Painfully long introduction:
I have mentioned in previous blogs a new book I purchased for myself called AntiCraft: Knitting, Beading, and Stitching for the Slightly Sinister. I tripped over it in the wilds of the internet a little before Christmas. I was hunting for crochet patterns for guys and came across the AntiCraft website (fantastic!), which produces a quarterly e-zine of a rather different collection of crafting patterns. This led me to their book which I promptly ordered for my sister-in-law, and once it arrived and I took a look at it, I bought another one for me.
The book itself isn’t quite as spectacular as their website in either volume or nature of projects, I think. But there are at least two projects in there I plan to undertake, and I appreciate it for merely existing. One can only look through so many crochet pattern books at kleenex cozies and pastel afghans before crocheting a cat-o-nine-tails looks refreshing and fun. (A note to my friends at work. If you are perusing the Anticraft project archives and see projects labeled “NSFW”, that means “not suitable for work” and while one wouldn’t necessarily assume that a knitting pattern could be unsuitable for a work environment, I assure you that they can. View with caution.)
Now to the point:
I only mention all this because Anticraft is hosting a contest which I thought some of my creative readers might enjoy. In a recent review in Philadelphia Weekly, Anticraft’s book was slammed and labeled as “brain-dead, soul-destroying pre-feminist housewifery... re-packaged and successfully sold to smugster sheep as radical, alternative and edgy.” Ouch! Quote the writer: “Vlad the Impaler didn’t crotchet his own ear-flapped bobble hats. And neither should you.”
Anticraft’s response? They are having a Vlad the Impaler hat contest. Crochet or knit a Vlad the Impaler hat, complete with ear-flaps and bobbles and submit it by March 31st for publication of your pattern in their next edition of the online magazine and fabulous prizes.
I don’t think I’ll have the time to take this one on myself, but I applaud their healthy response to bad press and I know a lot of crafty folk, so check out the contest if you feel so inclined.