How a Knit Graffiti "artist" was born. . .

Once upon a time there was a lonely tree root which jutted across a footpath leading to the Nelson Hospital grounds. Before long, a knitter stumbled upon this tree root and the "Health and Safety Officer" lurking deep within her decided "Something must be done!"

First that knitter thought to spray the tree root with fluorescent paint. Next she contemplated tying luminous warning tape to the root. Finally, she decided to get out her knitting needles and crochet hook to accompany some of the ghastliest yarn she possessed in deepest, darkest stash, in order to knit and crochet the root some recognition!!

Using two strands of yarn held together, that knitter knit a big floppy caterpillar body to wrap around the tree root. Then summoning all her long-neglected crochet skills she crocheted all around a tennis ball and lastly embroidered on some eyes and and a nose plus a big happy smile to make a goofy caterpillar head, complete with knitted antennae! The next weekend, in blazing Nelson sunshine and temps in the late 20s she deftly sewed the emerging caterpillar into place around the offending tree root and thus a Knit Graffiti artist was born.

That knitter was me, and this is the caterpillar that started it all on 5th February 2011, when the caterpillar was stitched into place and the newly formed Knit Graffiti "artist" emerged from her cocoon, still wet behind the ears and unaccustomed to flexing her wings. . .

Seems kind of fitting that my first piece of knit graffiti was a caterpillar and there's a whole "emergence/life cycle/re-birth/new-from-old" vibe going on. But it wasn't planned that way, it was simply that the root seemed to be begging to become a caterpillar and what else could I do but oblige?!

Watch this space. . . I think I'm hooked!!

PS Comments most welcome :)