introducing The Knitting Pilgrim Talks

It’s been a long time since I’ve sent out a newsletter, and now seems a pretty good time to reignite that effort.

Over COVID, with the help of an Ontario Arts Council grant, my wife Claire Ross Dunn and I made a thing.

It’s a podcast and digital series called The Knitting Pilgrim Talks.

At the beginning of the pandemic, we thought, what should we do while we can’t tour The Knitting Pilgrim?

There was one thing audiences had always asked us about after the show: they wanted more detail about the imagery in the tapestries themselves. We were often asked where the ‘exhibition catalogue’ was to accompany the artwork—you know, the kind of book they have in museums and galleries.

So, we came up with the idea of a digital version of what audiences were asking for. We used each segment of each Stitched Glass tapestry—40 segments in all—as a jumping-off point to engage in conversation with someone who was really knowledgeable about that topic (way more knowledgeable than I).

Here, I’m sharing links to the first 3 episodes of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks.

Episode 101:  Women and Judaism

This first episode is an interview I had with Rabbi Jennifer Gorman, who is National Director of Outreach & Programming at CJPAC (The Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee), themed on the section of the Judaic tapestry about women and Judaism. It was a fascinating chat, and I learned a lot of things.

Episode 101 is available on Youtube here: KPT 101 Women and Judaism

or all the podcast places: KPT on Spotify if you’d rather listen than watch.

Episode 102:  The Lion and The Lamb

This is a great conversation I had with Rev. Michael Coren about the irony that Jesus -- whom Christians now call 'The King of Kings'-- was actually an anti-establishment rebel.

Youtube: KPT Ep 102 The Lion and The Lamb

Or all the podcast places: KPT on Spotify if you’d rather listen than watch.

Episode 103: Jihad and Peace

In Western society, “Jihad” may be the most misunderstood word of the Arabic language. In this third episode of The Knitting Pilgrim Talks, I chat with Imam Jihad Turk. We take a look at the true meaning of the word (and his name) and discuss the link between the adjacent sections of the Islamic tapestry depicting Jihad and peace.

Youtube: KPT 103 Jihad and Peace

Or all the podcast places: KPT on Spotify if you’d rather listen than watch.

A giant thanks to our supervising editor, Alex Fensham, Deb Sinha for providing the opening and closing theme music, and the Ontario Arts Council for funding the project.

We’ll be rolling out episodes for many weeks to come. If you’re interested in visual art, knitting, interfaith empathy and just listening to good, interesting, unpolarized conversations, I hope you’ll enjoy The Knitting Pilgrim Talks.

If you'd like to chat about any of the episodes, please reach out to me at www.kirkdunn.com.

All the best,

Kirk

And the Golden Knitting Needles go to...

A Knitting-Themed Oscar Quiz in honour of the 91st Academy Awards on Feb 24, 2019

(see below for answers…)

1. Which legendary actress (and great knitter) has been nominated for the most Academy Awards (21), has won three Oscars, and was nominated for 18 more? Hint: She recently played a role in “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.”

2. This kind, funny, down-to-earth actor who is also a knitter won the 1988 Best Supporting Actor Oscar for “Good Will Hunting” (which by the way was shot in Toronto, my home town).

3. Which one of the two Ryans (and btw they are both Canadian, like me) is also a knitter? This Ryan has been nominated for two Oscars, and has had roles in “La La Land,” “The Notebook,” and “Crazy, Stupid, Love.”

4. Which actor/knitter won an Oscar for his role in “Gladiator” in 2001, and was nominated for his roles in “A Beautiful Mind” and “The Insider?”

5. This iconic actress and two-time Oscar winner was seen knitting between takes on the set of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” Who is it?

6. This American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, fashion designer, and professional wrestler learned to knit from his grandmother. He has never been nominated for an Oscar, but his sister Patricia has been. Who is it?

7. Which actress, known for her roles in “Eat Pray Love,” “Ocean’s Eleven,” and “Notting Hill,” knits so much on set that she taught co-star Tom Hanks to knit too?

8. Okay, so this actress hasn’t won an Oscar, but she did win a 2007 Emmy for her role in “Grey’s Anatomy” and loves knitting so much, she contemplated opening up a knitting shop. Who is it?

