The Immigrant Yarn Project is the nation’s largest crowd-sourced public art installation in honor of our nation’s rich immigrant history. Hundreds of people are contributing knit and crocheted pieces, which will be assembled into 100 sculptural columns and exhibited in San Francisco in May 2019 before traveling to other locations around the country. I crocheted and sent a granny square (photo below) along with this story: Over a hundred years ago, my four grandparents and my father emigrated from Eastern Europe to the United States. My grandmothers were seamstresses, my mother and aunts were knitters. I knit, crochet, and weave with yarn that I hand-dye. In the enclosed granny square, each strand is made with four shades of cotton thread, each thread is brushed with many colors. The yarn itself thus represents the diversity of our nation. The light blue yarns are left over from when I made my daughter’s “chuppah,” or Jewish wedding canopy, a tradition passed down to yet another generation. The dark blue threads, remnants from decades of weaving projects, represent the Atlantic Ocean which my family had the courage to cross on their voyage to this country. I am also a writer and my NOVELS and SHORT STORIES are often about immigrants, past and present. I am pleased to be part of the Immigrant Yarn Project, which joins with other art and literary expressions in celebrating America’s rich heritage. Read more about the project with instructions on adding your own piece at https://enactivist.org.
