Rained off at Lunch time

Started out a bit damp today. We set up as  knitted rolls. they look interesting rather like pods.
We had a few donated knitted pieces handed to us today. Thank you to all who braved the weather.

I knitted into the stream for a few hours then the heaven's opened. The stinky Stream as we have now named it is disintegrating it is as if the stream is eating it. The appearance of it has changed both in colour and in shape. It has some interesting holes where it gets snagged on the stream bed. It smells rotten too.
I am still receiving parcels each one is exciting . Thank you .
The stream was 610.5ft this morning but we have had some more donations in  so I am guessing it's probably more like 630ft .
We are rolling it through the gardens on Sunday and Monday so you can all see it's length. We have achieved a massive length in such a short time and we are still growing . we still could reach our target.

Donated Knitted piece (cable) given to us in the gardens today thank you

Invasion of the pods

pompom pods

knitting pods

pom pom pods

Donated knitted pieces thank you

Even if we don't we are going to help a lot of people keep warm this winter.
A Big Big Thank You to all who have helped us get this far please keep knitting and sending us your stories? if you want to come along and see the length 1pm is the time on Sunday And Monday weather permitting of course. Here,s hoping Friday we will be a sunny Day. We will be back then at 10am

Wednesday

A good day for us weather-wise. No rain and this afternoon was lovely and sunny. We had lots of interest again and some interesting comments.   Fiona kindly brought us another great donation of knitting and also brought her helper with her - well, I think that's what he was doing. He certainly made my day!

We found the short  piece of  knitted stream that is in the water is sinking fast now, and just sits on the bottom at the side of the stream, so Angel sat and knitted on the other bank today so it was easier to see.  As the stream is so long now, at 609 feet, we would really like to see it spread alongside the stream. Unfortunately we're not allowed to do this unless we have marshalls at very regular intervals, so on Sunday we're hoping to get lots of people together to help us. If you're free at about 1pm on Sunday - come along!
Keep those donations coming and thank you to you all for your help

May day

What a gorgeous day?
Lots of interest in the project. More people joining our crusade daily. I am being promised knitting from all over the place. I collected some knitting from Moordown Community Centre Craft Club.
A Big Thank you to you all and all at Coles Millers who knitted for us and A Giant Thank you to The Epiphany school.

Knitted stream

Wet stream from Angel's performance

More wet stinky stream
each day it gets heavier and smells worse even the ducks avoid it.

close up of stream

I was speechless when I was handed a Roll of stream From Epiphany. You must have all worked really hard . Isobel and I are so grateful and pleased that you all wanted to help you have made the stream grow even longer Thank you  and also to everybody that brought knitting to the gardens today. Thank you also to the kind lady in Swanage who sent me a package with stream and gorgeous flowers in. All donations  have now taken us to a grand total length of 560ft wow!! please visit us we are open daily until the 7th may we open at 10am and close at 4pm. Though we can collect stream until5pm.

The stream takes a long time to roll up so if you want to see it at it's best try and make it before 3.15pm
as each roll takes a long time to roll up and each day we have more of them.
If it is damp or raining hard we will not  be able to display as it will get wet.
Angel performs her knitting into the stream most of the day and if you want a go you can try.
Knitting in the stream is an experience not to be missed. The knitting is heavy and the current pulls you.
Angel has a piece which is separate to the stream but the length has been included in the project.
Please visit us and keep the  Knitting coming in. The scarves will do a lot of good and keep a lot of homeless people warm this winter. Don't forget our Guinness book of records attempt as well the longest knitted stream in the world. Staff permitting we want to roll the stream down the stream path to see how much length we have in comparison to the actual stream we are hoping to do this on Bank Holiday Monday.

windy monday morning

When we arrived at the gardens today it was blowing a gale, and cold, so we couldn't lay the stream out as it would have blown away.  Angel sat and knitted by the bank. By lunchtime though the wind had dropped and there was even some sunshine so we laid the stream out on the bank for a photo opportunity. Who knows if the sun will come out again before the end of the exhibition!  It was our first full day today and we found it takes quite a long time to get everything out and pack away again, so if you're coming to see us it would probably be best to come between about 10.45 - 3.15 to make sure the whole stream is out. Obviously, if it's wet we won't be there at all.  We talked to lots of people - there was a lot of interest in the work. Thanks once again to all who have helped to make the stream so long and to those who are still knitting away.