9. Getting her big break as Rey from “Star Wars Episode VII - The Force Awakens,” this actress, who is a self-professed knitting extraordinaire, has worked with Academy Award-nominated director Kenneth Branagh in “Murder on the Orient Express.”

10. Which star of MARVEL’s “Jessica Jones” co-starred with Oscar-nominee Bryan Cranston in “Breaking Bad”, and has also been interviewed by Interweave, Mollie Makes, and Vogue Knitting?

11. Bonus Question: Which Canadian actor played an 8-ft tall green dragon in “The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon”; was featured in the short film “The Mario Lanza Story”, which screened at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival; and hand-knitted three 9 ft x 5.5 ft tapestries called “Stitched Glass” that took him 15 years to complete? (Oh, and no, he hasn’t won an Oscar - but he will be seen in the one-man play about the tapestries called The Knitting Pilgrim, and he did write this Oscar knitter quiz…)

Answers

1. Meryl Streep

2. Robin Williams

3. Ryan Gosling

4. Russell Crowe

5. Audrey Hepburn

6. David Arquette

7. Julia Roberts

8. Katherine Heigl

9. Daisy Ridley

10. Krysten Ritter

11. Kirk Dunn (hey, that’s me!)

To All the Yarn Makers Out There: Thank You

Not long after I started knitting Stitched Glass, and the number of yarn balls on our living room floor grew exponentially, my wife Claire started saving the discarded yarn labels. She stuffed them in a clear plastic bag, and put the bag in a chest, and kept them. I remember asking her what she planned to do with them. She shrugged. “I dunno,” she said, “but I’m not going to throw them out until I’m sure we won’t miss them.”

The number of yarn labels grew, of course, because Stitched Glass is such a giant project. You can collect a lot of yarn over 15 years – and believe me, I did. I bought yarn in Canada, France, the UK, the United States, Thailand, Switzerland, and Italy. I don’t have labels for some of the wonderful stores where yarn was sold by weight. But this photo gives you a sense of how many labels we accumulated for Stitched Glass alone.

 It makes me marvel. And mostly, it makes me want to thank all the wonderful people out there making yarn so people like me can enjoy it.

 And enjoy it I have.

 Thank you, yarn makers of the world. You make knitters like me very happy.

Craft Blog: Working with, and Learning From, Textile Conservator Ada Hopkins

Working With, and Learning From, Textile Conservator Ada Hopkins

While on my incredible continuing journey with my tapestry exhibition, Stitched Glass, and the accompanying piece of theatre, The Knitting Pilgrim, I thought it would be interesting to take a peek into the creative process of some of the people on our team, prepping the show for Ergo Arts Theatre. Here, textile conservator Ada Hopkins writes about her process mounting the finished Stitched Glass tapestries onto backing for future framing. Ada has worked as a textile conservator at the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, Canada, for the past 30 years, specializing in footwear made from animal skins and textiles. She has also performed treatments for private collectors and public institutions, including mounting large and small textiles, fabricating mannequins, and conserving elements of clothing for display.

 My profound thanks to Ada for the work she has done on the Stitched Glass tapestries. Take a peek into her process here:

Ada Hopkins

Ada Hopkins:

The Project

When Kirk approached me about working on the mounting and preservation of the Stitched Glass tapestries, I was intrigued. It was different from anything else I’d done in my textile career. Kirk was facing several challenges in his goal to not only display the knitted tapestries, but mount them and tour them. Knitting, like all textiles, is subject to gravity (which can pull on the fibres), changing environments, travel, exposure to light, pests and moisture.

The first goal was to get the tapestries mounted and ready for framing. We’d deal with travel next.

Preparation of Three Knitted Tapestries for Display

Preparing the Under-Padding

The black lines – the “cames” in stained glass window speak – had more depth than the pictorial panes, because this was where Kirk joined the tapestry sections together (the tapestries were too large to be knitted in their entirety on a single set of needles). We decided to place padding underneath each pane in order to give the tapestry a smoother appearance.

A colour photograph of each panel was printed onto an 8 ½” x 11” piece of paper, which was overlaid with a sheet of thin polyester film. The individual panes of the tapestry were traced onto the film and each section was numbered to determine its location, as each one is a different shape.

