The Knitting and Stitching Show

Last Saturday, mac's niece and I were taken by my son in law to the Knitting and Stitching Show held at the NEC in Birmingham.

The theme was The Hyperbolic Reef System.

This all started way back in 1997 when Dr Diana Taimina, a professor at Cornell University, astounded the scientific world by realising the first physical model of a hyperbolic plane in crocheted yarn.
Using the same mathematical technique, two Australian sisters, Christine and Margaret Wertheim, conceived the idea for a Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef.

Margaret Wertheim, founder of the Institute for Figuring, visited London in March 2008 and led the workshops to teach the hyperbolic crochet technique.
Following the workshops the Craft Council and the Southbank Centre invited participants to initiate the start of a new UK Reef and share what they had learnt with friends and groups across the country.

The resulting UK Reef is an eclectic fusion of traditional craft techniques and experimental crochet methods using an imagiative selection of found and recycled materials.Throughout the duration of the
exhibtion more people will contribute coral forms so that the UK Reef will grow.
These alien like boulders adorned with crochet coral are inspired by artifical

"reef balls"that are submerged in the sea by conservationists, to encourage the colonisation of coral ecosystems and provide new homes for marine wildlife.
Artifical reef projects exist all over the world, including the UK.

The project, organised by the Los Angeles based Institute for Figuring is a direct response to the plight of coral reefs from pollution and global warming.
For more information please visit

http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/

or e mail ukreef@craftscouncil.org.uk

We spent a long and lovely day viewing the many and varied craft exhibits. Watching so many artists displaying their techniques as well as their completed work .
Spending quality time with skilled people, who so enjoyed explaining the methods used to complete a project.
Should you have the chance to attend this show then I hope that I have given you an insight to the sheer enjoyment you will experience.