Brilliant Birds Raise Funds for St Leonard's Hospice

Brilliant Birds Installation in Rowntree Park, York - Summer 2017

Just to keep you up to date - the #BrilliantBirds yarnstorm had raised almost £400 for St Leonard's Hospice by the time the flock flew out of the St Leonard's Hospice Shop on Scarcroft Road, York.  We hope the birds will fly on to raise funds in different stores across the local area.

Thanks to everyone who took part - making, buying or donating.  We couldn't have done it without you!

 

Brilliant Birds Prepare to Migrate!

A selection of Brilliant Birds

The Brilliant Birds Yarnstorm has been enjoyed in Rowntree Park, York. Since then, the birds have flown out and had a bird bath.  They are now preparing to migrate for the winter (or the rest of the summer and autumn etc.)  The #BrilliantBirds are flying into the St Leonard's Hospice Shop at 5, Scarcroft Road, York, YO23 1ND and from Saturday 26 August 2017 will be looking for new homes.  They will be on sale and there are over 500 to choose from.  Let's have a little look at some of them...

St Leonard’s Hospice is an independent charity, providing specialist palliative care and support for local people with life limiting illnesses. Whilst their care is free of charge to patients and their families it is not free to provide.  So, the birds are being sold to raise funds for their services.  

Please go along and #buyabird to support the Hospice.  You could stock up on robins for (dare I say it?) Christmas, make a brilliant birds mobile or bunting, have one perch on a shelf or let one roost on the sofa!  You could even post a picture on social media of your brilliant bird in its new habitat using the hashtags #buyabird and #brilliantbirds. 

Do spread the word.  We can't do this without you - thanks so much for your support!

How to Wash a Tree in the Bath...

Extreme knitted tree with some very large brilliant birds

You may remember the extreme knitted tree from the Brilliant Birds Installation in Rowntree Park, York.  Once it came down it really needed a wash.  Unfortunately, it wouldn't fit in the washing machine.  However it did fit in the bath...

Tree in the bath

I managed to carry a very heavy, very wet but clean tree from the bathroom and with some assistance got it on the line...

Tree goes on line

It didn't manage to get dry outside and had to spend a week hanging around the house till it was finally dry.  I have to admit it was nice to pack it away when it was dry - it's amazing how much space a soggy tree takes up indoors!

Big birds on the drying rack

The big birds, leaves, finger knitting, flowers and information notices went in the washing machine and dried quite quickly indoors.  Now they have all been tidied away for another time and order at my house is at least on the way to being restored!

If you want to read more about the #BrilliantBirds project click here.  And don't forget, the small birds...

A small selction of the Brilliant Birds

go on sale on Saturday 26 August 2017 at the St Leonard's Hospice Shop, 5 Scarcroft Road, York, YO23 1ND.  Go on, #buyabird and support St Leonard's Hospice - it's a great charity.

Brilliant Birds take a Bird Bath

Post bird bath Brilliant Birds

Once the Brilliant Birds Yarnstorm came down from it's spot in Rowntree Park, York, it seemed like a good idea for the birds to take a bird bath.  After that, they'd be ready for their flight to the St Leonard's Hospice Shop, Scarcroft Road, York for sale.

Finally, there seemed to be a good drying day - so five washloads later, they were all on the line...

Thanks go to Pie, Sue and Kate for the extra peg capacity.  Hundreds of pegs were needed!  And thanks to Lily too, for helping peg them out.

These chaps are tiddly so I kept them separate so they didn't get lost...

and these ones got the handwash treatment indoors...

Don't forget to put the sale date in your diary - Saturday 26 August 2017 and #buyabird at the St Leonard's Hospice Shop at 5, Scarcroft Road, York, YO23 1ND.  It would be great if the birds can raise lots of money for this great charity!

If you want to read more about the #BrilliantBirds project click here.

Brilliant Birds Fly Out of Rowntree Park

A selection of #BrilliantBirds

The Brilliant Birds in the Yarnstorm in Rowntree Park, York, really were brilliant and we had loads of positive feedback about them.  However, all good things come to an end so on Monday, Deborah New & I, with Lily's help, took them all down.

It went from this....

Brilliant Birds Yarnstorm in Rowntree Park, York

Brilliant Birds Yarnstorm in Rowntree Park, York

Brilliant Birds Yarnstorm in Rowntree Park, York

Brilliant Birds Yarnstorm in Rowntree Park, York

via this...

down comes that finger knitted text

Deborah takes down the final info sign

all packed up again!

to this...

the tennis court fence no longer has a tree growing up it...

and the birds have flown

in a few hours with not nearly as much rain as when we put them up!

The Brilliant Birds go on sale on Saturday 26 August 2017 at the St Leonards Hospice Shop, 5 Scarcroft Road, York, YO23 1ND - do go and buy some - it's a great charity to support.  If you can't re-home a bird but still want to support the project you can donate online to St Leonard's Hospice here - please mention Brilliant Birds.

You can still check out the #brilliantbirds on social media (twitter, facebook or instagram).

If you want to read more about the project, the details are here.  Click on the links for information about the workshops we held at Olive's Nest, Rowntree Park Cafe, The Golden Ball and The Winning Post. Or if you want to see our mention in Craft & Design Magazine click here.  However if your interest is more craft based you may want to check out the Brilliant Bird Patterns, read about the hula hoop woven birds, the big knitted owl or even extreme knitting a tree. You may also be inclined to read about the exploits of the Fairfax Court Yarnstormers - they have been great supporters of our yarnstorming projects since we began! And finally you may want to hear about the yarnstorm being installed on a very wet day in June - that's here.

