knitted new york

'Security' is an interesting word... it's one of those words that almost inevitably implies it's opposite. It's difficult to imagine security without also imagining what the threat might be. It's also a term that can be applied to a range of different spheres, from 'national security' to a 'security blanket'.

Flickr user Lucky Olive managed to draw all these different ideas together in a miniature knitted New York that she created for a 3D design class. And at the same time, she created something really lovely.

Her assignment was to a) create a sculpture, and b) 'armor' it in some way. (What a great assignment topic!) Lucky Olive explains her process much better than I can, so I'll just quote her here:

I wanted to play with the idea of armoring something - what is armor for? Protection? So I continued with the theme of protection, and came up with this. I dissected a single issue of the New York Times, pulling out every reference I could to the things that perpetually remind us of the fear of terrorism, mistrust, etc... I used those references to illustrate how ingrained these reminders are in daily life (city life).

The idea of knitting a protective barrier around the cityscape was a way to bring comfort to myself and the city I loved.

Here's a bird's eye view of the city and a close-up, too.

There's something about the result that's really calming and beautiful. Despite all the horrible, fear-inducing newspaper headlines covering the buildings, the woollen cozies bring a certain warmth to the scene. Maybe it's the handmade element... adding a human element, feeling connected to the people who crafted the objects, or the idea of creating your own sense of security despite what life throws at you...

What do you think? Do handmade items make you feel secure? Do they make you feel something else entirely? Or am I just being overly sentimental?