Knitting at Golden Lane Estate

April 2007

“The 1000 hand-knitted wallets have a shared title of ‘Snow’. The formal structure of the wallet is always the same; but each wallet takes on its own subversive individuality. Liz Davis says: “As the project developed, the growing stack of wallets reminded me of snow flakes. All the knitters had the same instructions, but every wallet was different, unique.”

A group of 15 women – friends, family, and residents of the Golden Lane Estate in London were brought together to knit 1000 travel wallets in three months. Wallets were knitted on the bus, tubes and trains; in public spaces, galleries, parks, and each others’ flats. The group amassed a wealth of personal stories about knitting in public, and Liz Davis’ flat was filled with hundreds of cones of different yarns, covering every step on the concrete staircase.

The project was summed up by a member of the knitting circle: “In the Europe of the 21st century, a world of sleek functionality and silver gadgets, hand-made objects are becoming a rarity. These knitted wallets, each one a little different, turn mass-production on its head and subvert the concept of the mass-produced goods. Each item reflects something of the individuality of the handful of women who created them. So it is that a simple everyday item is transformed with a dash of absurdity and colour and a pair of knitting needles.”

The yarns are sourced from a working mill in the foothills of Massif Central in France, that used to make yarns using dyes from local plants and herbs, and now produces extraordinary yarns using glitter, net and ribbon. Each wallet is individually created using a unique selection of these yarns. The creative choices of the knitter is apparent in the individuality of the wallet” - Arts Council website

By the way, Yanki was part of the knitting group and she helped to knit over a hundred wallets within that three months - While I am still longing for a scarf for years…I should had proposed a Golden Lane Scarf Knitting Project in the first place.