Day 5 of the Hunger Strike in Jail

The strike continues with no resolution in site. I went to the jail to pick up some of the items our team had finished knitting and got a glimpse of what the hunger strike is about.

This is the front entrance of the Jail: "Centro de Orientacion Femenina" 

 Many signs where taped to this wall. The women involved in the hunger strike are demanding that the accusations be clarified, and the truth be told

 

 Sign taped to the front door reads "We demand the truth. This strike is because we want photocopies of the false accusations made against this center, sent to us" 

The center was accused of harboring drugs, alcohol, prostitution and abortions. Hopefully this situation will be resolved soon, so the women who aren't involved can continue to work in peace. 


~Namaste

A hunger strike in the jail

Working with incarcerated women, has its trials and tribulations, especially when the jail is in Bolivia, a country known for being prone to strikes, marches and revolts on almost a daily basis. This same cultural phenomenon is also found within the jail, this year alone the facility has had two hunger strikes already.

When a group of incarcerated women decide to go on a hunger strike, the entire jail is put under a state of emergency and total lock down, meaning visitors, lawyers or artisans like me can’t go inside the jail for an undefined time. The entire incarcerated community has to undergo the state of emergency, as a consequence of the protesting group.

This makes my work very difficult, since during these times I can’t deliver yarn for any of the orders we receive or do the quality control I need for the work in progress.  This is one of the glitches of working with incarcerated women. My knitters are also affected because their work is slowed down, and therefore so is their income.

This time around the strike is due to a complaint made by one of the prisoners, who sent a letter to the press stating that drugs, alcohol, prostitution and abortions where common within the jail. The interesting aspect of this is that some of the women inside the jail took offense of this statement and took it upon themselves to start a hunger strike demanding that the author of the accusatory letter be removed from the prison and taken elsewhere. The group of protesting women feel’s humiliated by the accusations and wants the letter to be retracted. They don’t want people on the outside to think these accusations are true. However, it is common knowledge that alcohol and drugs are found within those walls.

It’s interesting for me to hear their reaction. It seems to me that if said actions are happening within the jail, it would behoove the prisoners to have more protection and stricter controls in order to protect the women and children within the jail from being exposed to the many downfalls of drug and alcohol abuse, which can lead to unwanted pregnancies, violence, abuse, depression, prostitution and more.

None of the girls on my team are involved in the strike, yet they are experiencing the downfalls of the issue in place. Prior to the strike they requested that I leave them with a lot of work, should the strike begin and get prolonged. Knitting keeps them busy and out of trouble. Let’s hope they are busy at work, and staying safe while knitting in peace.

~Namaste

Alpaca Creations

I love sharing Knitting Peace's latest news, creative endeavors and creative process. Here are a few images of what we have been up to.

These colorful pieces are hand knit Alpaca Cowls, which can also be worn as a shoulder cover as well as a skirt. They are very popular, because of the colorful pallet and versatility. We love these!

Knitting Peace Alpaca hand knit Cowl

 Available on our website and on SALE now at
 http://www.knittingpeace.com/knitting-peace-store/accessories/cowls.html 

Now, not all of the new designs get posted on our website, some must go through several rounds of evaluation, re-defining and tweaking.

Our latest prototype was just finished. One of my favorite knitters Louisa, had a bit of a hard time bringing my vision into physical manifestation . However I have to admit, I love what she made!

We will tweak the prototype a bit here and there, with an end result of a beautiful hand knit chunky Alpaca Sweater dress available for Fall 2011, no worries!

I love this color!

Alpaca Sweater Dress

  

Knitting towards a greater good

We just recently started an internship program at Knitting Peace, which has been an incredible blessing. I didn’t realize how much work I was postponing until Beatriz came along, and got my wheels spinning in motion. It’s fascinating how the Universe works, we truly are powerful beings. 

I had set the intention of attracting a team of supporters to help me take Knitting Peace to the next level, and bam… I feel like I have an army now.  It’s amazing how much can be accomplished with strong intention, honest self evaluation and grounded clarity. What seemed impossible and a burden is now clear open space, with infinite possibilities.

In my moments of doom and gloom, I had forgotten why I had chosen to work with incarcerated women, and why Knitting Peace existed and what it stood for. Luckily, with the help of Beatriz’s soft presence, my girls had the opportunity to open up and share with her what Knitting Peace meant to them and how our work together has benefited their lives.

Hearing what each team member had to share, expressed so lovingly was a gift for me. These women did not sound like repressed, fearful women who are incarcerated. They expressed themselves like warriors who were on a path towards something better.

Xenia shared that she hoped Knitting Peace would continue to grow, and that she could continue to work for us even after she restored her freedom. She looked forward to assisting me in creating new designs and putting her talents to good use.  She felt she made a difference in Knitting Peace and was proud of the work she did with us.

 

Rosario, mother of 2 expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity to work. She shared that very little work was available to them, and that through Knitting Peace she was able to work continuously throughout the year and support her children in staying in school while she remained incarcerated.

I am once again reminded of the importance of our work, and inspired to continue on this path. It’s a very exciting time for Knitting Peace, we can’t wait to see what else the Universe has in store! 

Winter Line Sneak Peek

Our new 2011 Winter line is coming together. Here is a sneak peek.
Hand Knit Alpaca Sweater Dresses, to wear day and night for work or play.

Everything made by our team of incarcerated women in Bolivia.

 Enjoy Knitting Peace!

Photos by Daniel Caballero Mercado

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

The Economy and Style... must they go hand in hand?

With the economy at question mark, I imagine spending in most households has become questionable as well. Debt is at an all time high, and a lot of people are experiencing for the first time, what it means to live and spend within their means. In most countries this is the norm, however in the US and other developed countries, this is a new way of living, a new and hard concept to swallow.

Having lived both in the US and Bolivia, I have experienced both contrasting mind sets regarding consumerism and know what a huge shift the US is going though at the moment.  In Bolivia, most people don’t go shopping every weekend, and there aren’t huge discount sales on every street corner. I have yet to go “window” shopping with my girlfriends, and doubt anyone holds a credit card with a $10,000 spending limit. Life is very simple here; when the first winter breeze comes the fashionistas run out to buy a new sweater or coat, maybe both … but not a whole new wardrobe. 

I can appreciate both life styles; I love fashion and loved living in LA where there are so many pretty things to see and try on, which are always going on sale.

So, with the economy in mind, fashionistas at heart and practicality at hand, I am creating a new line which is not only beautiful and as always socially conscious… but can be worn all year long, and in many different ways. Versatile is my new theme, and I plan to make all of our new pieces Versatile, and layer friendly, so they can be worn in the spring, summer, fall or winter.

Our team of knitters loves this new concept, and is busy at work with our new collection. Here is a sneak peak of one of our finished pieces

 How many other ways can you think of wearing this beautiful Alpaca accessory? And what would you call it? We would love to hear your input, please share!

~Namaste