Pretty Neat Stitching

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knit graffiti/yarn bombing/guerilla knitting are here to stay it seems. the Vivalagong Festival in Wollongong this weekend is featuring an installation of the work of Australia's own guerilla knitstress, Diane Litchfield aka grrl+dog in cahootz with some local knitters, poets and writers. something about abstract knitting appeals to me, and it seems a lovely thing to do to warm up urban spaces. i am always worried though about the fate of these diligently stitched sweeties - quite a lot of work goes into some of them. in know in some organized events they are sold for charity and such but what about your everyday casual guerilla knitters?
does anyone know what happens to these cozies?

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also featured at the festival is the surreal and incredible Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef Project, part of a global textile art project instigated by Margaret and Christine Wertheim, sister and directors of The Institute for Figuring in LA. the project seeks to highlight the threat to these spectacular and diverse ecosystems due to global warming and pollutants. serious craftivism! the building blocks of the reef species are created using the hyperbolic crochet techniques mathematician dr daina taimina, which has been elaborated by the institute to create very accurate representations of the real life taxonomy of coral reefs. hyperbolic crochet is basically a pattern that uses a mathematical equation (usually exponential). by increasing stitches exponentially, the structure of the piece constantly curves away from itself, creating ruffled shapes. corals grow hyperbolically in nature therefore this technique lends itself very well to reproducing nature with yarn. oops! i feel a little nerdy at the moment - but simultaneously inspired to make my own little desktop coral garden perhaps. . .