Spare public libraries from the trigger

The California Library Association (CLA) is urging its members and library supporters to ask that libraries be spared from further state budget cuts.

As explained by the CLA, the Governor’s Budget in January proposed to eliminate $30.4 million in funding for three California library programs: the California Library Services Act, the Public Library Foundation and the state literacy program.  Thanks to heavy lobbying and strong grassroots support from the library community, the CLA was able to retain $15.2 million in funds for state library programs.

But Assembly Bill 121, the “Budget Trigger” bill, specified that if $4 billion in projected state revenues failed to materialize, there would be budget cuts at the beginning of the year that would eliminate the last of library funds.

‘Taking Back the Knit’

A worldwide movement is bringing knit and crochet into the realm of public art. As a crafter, this subject is of growing fascination to me.

Yarn bombing Rincon Valley Library

My second tag, which I applied Sunday night, Nov. 20, was a book drop handle cozy for the Rincon Valley Library. I crocheted it out of sock yarn self-striping in brown and black.

I used the same yarn to create a loom-knit balaclava. I mixed a “Homespun” Lion Brand yarn in shades of green and brown, with two sock yarn skeins. The result was to mimic tree bark and I’m very pleased with the result.

As for the tag, it took two trips to the Rincon Valley Library: first to scout the area for an inspiring object to tag. I measured the length of the book-drop handle against the span of my hand’s pointer finger to thumb. I approximated the width from the curl of my fingers around the handle itself.

Inexact but successful and the second trip was to attach the finished piece. I posted photos on Facebook.com on a page specifically for “Yarn Bombing @ Your Library.”

First yarn bombing tag at Middletown library

Jonathan and I got up at 5 a.m. this morning so that I could stitch a piece of knitting to a tree at the Middletown library.

The “tree sweater” idea came from a book that I checked out through the library: Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti by Mandy Moore and Leanne Prain (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2009. I’d been intrigued by yarn bombing since seeing pictures in my Lion Brand catalog.

I requested the book and arranged for pick-up at the Middletown library so I suppose that makes the yarn bomber’s identity a fairly obvious one.

(That and the newspaper column that listed the book among others in my favorite knitting books).

But I plan to “tag” other libraries in the area where my identity may not be so obvious. I have my own pin-on tags that say “Yarn Bombing @ Your Library;” they’ll accompany my pieces.

Transcribed from personal journal

Winter is a great time to knit

The rain that fell on Saturday accelerated my interest in knitting hats — and in reviewing my favorite books on the subjects of knitting and crochet.

Double-thick loom-knit hats with rolled brims

These hats were created with Lion Brand's Homespun on Provo Craft knitting looms. The hats are my own creation, based upon techniques taught in Isela Phelp's book Loom Knitting Primer. They were knit as tubes to a length that was nearly twice that of the desired length of the finished hats, then folded back to create a double-thickness for warmth. The men's hats include enough length to accommodate a rolled brim. The crown's last inch-and-a-half to two inches was knit single-layer thick to allow ease when gathering.

Library children's room holds fond memories

Saturday found me volunteering in the children’s section of my library.