Today I was humbled by my largest donation to date that brought the yurt to 70% completion on Kickstarter — so we’re getting there! 18 days to go. It’s interesting — I’ve watched countless other projects on the site grow over time — especially those that launched around the same time mine did. Some have been recommended by the site itself, others have gotten similarly amazing press, others are being conducted by previously established artists, authors, etc. who have online followings already — each one grows with its own style and pattern: really fast and successful off the bat, all at once and then ultimately unsuccessful, slow and steady and successful, or gradual without success. I like to think that my project will be slow and steady AND successful. I have 18 days left to raise just under $1,800 and I’m hopeful that the spirit of the holidays will motivate lovers of the yurt to pledge their support. By far the best thing I’m doing, which is actually motivating a lot of great conversations, is writing people one at a time and seeing what they think of the project and if they’d be willing to support, impressing upon everyone that every dollar helps, no donation is too small. That said, I wanted to post a little picture of one of the rewards, a little mini yurt that I made this afternoon in the monsoon that was New York :) When they're all sewn together they look like the grey and white one also included!

I know the solo min yurt sort of looks like a medieval helmet in this picture — I’ve been asking for a nicer camera for Christmas every year for 3 years…but it’s a crochet little house — with a door! Imagine this guy 10 feet tall — how could anyone resist supporting the yurt :) Tell your friends — lets make it a reality! Also, check out a great article on the project from Dornob Design today!

http://dornob.com/modern-nomadic-diy-wild-woolly-crochet-a-yurt-project/

I’ve been looking at various ways of being able to light the inside and outside of the yurt when it’s complete (yes, I know I’m getting a little ahead of myself). I’ve reached out to a few companies, groups, and artists that work with solar and electro-luminescent materials. One option that I find intriguing is the solar harvesting textiles of KVA’s Soft House.

This fabric would act as a solar panel for the yurt and could power things on the inside with ease! The other material I recently discovered was electro-luminescent wire, which is flexible and, unlike neon, doesn’t get hot while it’s on. One of the women involved in the Institute of Figuring’s crochet coral reef project, Eleanor Kent, uses it to crochet jewelry and coral pieces so I’m thinking I can weave it into the inside of the yurt and have a few rows of light towards the oculus on the inside! A few of Eleanor’s works are below.

Thoughts? Suggestions on how to make this work? Ways to light up the outside?

As it’s Thanksgiving my whole family’s in town and we went to MoMA yesterday to check out the Tim Burton exhibit as well as the Bauhaus one — per usual though I stuck my head into the room of cool design stuff and I’m very glad I did as I came upon this little mini-felt home by Hill Jephson Robb.

He made it for his 7 month old niece after his sister died to emulate the womb and I think it probably does a fair job. It’s felted wool and 1.4m x 1.4m x 1.2m. It’s was awesome!

Yesterday over at Funtasticus they posted a slew of knitted bodysuits…seriously. It inspired me to post because I think of the yurt as a woolly alternative to literally knitting or crocheting yourself into a human shaped suit! The best of their pics are posted here.

In addition, the Yurt Alert got some great press yesterday on AOL's Shelterpop and in the latest issue of Inside Crochet Magazine out now in the UK.

Shelterpop story:
http://www.shelterpop.com/2009/11/23/would-you-live-in-a-knitted-house/

Link to the Inside Crochet JPG:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2801/4131022630_2b37501ccd_o.jpg

Tell your friends to help us reach our goal!!

Hi Everyone!
Today there was some exciting action in the Yurt Alert's land -- we were written up by Urlesque here: http://www.urlesque.com/2009/11/17/crochet-house-project-yurt-alert/

AND I did an interview with a pop culture wire service that will hopefully come out soon! I'll keep you guys posted! Thanks so much for the support -- keep telling your friends!

My guest blog post on the Yurt Alert over at Crochet Today went up!

http://www.crochettoday.com/blog/special-guest-blogger-kate-pokorny

AWESOME!

Awesome job everyone — we were just pushed over the 40% mark for yurt fundraising at Kickstarter! I’m so humbled by everyone’s generosity and the outpouring of support by total strangers too — it’s AMAZING!

HUGE blue ribbon to everyone who has pledged their support and if you’re waiting for the right time — now could be it! Thanks so much for spreading the yurt around to your friends too — it means the world to me!

Check us out! The Yurt is a TREND :)

http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/yurt-alert

Today I’ve been getting a lot of yurt love, largely driven from a great write up on the project over at The Daily Green! As a way of keeping my karma in check I wanted to post about Heifer International, which, if yurt’s aren’t your donation of choice, allows you to “gift” animals to people in need — including sheep!

As I’m working from Boston this week, my mom has been buzzing about doing great things for the yurt (I’m fairly certain she does this when I’m not here as she is basically the Yurt Whisperer). When I got home from a conference this afternoon she handed me the Heifer International catalog which states, “Warm in winter, cool in summer, waterproof and durable — wool is a valuable product that struggling families can use for clothing or sell for extra income…All over the world, Heifer partners are raising sheep to advance the cause against hunger and poverty.” For $120 you can give the gift of a sheep to someone who can care for it and benefit from it for years to come!

Check out the awesome post from The Daily Green on the Yurt Project today!

http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/blogs/recycling-design-technology/kate-pokorny-knit-yurt-461009

As many of you are aware, this past Saturday was the International Day of Climate Action organized by the group 350.org. I’ve been familiar with the group for a little while as a friend of mine from high school, who lives in San Francisco, is involved as an organizer there and his Facebook keeps me informed!

Saturday they posted photos that flooded in from around the world of people holding up 350 signs — this one came in from the town of Bulam in Mongolia — they tied the 350 movement to their yurts, literally! Congrats to the 350 crew!

The Yurt Alert is on Grist.org RIGHT NOW! Which is awesome -- it's under "Things That Are Funny" and I will definitely send them one once this one works! :) Grist is an awesome environmental news site with a fun spin!

And yurts too I should say! I feel like there’s a song in there somewhere…anyways, since the launch of this project I’ve been getting sent photos from friends and strangers around the world of awesome sheep and yurts that I wanted to share!

Some of these are from Mt. Vernon — they’re George Washington’s sheep! And they promptly ran away from my friend Courtney!

The yurt is from the Dutchess County Wool and Sheep Festival from Molly Made!

One of my clients sent me the last pic from his phone on his business trip to Australia — look at that beautiful bushy merino! HUGE! Thanks everyone — keep them coming!!!

...but keep the old! That was the favorite saying at my elementary school in Back Bay, The Learning Project. From there I went to BB&N and both schools have been so supportive of the yurt I had to post a special thanks!

BB&N has posted the Yurt in their Alumni News section -- woohoo! Hopefully some of my old school mates will get on board!

The LP not only Facebook'ed and Twitter'ed the yurt project but my elementary school principal, Michael McCord also donated to the cause right here!

It makes me realize that the network I've built up over time is so amazingly supportive even 13 years later for the LP! What a great way to continue their original beliefs of community and education and teamwork! Thanks everyone!

I’ve been getting some requests, especially while at Crafts in Chelsea yesterday for Yurt-related collateral. Sticker, bags, the usual! So I went on Zazzle this morning and have made a few products, bumper stickers and regular stickers so far, so that people can, if they so choose, spread the love of the yurt.

I’ve posted the pictures of them here and they can be purchased here: http://www.zazzle.com/yurtalert If you’d prefer I order them and send them to you just let me know — the more yurt love the better!