I decided to knit something more complex than a scarf. Thought I'd make Jimmy a little Fair Isle tank top, in Opal yarn, a la Seth Cohen, that he could wear over t-shirts and stuff. *Big mistake*. Long thin metal needles. Grey wool. It was like knitting a smoker's lung. I went off knitting after that. Shame. But this? (Not for the baby. For adult males. Or sexy boyish females.) A knitted tie! Wow. I'm still a sucker for boys in ties. And a knitted tie will be even easier and quicker than a scarf! Hurrah, again, for knitting.

[Knitted tie, from Dropped Stitches.]

Labels: crafts, DIY, knit, knitting, pattern

Psst - Subscribe to AMPnet by RSS or email. It's simple and fun!

MADDORABLE cowboy boot(ees) for babies. OMG.

Repeat to self:

THE CHILD IS NOT A TOY
THE CHILD IS NOT A TOY
THE CHILD IS NOT A TOY

/fade

Labels: crafts

Psst - Subscribe to AMPnet by RSS or email. It's simple and fun!

these are so cool. uhm. idea: some kind of... magazine... a bit like 1-UPzine but by and for women... something about gaming and... crafts and... girls and... THE SIMS and... ANIMAL CROSSING and... CAKES... and NERD CHIC.... atari embroidered tea-towels and space invader jumper patterns and... interviews with HOT GEEK BOYS and pictures of them in their PANTS... pictures that you can, like, CROSS-STITCH onto cushions... and... game walkthroughs and FAQS.... come on, this is the BEST MAGAZINE IDEA you've heard in the last five minutes, isn't it? isn't it? you FUCKING KNOW IT.

Labels: crafts, cupcakes, games, pacman

Psst - Subscribe to AMPnet by RSS or email. It's simple and fun!

i want! it's on etsy, but it's sold out!

Labels: crafts

Psst - Subscribe to AMPnet by RSS or email. It's simple and fun!

Repost from Ladyfest London's Myspace. If I wasn't going to be enormously pregnant between 9-11th May, and thus stuck in Stockholm, I would totally go help, because I have decided that, for all its tweeness, Ladyfest is a Good Thing. Frances has been having all these cool interns at Plan B whose lives have been hugely changed by Ladyfest and by retrospectively discovering Riot Grrrl - girls who were into emo or whatever as consumers and then discovered riot grrrl and are now running nights, putting on gigs and being in bands - exactly what we envisaged way back when. So. Ladyfest London. 9-11th May. Get in!

Ladyfest London is on its way!!!

We are a non-profit, volunteer-run feminist music, arts and activism festival that will be held in North London 9th- 11th of May 2008, at The Camden Underworld, the Resource Centre on Holloway Road and the Islington Arts Factory.

Ladyfest celebrates the wealth and diversity of women's talents within the London independent art scenes and beyond, as well as to promote the do-it-yourself ethic and participation in feminist discussion and activism. We aim to provide creative, accessible and friendly spaces where people of all ages and backgrounds feel welcome to take part. It is a predominantly woman-organised festival, but all are welcome to participate.

Ladyfest have been happening in urban centres all over the world since it was first held in Olympia in 2000. The first Ladyfest London was held in London in 2002 at the Garage in North London.

We need you!
Currently there are around 20 core members involved in organising the festival and and we really need your help! We come from a variety of different backgrounds and all have different skills and interests. Ladyfests, like other activism, is very much about learning new skills and trying things you wouldn't normally get to do in everyday life.

There is lots to do in the run up to the festival and lots of different ways you can get involved. No experience is necessary!

We currently need creative and organising types to join our publicity, fundrasing, merchandising groups, as well as people to get involved in organising performances, comedy and music.

If you are interested in helping out in any capacity please get in touch.

During the festival
Even if you don't have time to get involved in the run-up to the festival, we are also going to need lots of people to help out during the actual weekend. If you can commit to at least one 4-hour shift between 9-11 May (plus ideally one afternoon or evening a couple weeks before the festival for a welcome/rota meeting) to staff information desks, steward, help with equipment etc, we can offer you a free day-pass to the festival for the rest of that day, plus a free lunch and travel expenses costs if required (within London only). If you can commit to helping out 4 hours a day for each of the three days you will have free entry to the whole festival.

Email info@ladyfestlondon.co.uk or send us a message on Myspace to get in touch. Or just show up at our next general meeting on Wed 13 Feb at LARC (London Action Resource Centre), 62 Fieldgate Street, E1 at 7pm.

Looking foward to meeting you!

