Micklegate Arts Trail, York - 31 May 2025 to 15 June 2025

 

Micklegate Arts Trail - A Shoal of Knitted Fish

It occurred to me just the other day that I'd not blogged about the Micklegate Arts Trail (MAT) so for those who didn't get to go, I thought I should.  It was great to be involved in a 2 week extravaganza of art, music, film and poetry where 14 venues showcased the work of over 30 artists...

Micklegate Arts Trail 2025 - Artists and Venues 

MAT is organised by Navigators Art and is a collaboration between local businesses and artists and is part of the York Festival of Ideas. I took along some extreme knitting, big knitting, hula hoop weaving and crochet to exhibit on the railings of Holy Trinity Church.

Happy, Birds and Rainbow

These were mostly pieces that were originally developed for community art projects in Rowntree Park, which you can read about here (extreme knitted fish), here (big knitted fish), here (big knitted owl), here (hula hoop woven blue tit), here (crocheted Happy) and here (rainbow).  Some of these were made by me and some were made or part made by people joining in with the community projects.  It was lovely to see them all on display again!

Me with some extreme knitting

As part of MAT I brought along my extreme knitting needles so people could have a go for themselves.  And here are just a few of the people who tried it out.  It was very popular...

Extreme Knitting in Progress

There were some other great artists exhibiting in Holy Trinity Church and grounds...

MAT Holy Trinity Church - Peter Baker, Nick Walters, Lu Mason, Barry Lewis, Richard Mackness (from top left clockwise to centre)

And of course there were lots of fab artists exhibiting along the Arts Trail.  Here are just a few...

Micklegate Arts Trail 2025(clockwise from top left)- Sinead Corkery at No. 84 Deli & Cafe, Fiona Kemp at Hudson Moody, Richard Thompson at The Hooting Owl, Nick Kobyluch at Skosh 

It was great fun taking part. I hope everyone who came to visit enjoyed the trail. Thanks to Navigators Art and the York Festival of Ideas and to the venues that took part for making it possible.  Special thanks to Nick Walters for organising the Holy Trinity venue.  And then it was over...

Hippystitch Exhibit Taken down and Packed Up

Thanks to Deborah New for helping me put everything up (and who also helped with the original community projects) and to Lily Stone for helping me take it down.  Watch out for next years Art Trail!

Big Knitting & Fantasy Fish

Big Knitted "Stripey" Fantasy Fish - 75cm long

      
Having completed my extreme knitting fantasy fish I quickly moved on to a bit of big knitting using these needles:

25mm diameter big needles x 580mm long

and choosing from this recyled material that I used for yarn:

Selvedge edges make good ribbon like yarn

I picked up the "yarn" at last year's Knitting & Stitching Show in Harrogate from The Starbeck Cone Exchange.  This is a Betty's & Taylor's community recycling project based in Starbeck, near Harrogate.  Here, people deposit their unwanted materials which are then sold as craft materials to support the Yorkshire Rainforest Project.  I bought some colourful reels of what looked like selvedge edges of a synthetic shiny fabric which knitted up a treat with my 25mm needles.

Silver & Navy "Fat Fish" Underway...

     
I've started on big fantasy fish no. 2, this time using the fat fish pattern, in silver & navy.  If you fancy knitting a big fish why not come along to one of our Fantasy Fish workshops in May 2016 and find out all about this year's Fantasy Fish Yarnstorm!  We'd love you to join in and if you can't make it to the workshops you can find Fantasy Fish Knitting Patterns here.  Send #FantasyFish from York (#fishfromYork) or send #fishfromafar.  Do post photos of your fish if you use social media.  Fish can be dropped off or sent to Fantasy Fish Yarnstorm, c/o Rowntree Park Cafe, Richardson Street, York, YO23 1JU