What a beautiful day

The stream rolled up at 500ft

When we first arrived the ground was too damp to display and the wind blew so the stream was displayed as below.

Displayed in circle because of the wind

Angel's knitted piece in the stream

Angel performs daily and knits into the stream. It is hard as the material is tugged by the current.

The fabric smells rotten and the piece changes shape and colour daily. The Ducks are wary of it and swim up to it look at it and swim away again.

The Knitted stream displayed on the path
Displaying all the knitted donations we are now at 500 ft

The beginning of Angel's knitting

More stream

Angel's knitting drying

knitted stream

knitted stream

Viewing the stream

We had lovely weather in the end it was cold and blowing  a gale when we arrived at 10am but as the day went on things improved and we even got to display the stream. Angel performed into the stream and knitted a further few feet. We are at 500ft at the moment  we are still knitting and receiving knitting to sew on. The exhibition finishes at 4pm each day. The stream takes a while to put away so it is only available to see until 3.15pm.There will be someone around to collect knitting till 5pm.
The stream is displayed weather permitting as we have no shelter  and we don't want it to get wet. We open at 10 am in the morning  and are open until the 7th Of May. If we are rained off we will post on the blog as soon as we know .

Rainy Sunday

As Angel said, it's too wet for us to exhibit today. It's a shame when eveyone has put in so much effort for the whole exhibition, but as it's all outside, we're very dependant on dry weather. Just hope the weather improves for the rest of the time we're there!
As we've mentioned before, we're really interested in your thoughts about knitting - whether it's why you knit, or remembering someone else who used to knit, or even about your thoughts as you knit.
I'm asking visitors to tell me their stories, or write them, and I'm going to compile them into a hand-made book at the end of the exhbition, so please help me! It can be a whole story or just one line, I don't mind which. You can do this anonymously or use your name if you wish. If you don't want to put your comment on the blog but would like to be part of my book, you can e-mail me on isobel222@hotmail.co.uk

Here are some examples taken from some stories we've received :

I knit because it makes me feel happy, it gives me pleasure making something for somebody special. I knit a lot of things for my mum and I know she loves them.

I remember having a crochet urge in my early teens and made a bedspread out of crochet granny squares - predominant colour was orange (it was the 1970's after all) and it was pretty hideous!

 I started knitting and crocheting when my daughter was a toddler because |I could sit and keep her company while she was watching her kids program and it kept me occupied.

I was sitting at the bedside of a critically ill relative. I couldn't concentrate on a book - my normal refuge- but I needed to do something besides just sit and worry.... On my way home I saw a wool shop and bought needles and wool and I started knitting as I sat in the hospital day after day.

Thanks for helping - we hope we'll see some of you in the gardens when the weather improves.

Rained off

Hi
 Looks like another rainy day the forecast  for today is rain and wind.
The Boss says it's a no go today. We have no shelter down in the lower gardens and the stream would
get ruined. As soon as the sun comes out we will be back.
This gives an opportunity for more knitting. However I am very disappointed as I was looking forward to being in the Gardens for 10 days. We cannot however control the weather .
Yesterday some of the exhibits were open but there were no visitors. It has to stop raining sooner or later
preferably sooner.

As soon as I find out I will blog to let you all know if we are open as I don't want everyone having a wasted journey and getting drowned in the process.
Maybe we should all do a rain dance and pray for sunshine. We need a few days where everyone can come and see this beautiful piece of work. It really is a fantastic achievement 481ft. I will keep updating on the length but I am confident we will reach 500ft by the end of today
Here's hoping for sunshine tomorrow?