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July 26, 2009

Taussig on Ethnography and Art at the Sydney Biennale

Posted by cat at 12:43 AM

July 24, 2009

Minimum Wage Rises to $7.25 in USA

... A rise in the minimum wage takes effect today, increasing to $7.25 an hour from $6.55 an hour. The Let Justice Roll Living Wage Campaign says today’s rate is still lower than the 1956 minimum wage of $7.93 in real terms. The group is calling for a $10 minimum wage to surpass the highest level of purchasing power of $9.92 cents, adjusted for inflation, seen in 1968. via democracy now

Posted by cat at 10:22 AM

July 23, 2009

Tejedoras furiosas

REVÉS DERECHO is a group in Chile I just learned about through Guillermina Altomonte's article Tejedoras furiosas in the Chilean magazine Paula.

"Desde 2005 existe en Chile una comunidad de tejedores llamada Revés Derecho. Se juntan una vez al mes a tejer en La Tetería de Providencia, donde conversan e intercambian ideas, libros y revistas. El sitio web tiene unas 600 chicas inscritas (de Chile y otros países), y entre ellas han organizado “swaps”, un concepto norteamericano de intercambio de regalos: palillos, lanas, tejidos, revistas del tema. La fundadora de Revés Derecho es la diseñadora gráfica Marina Torreblanca, quien también hace amigurumis (pequeños muñecos tejidos a crochet con una técnica japonesa). En las fotos se ve el amigurumi que personifica a su novio Manolo: ella lo lleva en la maleta cuando viaja, para fotografiarlo en cada destino."

The only correction in the microRevolt section is that I am not 32 until the first snow fall -- that's 5 months away. microRevolt turns 7 around the same time. I've been tracking site statistics and its looking like microRevolt users are from over a hundred countries.

kP_sitehits.jpg

Shout out crafty people, our new users in: French Guiana, Senegal, Guadeloupe, Syria, Martinique, Venezuela, Bosnia, Guam, Uruguay, Malaysia, Egypt! I noticed a lot of the pages are being translated, so if anyone is bilingual and wants to donate time to translation, that would be really helpful to our international allies. Email me at ///query///a/.t./microrevolt/DOt*@//0rg

knitPro is the most essential text to translate:

Choose a GIF, JPEG, or PNG image (file should be less than 1 MB).

Grid size:
Regular (48 width x 64 height)
Big (96 width x 120 height)
XL (120 width x 160 height)

Stitch size:
Needlepoint, Cross Stitch, Crochet (1:1)
Knit Portrait (5:7)
Knit Landscape (7:5)

Process this file:
Browse:
Submit:

Posted by cat at 11:49 PM

July 08, 2009

Eagle Industries

Eagle Industries, a U.S. Army contractor, is planning to close its factory in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The company has already started shipping machinery to Puerto Rico, where labor is cheaper. The move would put 350 people out of work. But Eagle workers are standing up and fighting back. They include single mothers of young children, pregnant women, middle-aged folks, and parents who both work at Eagle. Eagle workers make soldiers' backpacks under an Army contract which requires the backpacks to be made in New Bedford. If Eagle moves to Puerto Rico, the Army must agree to change the location
of production or Eagle will lose its Army contract. Because Eagle doesn't want to lose this contract, Army decision-makers may be able to save the workers' jobs.

Via Sweat Free Communities. Read More here... check recent press

Posted by cat at 04:53 PM

Virknålens revolution

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Virknålens revolution an article in DN the Swedish newspaper by craft historian and critic Malin Vessby. Translation somewhat readable here -- just cut and paste from article. If anyone can get a hold of the IN PRINT copy for me, email me. Thanks for all info Sabrina.

Posted by cat at 04:44 PM

July 02, 2009

Love Your Mother

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Here's a link to a minizine on making your own kombucha. (Thanks Andrew!)

Posted by cat at 11:52 AM

July 01, 2009

Luxury fashion brands leave
Indonesian workers in the cold

polo_ralph_lauren.jpg

Polo Ralph Lauren, the upmarket US-based fashion giant, continues to ignore union repression and bad working conditions at one of its suppliers in Indonesia. The Mulia Knitting Factory near to Jakarta. The fashion house simply refuses to respond to the plight of workers who produce its garments.

Tommy Hilfiger, another buyer at the same clothing factory, has claimed that they have discussed the problems with the supplier, but the company has yet to take decisive action.

Support these Indonesian workers in their struggle. Send letters to Polo Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger today and forward this message to your friends.

Your actions will make a difference!

Posted by cat at 02:37 PM