Nice picture of yarns and other materials
Knit your own fish and chip shop
As youngsters, we were told that making fishing nets was easy: all fishermen do is sew a few holes together! Well, now you can bring your own holes, create your own nets and much, much more at a series of wonderful workshops on offer at Stade Hall throughout May and June. The workshops are part of a project called Follow the Herring, initially organised by the Customs House, South Shields. The theme is shared maritime history, social history and the herring fishing industry, and is touring to twelve selected venues on the east coast – where this heritage will be celebrated through singing, performance, craft and art. HOT reporter Cathy Simpson finds out more.
Knitting with video tape
The Hastings contribution to Follow the Herring will consist of a knitted fish and chip shop and yarn bombing around The Stade – and everyone is very welcome to join in, from experienced knitters to those who have never picked up a knitting needle. You don’t even have to attend a workshop – if you would like to crochet a crab or knit a nautilus at home, it will be a very welcome contribution.
Workshop leader, Janey Moffatt, is very keen for the whole community to be part of this project; in fact, she and her colleagues – Maureen Wilson and Linda Moffatt – have a dream that a community knitting group will spring from each of the venues which host the project.
You can see a full list of workshops below; materials are provided, but everyone is welcome to bring along unwanted yarn, plastic bags or any other material that could be used for knitting. If you have needles or fishy knitting patterns, bring them along; you can also download a knitting pattern for a herring from here. This is all very creative; unusual and recycled materials are an important part of the project. Sessions also include speakers, film and the history of fishing.
The call for knitters commenced on Saturday 12 April, providing a taster session; actually this was literally a taster session, with fishy delicacies provided. The real introduction to the project, however, will be Saturday 3 May from 11am – 2pm.
Forthcoming workshops are as follows; they all take place at Stade Hall, The Stade, Hastings TN34 3FJ.
Open to all shapes and sizes
Sat 3 May: 11am – 2pm
Introduction to project
Wed 14 May: 6 – 9pm
Knitting for beginners
Sat 17 May: 10.30am – 12.30pm
Netmaking with local fishermen
Sat 24 May: 11am – 2pm
Extreme Knitting
Wed 28 May: 6 – 9pm
Knitting without yarn
Wed 4 June: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Netmaking with local fishermen
Wed 25 June 6 – 9pm
Using beach finds
Sat 28 June 11am – 2pm
Knitting ganseys & useful things
The exhibition with yarn bombing and the Fish and Chip shop will take place from Mon 28 July. If you want to contribute something of your own, the deadline is 25 July if possible – though if any fishy things slip through the net, they’ll probably find a place!
To find out more, contact Janey Moffatt:
T: 07535 279444
E: janey@toasterproductions.co.uk
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2 Comments
Also in: Community Arts
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Could you send me knitting patterns for starfish, crabs, fish and chips and any others you have/can think of? I know I have missed being able to contribute to the herring festival. However we are keen to make more.
Thank you.
Comment by jessica — Wednesday, Aug 6, 2014 @ 21:23
Hi Janey,
Please can you send me some more information about the knitting without yarn on wednesday 28th May @6-9pm
Look forward to hear from you.
Manys thanks
Theresa
Comment by Theresa — Sunday, Apr 27, 2014 @ 10:59