At last - Crochet

So is this a tudor rose do you think?

Whatever its quite easy - more of that down the page, meanwhile here we go with 

Crochet Instructions

Use our yarn, or yours.  just make sure its 100% acrylic 8ply,  hook no 4 or 4.5

First of all 

VERY IMPORTANT POST WRAPS

These will be the foundation for the flower garden which will twine up and round the post.  There are ten posts to wrap, one wrap is already done and another on the way.

Colour - predominantly grey but with a few blue or yellow  stripes at the top and a red at the bottom. The colours and the stitch are designed to pick up on the soft paving in the playground.  

You can crochet just 14cm, or as long as you want. You can crochet just one piece or as many pieces as you like.  When joined each wrap will need to end up two metres long.  The stitch stretches so if its not exactly the correct width or height we have a bit of play.

In grey chain 50, miss two and d.c. across the chain.  *chain one, d.c. into each stitch to the end, turn* repeat to the desired length.

Flowers

these flowers are easy and fun, 

Flower Centre  In any colour chain five, join ends and d.c. into each chain, two more rows of d.c.  tie off.   This gives a rounded shape which can be manipulated to suit different flowers .    

Flower  taking the above centre, d.c. 3 into each gap. one round gives  this  and when its stitched down with a bit of manipulation and we have....... maybe  daisy

or , maybe a nasturtium

two rounds 

three rounds give this 

or, the tudor rose at the top.  Just depends on how you stitch it down.

Flowers grow in clusters so it would be lovely to have a few the same of any you choose to make

Chain

Form tiny scraps,  to full balls of yarn, your yarn or ours,  chain is very, very useful.  You can create stems, leaf outlines, decorative line drawn designs, bunch them into daisies and other flowers. We can never have too many, so easy to do whilst watching tv!

Finished - Hooray and thank you

We'll let you know pick up and drop off points for yarn and finished work very, very soon

To make flowers and pillars come to a workshop  near the pavilion, 2 diamond Street, Diamond Creek on November 19th.  If we have wind and rain we will let you know the change of venue.

For more information 

sarah.hammmond@nillumbik.gov.vic.au  0409 977 583

 or email robina.summers@gmail.com

Share this with a crochet friend - Have a crochet tea

With your help we can have the prettiest yarnbombing ever

By the way - I know I planned a few extra posts over the next few days BUT

I actually forgot its the Melbourne Cup next Tuesday and 

we all know the world pretty much stops tomorrow evening  until its over.

So, next blog next Wednesday!

KNITTING INSTRUCTIONS.......plus dont forget macramme

Today knitting,Thursday  crochet, next day stitching & macrame , next week (or maybe sooner) where to get yarn, pick up and drop off points, workshop dates.!

Yesterday I went down to Diamond Creek to measure up a pole wrap.  Once again, yarnbombing  is such a great way to meet people.  A much needed offer to help, thanks Shanny, not just for holding up my crochet but for giving me a new idea or three. We got talking - and, guess what, I hadn't even considered macrame in my design.  How exciting that's turned out to be.  Sleeping on the thought  I have come up with some genius ideas, so, stay in touch macrame enthusiasts, you are going to be very important in the overall scheme of things, all will be revealed in a few days!

Now  for...... KNITTING INSTRUCTIONS for our colourful, gorgeous flowers to yarnbomb the water tank and pavilion, and maybe there'll be some leftover for a few bicycles as well...........

These are just the very first test designs,   more on the way................so much fun.......

YARN

use ours,   or yours  8 ply 100% acrylic in colours as near to ours as you have.  It doesn't have to match - what flower in nature is  the same as the next ? - but it would fit the designs  best if its  more or less in the same range.

