Oct
4
For the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in June 2012, Rachael Gwilliam found a way to beautify a Crewe park: yarnbombing!
You may have noticed a Knit1PurlFun feature in the latest issue of Simply Knitting about some glorious yarn-bombed trees! We didn’t have room to fit all the information on there, so here is a bit more on that vibrant event.
Artist Rachael Gwilliam of ArtYarn was happy when town councillors in Crewe, East Cheshire, approached her about improving a corner of the park where they were to hold the town’s Jubilee celebrations.
“I didn't know what this would entail until they took me to two HUGE trees in Crewe’s Jubilee Gardens,” says Rachael, pictured here sharing her skills. “Though the gardens themselves are beautiful, the small area beyond it needed some attention. We thought dressing the trees would do just this.”
Rachael and other ArtYarn members decided a Tree cozy project was the answer, but knew they would need lots of help. Between them, they held knitting workshops at venues all over the city, from working with children at Crewe’s Pebble Brook Primary School to hosting a public knitting circle at a Family Fun Day.
Rachael says: “I was keen that the project should bring people of all ages and abilities together through a common interest in fibre crafts and the desire to create a beautiful and inspiring environment in Crewe.”
Once all the vibrant squares (more than 2,000!) had been completed, volunteers gathered to sew them together, and then to attach them to the park’s trees – not just the two larger ones originally targeted, but lots of smaller ones too!
The trees provided a colourful backdrop to an immense Tea Party that took place on the special bank holiday weekend in June. “It was the perfect way to mark the Queen’s Jubilee year, as well as celebrate Crewe's creativity and involvement in an amazing 12-month project.”
Rachael is pleased with the way the Tree Cozy Project caught people’s imaginations, and says: “I really hope that the people who learnt to knit and crochet by contributing to the project will use their new creative skills for many more exciting projects!”
See more pictures of this fun event in Simply Knitting issue 99.
Find out about future ArtYarn projects you could get involved in.
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