Next, a very large sheet of clear plastic was placed over the tapestry. The outline of the individual panes was traced and the appropriate number, transposed from the template, was written on each pattern piece. The numbered sections were placed on polyester batting and cut to size.

The knitted tapestry was flipped over onto a drop sheet on the floor. The individual pieces of padding were basted to the back of the corresponding panel between its surrounding cames.

In this photo, you can see the knitted tapestry, flipped face down on a drop sheet on the floor. The polyester film templates for the padding are piled on the side, and the black polyester batting, cut into sections, matches the sections of the tapestry.

Attaching the Knitted Tapestries to the Support Fabric

The next step was to attach each tapestry to a black wool panel, so that when the tapestries were vertical, they would have support, and gravity wouldn’t pull on the knitting.

First we had to measure the tapestries. And measure again. And remeasure. The knitting has give, so we needed to make sure we felt certain about our measurements to pass along to Ontario Staging, a company in Toronto that has been manufacturing stage drapes for over 30 years, supplying film, TV, schools, churches, and special events across Canada. 

We visited with Natalie Smith and Maria Physentzou at Ontario Staging, and described what we needed. We decided together to have them build three black woolen panels for backing, with grommets every 6 inches apart, so that the tapestries, once sewn to the backing, could be laced to the frames.

Each black wool panel is composed of two vertical sections to provide the overall necessary width, with the seam down the centre. Grommets are equally placed around all four edges through which nylon thongs are laced.

Attaching the Wool Panels to a Wood Frame

The next step required a large wood frame that was 12’ x 8’ to which the wool panels could be tied, using the laces provided by Ontario Staging. Joel Robson kindly made the tapestry assembly frame for us. Joel is a Toronto-based designer/maker assisting museums, galleries and private collectors with their display furniture. He is currently head of installation at the Textile Museum of Canada and former head of installation at the Gardiner Museum. It had to be something we could easily take apart, transport into my studio space, and then disassemble again once I was done working on the tapestries. Joel did a great job.

The measurements to locate the centre of the width and the centre of the length were determined. These coordinates were transferred to the wool panel with butcher’s string, held onto the frame by pushpins. The margins, around the perimeter of all four edges, were calculated and marked using the same technique. The central width and length of the knitted tapestry was determined; string was then attached with safety pins to make sure tjat the tapestry didn’t move when it was laid over the black wool. All these lines made sure the knitted tapestry was centred properly.

Here is Joel’s frame, with the Christian tapestry attached to it by laces.

The perimeter of the knitted tapestry was hand-stitched with nylon upholstery thread and a tapestry needle. This stitching followed the interior and exterior edges of the black outlines of the Christian and Judaic tapestries. (The Islamic tapestry did not have the same border treatment, so a single row of stitches was used to attach it to the wool support.) This held the knitted tapestry centered on the black wool support, keeping it centered when the entire unit was untied and placed on the drop sheet that was spread out underneath the frame. The frame proved too wide to work from the sides of the frame while seated.

Large sheets of mat board were slipped between the knitted tapestry/wool support and the drop sheet. This prevented them from becoming accidentally sewn together when the curved upholstery needle/nylon thread passed through the tapestry/support. The boards also provided resistance so that I knew when the needle passed through the three layers: knitted tapestry, padding, wool support.

The knitting was covered with quilted tablecloth under padding and bed sheets. This protected the knitting, as I needed to work directly on top of the entire panel with only the area to be stitched exposed. Working from the centre outwards, the stitching progressed, image by image. The section being worked on was pressed with a steam iron through several layers of damp toweling to ease out any ripples. The first set of stitches was made along the edge of the black came of the selected image.

Here’s an example of one section of the Judaic tapestry after steaming and stitching around its perimeter cames.

Once that was accomplished, a stitching grid was established using butcher’s string held in place with straight pins. A horizontal grid was set up every 10 – 15cm, followed by stitching along these lines. Then the vertical portion of the grid was established in the same manner.

The mouting of all three tapestries took approximately a month, working in the evenings and on weekends. It was amazing to see the smoothed-out, finished tapestries once all the stitching was complete. They really ‘pop’ visually against the black background.

I’m excited to see the next steps: getting the tapestries, now attached to the backings, into frames.