“It’s possible to knit anything: a blanket, a dress, a coat or a handbag. Knitting embraces more than just mitten and socks. It’s an art!” declares expert Marina Molchan. Her knitting classes, which are being held during the exhibition, are likely to inspire many people to take up the hobby. She tells us, “I’m happy to teach novices and experienced knitters.” She hopes to eventually establish a knitting festival.
Warm Weeks is gathering Belarus’ top knitting masters for the first time to present catwalk collections, and will last a full month, hosted by Minsk’s A.S. Pushkin Regional Library.
The event recently opened with a catwalk show of clothes made from felt and yarn, including Anastasia Shirokaya’s Analogy project, which aims to show that fashionable dresses, blouses and jackets can be made from traditional Belarusian materials. Copies of famous outfits by global designers Pierre Cardin, Dolche Gabbana, Coco Chanel and Christian Dior were placed on show, all made by Belarusian knitters and felting experts, with impressive results!
The show also features interior decorative items, such as pictures, lamps and rugs, with many looking as if they can hardly be made of wool or felt. Artist and designer Anastasia Arais, who is well known in Belarus and abroad, presented her new interior collection: Garden of Stones.
Meanwhile, a charity auction of the 5000 Club on the opening day, of hand made souvenirs, has raised funds for children battling cancer.
Leading organiser Karina Volkova tells us that master classes are scheduled, to be run by professional felters and knitters, alongside seminars, interactive performances for children (based on Sergey Kozlov’s stories and staged by the Busy Baby Theatre) and a session drinking tea with Valentin Zyulikov — a fifth-generation felt shoe maker.
By Yekaterina Medvedskaya
