R.I.P. Rooty caterpillar

You might remember my very first attempt at yarnification, back in February. . . a young caterpillar called Rooty, whose prime purpose in life was as a Health and Safety officer in the hospital grounds, drawing attention to a tree root jutting out into the path.

Rooty caterpillar, freshly hatched

His secondary purpose was to bring smiles to the faces of all who walked his way. Various people told me that he did indeed make them smile, and happiness was mine. . .

Imagine my sadness when I walked along the "Caterpillar Path" to work yesterday morning to discover this sight. . .

Rooty had been taken from his tree root, but that was not all. I could have lived with that, with only a moderate amount of distress. However, in a seemingly pointless act of eco-vandalism, the tree root has been ripped out of the ground on both sides of the path and is now much more hazardous to clumsy or distracted pedestrians than it ever was, even pre-Rooty. Maybe Rooty himself could be described as eco-vandalism, but not in my opinion, obviously! No tree roots were harmed in the hatching of Rooty. . . they just got a bit of protection from the elements and stumbling feet.

Why? Why? That's what I keep wondering. Why would someone rip a tree root right out of the ground? I don't know. The exposed tree root is now approaching 2 metres long whereas it was previously only about 30 cm. In an attempt to give me something positive to focus on, one of my colleagues challenged me to knit a snake cosy for the 2 metre long tree root. I might just do that!

The chainlink fence hearts were also removed in the same strike - I found a bunch of red fluff on the ground nearby, but not so much as a scrap of lime green acrylic anywhere to be seen. Rooty seems to have just evaporated!

I guess I could say Rooty "had a good innings" - 2 months is not a short life for a caterpillar. He had become a bit droopy in later life, but at least he was still cheery!

R.I.P Rooty, you started a local yarny revolution!! Look at this beautiful flowery doorknob cosy, put in place at work by my Accomplice recently. . . if it hadn't been for Rooty, this flower would never have bloomed!!

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 :)