My husband and I were listening to ABC Classic Radio today, a national radio station. Now this is a seriously high-brow radio station – no shock jocks, silly business or the like- just serious classical music.
The news came on, and partway through, the newsreader told us this strange little story about a group in Griffith (south western NSW) that has received some sort of grant to make a crocheted garden. And then he said something about it being knitted (showing his ignorance that knitting and crocheting are not the same thing!).
Well, according to the Griffith Council website, the Griffith Natty Knitters will be exhibiting a sculptural knitted garden as part of this year’s “Flower Power” exhibition, at the Griffith Regional Gallery in October.
Unfortunately I can find out nothing more about it. I checked the websites of ABC Riverina (the region that Griffith is in) and local newspapers but there’s no mention of it amongst the local news.
There are many questions that need to be answered:
– who are the Griffith Natty Knitters?
– will it be full-size as the newsreader suggested? (he got other information wrong, so I really doubt this “fact”…)
– what have the Griffith Natty Knitters made in the past?
– are they making the garden up, or are they using patterns?
– what plants or other features will be in the garden?
– why are they knitting a garden? Why? Why? Why?!
I’m sure the knitted garden will be a sight to be seen. My nephew lives in Griffith. I might just have to convince him to go along and do a little report for us. Hmm… somehow I just can’t see that happening!
White Threads is the blog of Yvette Stanton, the author, designer, publisher behind Vetty Creations' quality needlework books and embroidery products.
Y…….vette (wail) you’ve got to make him go and have a look! You whetted our interest and then nothing!
I’ve had another search this morning, but still nothing. 🙁
I did think of another question though: how long will it take to knit a garden?
There was a group in the UK covered an entire small fishing boat in knitting, so there’s obviously something going on in the world of knitting and crochet, making very large scale things!
That’s probably part of the whole guerilla knitting movement, because they are covering something with knitting. As opposed to graffiti-ing (how do you write that?) it, as other subversive type movements do.
But the Griffith Natty Knitters (I just love the way that rolls off the tongue – whoever thought it up was brilliant!) are making theirs from scratch, as far as I know…
Knitfiti is one way of wording it yvette. Guerilla knitting or yarn bombing are growing in popularity. We ‘bombed’ a cafe’s couches by knitting monster feet to go on the legs of them! The owners of the cafe love them and they’re apparently still there, 2 months later. Viva la Yarnies!
Oh, and Warwick in south Qld knit ‘jumpers’ for many of the trees in the town centre as part of Jumpers & Jazz, in July this year.
I too would love to know more about the Natty Knitters.
Cheers,
Dayle
Hi Dayle,
I’m now in touch with The Natty Knitters of Griffith, so there’s more info to come!
Last year we visited Canberra at the time there was a guerilla knitting symposium on at the National Gallery. Got some good photos of guerilla knitting around the gallery, but never got round to posting them here. Maybe its time…?
Love your monster feet for the cafe – that sounds like fun! Are you part of an organised or semi-organised guerilla knitting group?
I have visited this spectacular knitted garden in Griffith in October & it was a sight to behold. I have been told there is a knitted house in Tasmania. They would complement each other nicely. Some people have so much time to enjoy their hobbies. It is great that they share their project this way.