The Ladyfest London team

Labels: crafts, feminism, music

Psst - Subscribe to AMPnet by RSS or email. It's simple and fun!

also, look - plan b are doing a fanzine workshop at rough trade. and a music writing one! so you can learn how to be a music journalist. i can teach you too. just be a 30something male, balding, bitter, boring, paunchy, pale-skinned, slightly sweating, scared of girls. works every time. OOH, AREN'T STEREOTYPES FUN? :D

Labels: crafts, music, zines

Psst - Subscribe to AMPnet by RSS or email. It's simple and fun!

In Sweden they seem to have a special cake for practically every day of the year, and most of them are a bit "meh". Like, yeah, cheers for another variation of a plain breaded bun, Sweden! But this... wow. It's called a 'semla' and it's a "cardamom-spiced wheat bun which has its top cut off and insides scooped out and is then filled with a mix of the scooped-out bread crumbs, milk and almond paste, topped with whipped cream. The cut-off top is then put back as a lid and dusted with icing sugar." (Wikipedia). It's AMAZING! It's a pre-Lent feast apparently, and I can't wait for my next one. Well done Sweden! You got a cake right!

Labels: crafts, personal

Psst - Subscribe to AMPnet by RSS or email. It's simple and fun!

we made a new fanzine! it's written, illustrated and designed by some of my favourite people, and it's about GAY PORN (suprise!)

email amp.minzine@gmail.com to find out how to get your copy!

'Fave Gestures in Porn'
Text: Andrew Johnston
Images: Raz Webster
Design: Miranda Iossifidis
A6 booklet / 4 pp + A4 poster

Random quote (from 'Landed-Fish Orgasm'): "His eyes are going like roulette balls. Gasps halfmoon his mouth. Four more thrusts initiate the involuntary gesture: his head jerks back as though God, fishing from a cloud, has cast a hook through his top lip and tugged."

Random quote (from 'Hand-Halo Suckoff'): "The gap represents Straightboy's intact heterosexuality: to close it, and thus to make physical hand-to-head contact, would be to seal a homosexual fate. As long as he lets it hover, he's straight, he's straight, he is, he's straight."

Labels: AMP, crafts, DIY, feminism, zines

Psst - Subscribe to AMPnet by RSS or email. It's simple and fun!

Weak boys, self-loathing females and misogynistic faggots look away now, it's time for your MENSTRUAL UPDATE! Nope, we're not talking about The Keeper or The Sponge this time - we'd just like to draw your attention to this adorable menstrual calendar produced by a girl living in Mexico. Card-sized to fit in your wallet, it has 12 of the cutest illustrations we've ever seen, and a handy calendar so you can track your body's business and get to know where you are with your cycle. Tracking your periods is a good idea so you don't get caught out by bad tempers or forgotten tampons. It's also handy to know when you're ovulating so you can know just how much to panic when the condom breaks or you 'forgot' to use one like the lazy slut you are. The site's called Vive La Menstruation and it's cool. There's also a handy links section, so check it out!

Labels: crafts, feminism

Psst - Subscribe to AMPnet by RSS or email. It's simple and fun!

I'm whispering here, but I have to admit that I've always had a bit of trouble with the whole third-wave rediscovery of traditional baking and crafting activity. I'm down with the anti-consumerist side of things (and I love cooking as much as the next awesomely cooking-skilled person), but somehow I've always sneakily felt that 'craftivism' was little more than another way for girls to avoid getting involved in 'real' artistic creativity. Encouraging them to spend their time baking cakes and knitting baby booties, as they have done for centuries, rather than learning how to play an instrument or master a CD or write a treatise or something. Continuing women's involvement in the private, domestic sphere, rather than the more high-profile and combative public arena. BUT. Randomly surfing old blogs led me to this delighful idea, posted on a LiveJournal community called Curious Cupcakes: the Pay Equity Bakesale!

"Finally one member came up with the BRILLIANT idea of holding a "Pay Equity Bakesale." In Michigan (where we lived), women make an average of 67 cents for every dollar a man makes at the same job. So we baked our hearts out, then charged women 67 cents, and men $1 for each baked good. On the bottom of each cookie, cupcake, and brownie, we had printed facts about the gender wage gap on address labels and stuck them on. When people said "Hey! That's not fair!" We replied with, "Actually, it is fair; it's the only thing that's fair. Women make less money." So we got to raise money AND awareness at the same time!"

That's such an ace idea! (And please feel free to email me with examples of more if you feel I am being unfairly anti-crafting.) If I'm ever involved in some kind of event where a Pay Equity Bakesale would be appropriate, I am so having one. I wonder when Ladyfest Stockholm is? :)

Labels: baking, crafts, cupcakes, feminism, ladyfest

Psst - Subscribe to AMPnet by RSS or email. It's simple and fun!