NEEDLES - no 4

All knitting is one row plain, one row pearl, repeated (stocking stitch) to make either a square or a rectangle.  If you are an ace knitter and would like to experiment with a fancy stitch or two - please do, it will add texture, just make sure its firm and roughly the shape we need.  OH, and MORE important, enjoy the experiment

Its meant to be FUN, so, NO STRESS please.  If you have 49 instead of 50 stitches or your square is a bit rectangular that's perfectly okay,  it will still make a great flower.If you make a mistake or drop a stitch, don't unpick just go on and finish, it wont matter.. Nature is never perfect - AND we'd love to have lots and lots and lots and lots of squares so that we can make lots and lots and lots  of flowers and leaves.

PINK IS FOR ROSES - but we'd welcome  a few in red or yellow too. Cast on 100, knit 15 rows cast off.Rosebuds, 75 stitches, 15 rows.

BLUE IS FOR FORGET ME NOTS - cast on 25, knit a square, cast off

PURPLE IS FOR VIOLETS -- cast on 40, knit a square, cast off

LEMON IS FOR LILIES - cast on 50, knit a square, cast off

PALE GREEN - IS FOR LILY LEAVES, cast on 50 knit a square, cast off. LILY STEM/STAMEN - cast on 150, knit 5 rows, cast off

GREEN, EMERALD, SAGE, AND ANY OTHER LOVELY GREENS we need lots and lots and lots of leaves in different colours    and sizes

cast on 25 or 30 or 35 or 40 or 55 stitches, knit a square, cast off.

finished?  HOORAY and THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!!   YOU HAVE MADE  RAW MATERIAL FOR  THE FIRST FLOWER MAKING WORKSHOP.

Drop your knitting off at one of our pickup/drop off points or contact us  and then (if you'd like)        

                                       

YOU CAN COME AND MAKE SQUARES INTO LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS OF LOVELY FLOWERS AT ONE OF OUR WORKSHOPS.

 The first flower making workshop will be near the pavilion in Rotary Park, 2 Diamond Street, Diamond Creek on Saturday November 19th, 1-5 (weather permitting).    If we have another really foul weather day we will reschedule and post details. Flower making  Instructions will also be on YouTube in November.  Let you know dates later.

For more workshop information:  sarah.hammond@nillumbik.vic.gov.au  0409 977 563

Share this with a friend, have a knitty morning tea......or lunch,...or afternoon tea

The more squares, THE MORE FLOWERS, the lovelier our kniffiti garden!

                                         

From Thread to Thrive

IF WISHES WERE ...., Well then  I'd have finished my posts on the Wishing Tree - but for now  that will have to wait for another day because......  

FROM THREAD TO THRIVE.

A REALLY, REALLY EXCITING NEW PROJECT    

Yup, I've  wanted to yarnbomb, kniffiti in  a public space and I (well actually you as well because you will be part of it) am  about to.  I've always preached about getting permission  (OH&S issues)  Well now its better than PERMISSION, its a COMMISSION.   And, everyone can be part of it - knitters. crocheters and stitchers, and helper/installers.

The designs are done, this is Thrive Community Garden.  Its in a beautiful position,  right next to parkland running long the Diamond Creek.

 this is the design

Flowers will be knitted and crocheted.  The illustration shows existing flower  samples which are not really quite that big. Its a big  tank - so we are going to need to make  lots and lots of flowers..  There are many designs in many colours on the drawing - knitting -  board,  

and this is the barbecue pavilion in  Rotary Park in Diamond Road.  Its right next to the netball courts and a lovely new playground.

and these are designs

I have used the same flowers on each post cos these  are the test samples already made.  I think I would like to keep the pink roses for the water tank and use red and yellow  roses on the pavilion, maybe some orange zinnias , blue cornflowers??? because when you turn around this is what you see - so we need lots of lovely colour

And, in between there's a bike path so..........I wonder

how many ...........


DIAMOND CREEK (such a lovely name) - together YOU and I are going to make this parkland a diamond in the crown of kniffiti (yarnbombing).

