Get Handy
One tends to give one’s fingers too little credit for their own good sense.
— Elizabeth Zimmermann
From urban homesteaders, to fine craftspeople, to hobbyists of all stripes—we are inspired by the handiwork we find all around us. And Elizabeth’s words and work are perfect symbols of a handmade life infused with joy and meaning. So our tenth broadside overflows with simple pleasures, manual delights and home comforts. Elizabeth’s portrait presides over cable patterns and Fair Isle sweaters. A little slow food takes root in the garden. Honeybees guard a new crop of candles. Fresh home-canned treats stock the shelves. Puzzles come together and checkers become kings over a cup of tea. Chickens scratch along a fence of golden (darning) eggs. And when they’re not busy knitting or snipping yarn, a handful of hands spell it out for you in American Sign Language. The result is a handcrafted tribute to the power of one’s own two hands.
You can learn more about this piece on our blog.
Year created
2010
At issue
Urban homesteading; the value of hand craftsmanship
Edition size
158 prints
Significance of edition number
Zimmermann is credited with designing the first Aran sweater seen in an American magazine, published in Vogue Knitting in 1958
Special printing techniques
Get Handy contains hand-colored elements that are individually hand-painted with watercolor.
Donation
A portion of the proceeds were donated to Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), in honor of a tradition begun by a group called Knitters Without Borders.