It's been a little while since my last installation. This is something I must apologise for first. I haven't lost interest; it's the weather. In the last week or so, we've had the most horrendous weather around and so I've been here at the house knitting up a storm every night to get some new designs onto the trees out there into the Logan City area.
There have been other problems that I'm looking into as well. The tags are either being ripped off my work (as you may have noticed in one of the posts) or they aren't lasting all that long. So, I'm thinking of getting them professionally printed up at a place not far from where I live and using a piece of leather as an anchor. I won't tie it to the work, however, as it'll be ripped off again and cause major damage to the work and I'll be back at square one. Instead, I'm thinking of tying it to the branch or trunk complete so that it will look good, but it also won't damage the knitted stitches. What do you think? Leave a comment and let me know. I know a person who does leather-works and I'll see if I can offcuts of leather strips that don't necessarily match the work, but will work well in the weather.
I can imagine that you're probably wondering why I'm bothering to attaching flat swatches of knitted work when I could probably follow a pattern and make a jumper or a scarf. Well, you see, I love trees and we - as humans - love to destroy them. So, I think that if we can make them look as beautiful as we can without attaching anything artificial, they'll stay where they are for as long as possible. Trees are our life source. They suck up the carbon dioxide and push out oxygen into the atmosphere. They are homes for birds, spiders and all kinds of insects and critters. But we don't see to really care about that and destroy their homes. Koalas have been losing out for a long time and it's only recently that we've actually noticed how quickly they are in decline; especially in their health. So, my philosophy behind my public art is to love the beauty of trees a much as we can for as long as we can. I use my knitting and wool to try to be kind to them and only attach my art to fully matured trees and not saplings so that they are not restricted. So, there you are. The philosophy behind the art. Until my next installation, happy knitting!
In the last few weeks, I've been shopping for new balls of wool; cheap as dirt, but in lovely colours. So, I knitted this eye-catching beauty. It's on Park Road not too far from Kookaburra Park. I was hoping to do another tree on this street - as I am hoping to do more on the other streets around the place I've already hit so you all can follow the work from street to street and see them develop.
This one took me a little over a week to knit because of the complexity of the rainbow stitches. It was mainly done at night and so that why it took so long. But I've enjoy making it; and loved the way it was so easy to attach to the tree. I attached to work at around 2:30pm on Sunday afternoon. The Winter sun filtered through the leaves on the tree; and after I finished, I took around six photos of it; but only two really looked good (as you can see). I also used a carpet stitch to attach it to the tree. While I was making notes, a teenager rode around
the work and looked at it, taking note of the tag then rode back to a house not far away; across the street. He had glanced at me but I didn't know what he was thinking. So, I didn't think anything of it, just curiosity.
On the way home, I checked up on the Kookaburra Park work and found I had to replace the tag on it as it had worn out. Fortunately, I had many more tags with me and enough dark blue wool to attach another tag to it. It looks like I'll have to find a more permanent way to attach the tags. How? I'm not to sure. Stay tuned to find out.
Today, I had my volunteer work. So, I decided to take my knitting bag with me and brown and beige swatch with me to attach to a tree. However, I got off the bus early to try out different trees before arriving at work; unfortunately, the trees I looked at were either too thick or too narrow. So, I kept walking up Wembley Road and to the corner and found the right tree.
It was a little way along Jacaranda Avenue on a relatively smaller tree than I expected to use; but it was in public view and that was the main thing. I reluctantly put down the knitting bag and my other things and began stitching. The day was warmish and the wind was cold and blustery; but I kept at it until I finished. And doesn't it look beautiful! I'm so glad I got the photos I did; as the day turned overcast later on and it rained a little.
Also, I'd like to know who ripped off the tag. You see, they are put there for a reason... to show other people besides yourself where to go to find other pieces I have done around the area. And no, I didn't replace that tag. I wish people would please get out a pen and paper or use the camera built into many mobile phones these days. This may sound harsh to those who have left the tags on my work, however, I'd like to say that my work is art, not something to be vandalised.
A cool breeze was blowing and I thought to wear a jacket today when I left the house. I'm walking further and so have to judge the weather more; seeing Winter is well and truly on its way and our days are shorter and cooler. But I like them more as they become cooler and brisker simply because it causes me to walk faster and further and I'll be able to spread my work around to other trees! Southgate street isn't far from Moss Street; actually it's the next 
one along from Rudge here in Woodridge/Kingston.
I walked along this quiet street full of houses, cars and people having well-earned barbeques for the long weekend (it's Labor Day here in Australia; a public holiday on Monday). So, here I was looking for the perfect tree for my 'Earth, Tree, Sky' work. And I found it about halfway along just after the no-through-road on the right. It's a huge, buxom tree where the branches are shaded by a gorgeous canopy of lush green leaves. I got to work straight away and had to keep flicking away two stink bugs that were mating on the branch.
One of the residents from a house nearby came out and asked what I was doing and what my outdoor knitting meant. I said it was outsider art and it was meant to make the tree look pretty; that I'm not harming it in any way. He nodded, said 'Right, then. Good day.' and went back inside. I took my photos and walked home in the cool afternoon. On the way home, I tried to find another tree for my second piece I had with me; without success... oh well. Next time!
I was taught this craft when I was around twelve years old by my Grandma during school holidays; and I have never forgotten it. It's something that can be done anywhere at any time with two sticks... sounds pretty cool, eh? Well, to somebody like me it does. I enjoy the craft of knitting, the amount of stitches it has (and would you believe that there's now over 20 ways you can do a stitch and the knitting will come out all different?) and what I can do and make from a ball of wool and two needles.
Grandma didn't just hand on a craft to me; she handed on her cylinder of needles and her knitting bag along with a thin book on how to sew and knit. And the section on knitting in that book takes up about 4 pages! My Mum recently bought me a book on knitting that's about an inch thick and has every possible question about this particular craft you could possibly ask. It's also got colour pictures and a brilliant index! I have also bought myself a desk calendar with knitting patterns for each day of the year for 2009... some of them I've done and they work well! Others on there were ones I didn't think I could do; and some of the ladies who have invented their own patterns have really opened my imagination 
about this craft.
And so, this is how I thought about doing my outsider art with mine.
I thought to let you into a bit of how I got into this old-fashioned style of making things at such a young age. And when I get to make these swatches of colour that I attach to trees around my local area. Well, I knit mainly at night because I do other things during the day. I'm a bookcrosser, a writer and reader and never watch day-time television (besides there's nothing on there anyway) and so, I do some housework and take care of a very spoilt little budgie who runs the household... hehe... really she does. Anyway, I've been working on some textured pieces and they'll be showing up on other trees. I'll take photos of them and show each one to you in the next few weeks - of course - as our cooler months progress; all in the daytime so that the light is at its best. Well, until my next post, take care and keep looking out for that natural background with my knitted trees.
It's been a little while since my last installation. This is something I must apologise for first. I haven't lost interest; it's the weather. In the last week or so, we've had the most horrendous weather around and so I've been here at the house knitting up a storm every night to get some new designs onto the trees out there into the Logan City area. 