Workshops will be held in the Rotary Park near the pavilion, in the Thrive Community garden and around town.  To book a workshop contact sarah.hammond@nillumbik.vic.gov.au or phone 0409 977 563.  nillumbikyouth.vic.gov,gov,au/ThreadtoThrive

Yarn and instructions will be available at workshops and pick up and  drop off points points around town - more on that soon

DEADLINE - we install in the first week of December!  So, one and all please, please, please get ready to start knitting and crocheting and then we can start stitching

You dont have to wait for our yarn or live in Diamond Creek to be part of this -  instructions will start being  posted on line tomorrow , so find your hooks and needles, some 100% acrylic 8ply yarn and be ready! Check this space  email us for a delivery point or postal address.

Stitchers - as soon as there is enough knitting and crochet there will be  workshops to  embroider, applique and piece together,  and, for even more fun, join us for the installation.

IF YOU KNIT, STITCH AND CROCHET, OR  ALL THREE  AND LIKE HAVING FUN YOU ARE WELCOME 

The more knitters, the more crocheters and the more stitchers the MORE beautiful our kniffiti garden!

p.s. HOORAY for the wonderful Star Quilters  who have already started - and lassoed their friends and relatives as well - so already, we have knitters in Chirnside Park, Warrandyte, East Doncaster, Blackburn, Box Hill and more.  WHEE!!!!! rock on kniffiti

The Wishing Tree of Life begins

Yes, its a new project!  A tree of life, but also a wishing tree.   Margaret Summerton and myself  are once again working with the community of the City of Greater Dandenong to create an art installation for Harmony Square, right in the centre of town for Cultural Threads 2016.
.

This lovely white blossom tree is based on the traditional Tree of Life which crosses so many cultures.  But, this tree is more than that, it is a truly powerful wishing tree.   On August 1 Margaret and myself will help the community write their wishes and attach them to the tree trunk.  Many more will be added during Cultural Threads in the month of August.  Hidden in the leaves and  flowers on the tree, and in flowers in the poppy garden underneath, the tree will already hold the wishes of the community written with the help of Sayraphim Lothian on Australia Day 2014.  

The trunk is started

The butterflies are being painted and knitted

The flowers are made

Leaves have been made

It all comes together in the last week of July when on what is bound to be a cold, wet and windy day, Margaret and I will be  braving the weather and working on the challenges of the installation .  We can plan, think of everything(?), but you never quite know what will happen on the day. And of course there is a deadline............ the launch of Cultural Threads 2016 is on July 28th! 

Meanwhile there are stories to tell about the making. Stories about  working with the community of the City of Greater Dandenong and their fabulous  Arts  and Culture Department - the first story will be  the first workshop with the Social Knitwork and the making of the butterflies. 

For more information on the exciting art happening in the city of Greater Dandenong during  the month of Cultural Threads  https://www.facebook.com/thehivegreaterdandy/

Bye Bye Poppies

Time to wrap up the poppies - in fact to say bye bye poppies!   But only partly, they're off to new lives and locations as they are presented to the volunteer groups who help to create them.

With Margaret Summerton  I  had  many wonderful, and often very moving times working within  the city of Greater Dandenong to create these lovely flowers.  You may remember from earlier posts the huge cross section of this amazing community that took part in braiding, knotting, stitching and knitting to have forty poppies ready for the Anzac Day ceremony in Harmony Square. 

 Poppies for Peace was a community project so a few different locations made sure that everyone who helped was able to enjoy them.

the Drum Theatre

then  a visit outside Dandenong to the  Montsalvat  Arts Festival

And from there to the Gallery space above the library overlooking Harmony Square where the story started.

 So now for the final de-installation in late January.........

Once again Dandenong turned on the weather for us, BUT, this time we were working indoors!  And, or course, nobody complains about rain in January!!!!!!!



So down the ladder I go.............. just had to attempt  the mid air arabesque.....

Now to slide them on their hangers along the gallery and to the top of the ladder and into the library.....

Naturally they twisted and turned and rebelled but after pulling, twisting and  with Tony and  Greer tugging at the other end we managed.  

And so they were cut down .......

into the lift.....

they showed some reluctance to the idea of being stacked.......

