Shelter

Polypropylene Rope, Wood, Rocks, Steel.

​

After constructing a pair of two-foot-long, ¾-inch-thick knitting needles, I began to knit 3,000 feet of 3/8-inch camp rope into a shelter. Following the classic A-frame tent structure, I created what amounts to a thoroughly ineffective survival shelter. Whenever the need arises, this 6’ x 7’ sheet of heavy duty polypropylene rope can be unraveled into over 3000’ of life saving cordage! The absurdity of this massively heavy structure lies not only in its cumbersome uselessness but in its creation. The act of knitting 3/8-inch synthetic rope overturns much of the calming relaxation that knitting once gave me. Instead, the act of knitting becomes a struggle against the material. Just like with the carving of axe handles, the repetition remains comforting and soothing but with the complicating element of physical exertion. A session of such knitting now leaves my arms sore and my brow perspiring.