The Winterlude 2010 press conference took place last Tuesday at noon at one of the festival sites, Confederation Park. One of the highlights of this year’s festival is, you guessed it, the Winterlude Urban Cozy Project!

The National Capital Commission (NCC) invited us to take part and install a temporary cozy around a tree at the site. We put up cozies that we had already received as well those from cozy-makers extraordinaires Barb and Robyn who installed some of their work in progress.

There was a lot of curiousity from passers-by walking through the park, and some asked questions. One passerby loved the idea and asked how she could donate bags of yarn that she was no longer using to our intervention. Another asked if the unfinished objects tucked away at the back of her closet could be used. (We answered, of course!)

Thanks to CBC Radio and CBC television for covering this project.

We’re excited to be bringing you a project that combines community, local and international collaboration, skill-sharing, a social atmosphere, a transformation of the city, and the upcycling of materials into wearable items to help out local organizations.

We’re getting closer to opening night!

We are SUPERexcited about this upcoming project next year, especially since we’re calling on you to be part of an international public art/craft installation that will transform Canada’s national capital during the Winterlude festival, one of the largest winter festivals in the world. And anyone can participate!

This February 2010, Spins & Needles in collaboration with the National Capital Commission, is calling on artists, crafters and the public, individuals and groups, of all ages, and all creative levels, and from all over the world to be part of the Winterlude Urban Cozy Project. Various warm coverings, or cozies, wrapped around trees, lampposts, and other urban elements will be installed on two major festival sites. The intervention will remix warmth, cold, art, craft, music and the city, and also play with traditional images and conceptions associated with a country known around the world for it’s cold weather climate.

Here’s some ways you can be a part of this project:

• Cozy maker –> to make cozies
• Cozy installer –> to tag and put cozies around at two Winterlude sites
• Cozy photographer –> to photograph cozies at two Winterlude sites
• Cozy on-site workshop assistant –> to help out with cozy-making at weekend workshops
• Donation of materials –> to donate any  cozy-appropriate materials (e.g. old sweaters, yarn, sewing needles + thread, knitting + crochet needles)
• We’re open to other ways!

Makers from the Ottawa-Gatineau region, across Canada, and around the world are invited to participate! We want cozy contributions from near and far. Once we receive your cozy, it will be labelled with your name(s) and city or residence, and installed at one of the two Winterlude sites. We’ll also post a photo with your name, city and website info on the Spins & Needles site. Plus if your cozy is something to talk about, we’ll profile it and you on the Spins & Needles blog as well!

And if you’ll be in the Ottawa-Gatineau region during the festival and want to get involved, let us know – we’d love for you to help out in other ways.

Submission deadline for cozies is February 1, 2010.

If you’ve got some downtime during the holidays (e.g. travelling between two cities) or are looking forward to the slow, relaxing weeks of January,  here’s the perfect way to maintain your crafty/DIY itch AND at the same time contribute to this international project! Plus it will be a great way for those involved in knit/craft/art to connect with others around the world.

For more information, FAQs, and how to submit cozies or volunteer for the festival, check out our website: http://www.spinsandneedles.com/winterlude2010.