Now don't forget that date for your diary - Saturday 26 August 2017 - #buyabird and support St Leonard's Hospice!

Brilliant Birds Fly into Rowntree Park

Who's that ready to fly into Rowntree Park, York?

The car was packed, the weather was cloudy but it looked like the rain might hold off.  I set off optimistically to meet Deborah New to install the Brilliant Birds Yarnstorm in Rowntree Park, York.

Base Camp

Needless to say the rain didn't hold off.  It was a horrid wet day but the Brilliant Birds Installation is now in place.  Deborah and I elicited help from Lily and Cath and together we managed to put it up. 
 

Lily & Deborah hard at work

We were also helped by hot drinks and scones from Rowntree Park Cafe - without which we would certainly have flagged!  (No scone pics - they were demolished far too quickly for that.)
 

Making a start

Progress!

And then it was up

and finished

So if you're passing don't forget to post your pics of the #BrilliantBirds - we'd love to see them.  The birds will be in place for about a month, coming down towards the end of July 2017.

and even the tree was in place

And most importantly, the Brilliant Birds are supporting St Leonard's Hospice which is an independent charity, providing specialist palliative care and support for local people with life limiting illnesses. Whilst their care is free of charge to patients and their families it is not free to provide. So, after the birds come down, they will be sold in the St Leonard's Hospice shop at 5 Scarcroft Rd, York, YO23 1ND.  The birds will go on sale on Saturday 26 August 2017.  Do go along and buy some.  Alternatively, you can donate online here and please mention Brilliant Birds in your reason for donating.

and finally!

If you want to read more about the project, the details are here.  Click on the links for information about the workshops we held at Olive's Nest, Rowntree Park Cafe, The Golden Ball and The Winning Post. Or if you want to see our mention in Craft & Design Magazine click here.  However if your interest is more craft based you may want to check out the Brilliant Bird Patterns, read about the hula hoop woven birds, the big knitted owl or even extreme knitting a tree. And finally you may be inclined to read about the exploits of the Fairfax Court Yarnstormers - they have been great supporters or our yarnstorming projects since we began! 

Deborah & I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has made birds for us, whether in the workshops or at home.  We had over 80 people taking part, making 600 really brilliant birds!  Thanks also go to the workshop venues for having us, to the Friends of Rowntree Park for sponsoring us and to Boyes, who also supported us.  Hope you all love the #BrilliantBirds.  Go see!

 

Extreme Knitting & A Tree

Extreme Knitting - A Tree in Progress

If anyone asks what I've been doing recently I'll say,"Knitting a tree," which will no doubt confirm their worst fears that I am in fact completely bonkers! And I expect if they saw the size of my extreme needles they'd be certain of it. 

First batch of extreme yarn - 2.8kg

It's not quite that simple however as such big needles (50mm diameter) require extreme yarn!  So the first task is always to prepare some yarn.  First I gathered together some suitable materials - curtains (a lifesaver from the charity shop as they were already the right colour!), an old brown tablecloth, a dark brown fabric remnant, then an old sheet, the curtain linings from the charity shop curtains and some blankets, all of which I dyed.  They ended up various shades from terracotta to brown to grey.  Next I cut them all up into long strips, 3.5cm to 5cm wide (1.5 to 2 inches).  I rolled them up into balls and knitted them into a tree using 2-3 balls at a time.

More yarn - 1.5kg

 
That sounds all very straightforward but I kept running out of yarn and having to either cut up more or dye and cut up more.  In the end I used almost 400 metres of yarn weighing about 4.3 kilos.  And, funnily enough, the resulting tree is uniquely coloured!

Knitting (detail)

I did manage to finish the tree but couldn't lay it out anywhere inside to see how it looked - so I took it into the garden....

Tree knitting

I only have a small garden and it took up most of it!  Once down, I added a few leaves and the odd bird and took another look...

Tree with leaves and birds

It'll be in Rowntree Park, York in June as part of the Brilliant Birds Installation supporting St Leonard's Hospice (#BrilliantBirds).  You can read about the Brilliant Birds Yarnstorm here.  My tree still needs stabilising which will be quite a job so I hope the weather stays nice for it.  Keep your fingers crossed!

Tree, birds and person!

And in case you needed an idea of scale, there's a small person in the above pic to help you visualise it.

Fairfax Court Yarnstormers Make Brilliant Birds

Fairfax Court Yarnstormers - Jean, Hazel, Edna & Doreen

Stalwarts of the yarnstorming scene in York, the Fairfax Court Yarnstomers - Jose Smith, Edna Shilleto, Doreen Feetenby, Jean Elliott & Hazel Laws, never fail to impress and today was no exception.  Over the last 5 years, the Fairfax Court Knit & Natter Group have participated in all my community yarnstorming projects, coming up trumps every time.  Having been to see them earlier in the year to tell them about the Brilliant Birds Yarnstorm, I went along recently to pick up their offerings and was frankly blown away.

A Truly Enormous Partliament of Owls

A Very Cute Flock of Robins, Blue Tits & Other Round Birds

Lovely Stitched Birds from Hazel

Fab Birds Knitted to the Sue Stratford Blackbird Pattern

Doreen's Sue Stratford Pattern Hummingbirds Roosting in the Outdoors

In all, there were over 250 additions to the #BrilliantBirds flock.  Jose, who made a large number of the above and couldn't be with us for the handover, is the team leader and keeps everyone on track and upto date with all the news.

Jose

What can I say except thank you so much ladies, you're amazing!