For most knitters, knitting a tree would seem unusual.
But that’s exactly what members of the Odd Socks knitting group is doing and knitters everywhere are invited to knit and purl for the community exhibition that will take place at the Salmon Arm Gallery in October.
“A couple of years ago, we started to think that we should create some different challenges to get us thinking in a more creative way,” says gallery assistant and Odd Sock member Diana Pratt-Johnson. “Something going beyond patterns and yarn bombing, which are cool, but we are in an art gallery and we should be doing something really creative.”
Enter Cathi Johnston, a newly retired family life teacher.
“She’s an amazing woman and she came into the gallery one day laughing,” says Pratt-Johnson. “She said, ‘I’ve always had a dream of when I retire, I want to knit a tree,’ and that’s how it started.”
That was last summer.
Art gallery curator Tracey Kutschker was onboard immediately and provided a deadline by booking the exhibition for October 2015.
That gave the Odd Socks a year-and-a-half to figure out how to knit roots and leaves and create bark.
Early participants were given kits with instructions on knitting 25-foot roots.
And while the root part of the project is over, people are still welcome to take their roots to the Arts Centre and others are welcome to start a few new roots.
More than 200 people from other communities have signed up to take part in the project, with knitters from Jasper, Vancouver, Kamloops and Vernon, Enderby, Pender Island and Clearwater.
Some are busy knitting and felting bark and, during the summer, knitters (including non-experienced knitters like this reporter) are going to knit leaves.
“The leaves will be predominantly gold and will be installed up one of the pillars in the gallery and the roots will go all over the floor,” says Pratt-Johnson. “Tracey imagines a tactile experience for gallery visitors, who will be invited to take their shoes off and walk among the roots.”
Pratt-Johnson says nobody should be shy about getting involved.
The Odd Socks knitters meet at the gallery to knit and enjoy each other’s company Fridays from 1 to 3 p.m.
During the summer, the knitters will meet in the shade of the gallery’s beautiful catalpa tree.
“We have new knitters, experienced knitters, those who are rediscovering knitting and there is a professional knitter taking part as well,” Pratt-Johnson says. “She knits 40 hours a week. It’s exciting to see how many people knit.”
Anyone who is interested in helping to knit the tree can pick up instructions at the art gallery Tuesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Intwined Fibre Arts has been promoting the project and owner Althea Mongerson is helping people knit.
“Buy the yarn and she’ll help you get started,” Pratt-Johnson says.