Bye bye poppies.............but they will go to good homes

Our first project with the City of Greater Dandenong was the yarnbombed columns and seats for Cultural Threads, then the Poppies for Peace, then White Ribbon Day.  We have been inspired by this community, so many threads from such diverse creative and passionate people to make up each experience.  


We'd particularly like to mention Jackie Gatt, Greer Davis and Koula Kalaitzoglou from the City of Greater Dandenong, you've been so much fun, so patient and so encouraging, so willing to stand in sun, wind and rain to support us when needs must.    Thank you!

Lest we forget

For me the eleventh of November has always meant a minutes silence on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.  I think my most moving experience a couple of years ago  was outside Flinders Street Station, Melbourne, when in the heart of a busy city  the traffic stopped,  the people stopped, silence fell,  a soldier played the Last Post, then there was total stillness for a minute, Reveille was played and life went on as usual. But, people just for a moment people had remembered lost lives, lives changed and a world changed.  I always remember from the first World War  my grandfathers and great uncles, my husband's grandfather and great uncles.  We were very lucky, they came back, but two carried injuries all their lives.

So today  its  time  to reflect  on the Poppies for Peace project - the poppies created for Harmony Square in Dandenong for Anzac Day now watch over the grassed lawn in Harmony Square.  

(apologies, reflection makes  a good photograph difficult)

Just to get the context - above is now where they look down, below is last Anzac Day.  The message has not  changed.

I think this photo says it all.  One of my favorites is this one below , taken just seconds after the poppies were planted in the lawn last April.

Just to give you an idea of scale here are some photos of creating the last installation. 

Backview of the poppies as Margaret works on attaching them to runners on the ceiling so that we can roll them along into the gallery space

Looking back from my end of the gallery to the top of the ladder where the poppies were launched from

Looking back down from the ladder to my end of the gallery and Harmony Square in the background - and yes it was a narrow vertigo scary  type of space - but it was perfectly safe and  far too exciting to think of anything but how the poppies were going to look. 

 We are very proud of what we've achieved with this project.  It became quite an emotional experience and gave us insight into an amazing community.  It has travelled to five  venues and had  real meaning for so many.  We worked with many wonderful people  throughout  the City of Greater Dandenong and without the Arts & Culture Department at the council none of this would have been possible.  Thanks, Guys you've been fantastic to work with.

After a some  time and perspective, and a great deal of editing,  I will put a separate page telling  the whole poppy story  on the home page of the blog - meanwhile if you're curious there are rather a lot of old blog posts. 

   

On the Move, again

Yup poppies are on the move again.

After their lovely appearance at the Drum Theatre in Dandenong we will be bumping out on Tuesday and will reappear as a ONE DAY ONLY exciting installation elsewhere this Sunday,

                                                                                        more on that later...........

The Poppies for Peace community project in Dandenong was designed to be versatile, each installation adapted to each location so the community who helped create them can continue to enjoy them.

The Drum Theatre in Dandenong is a fantastic location - lends itself to all sorts of ideas.  In fact our imagination has run riot with future possibilites, BUT for now its poppies.

First of all a trip from Dandenong back to base for some floral arranging........

The squishing into the car for the journey back to Dandenong.......

The exploding out on arrival

We've always wanted bigger and better 3d opportunities,  several hours later and this chandelier just about satisfied our joint megalomania........for now

Now I'm terrified of heights so once again I was delighted to hide behind the camera whilst  Margaret braved the lift and made a few adjustments  

Stewart from the Drum was inspired and found some lovely red led lighting........ 

Now for the walls.......

by day......

By night...... 

From above......

From below...

So our megalomania was encouraged.......... and it was so very, very much fun!!!!!!

And next, well here's a little photo of a test to see how to attach a couple of  poppies to a well known balustrade........before we install FORTY!

Yes folks, Montsalvat is our next floral arrangement - for ONE DAY ONLY - come and see it, and more,at the inaugural Montsalvat Arts Festival this Sunday, September 13 , lots and lots of art and activities - have a look on 

www.montsalvat.com.au