IFFFG 2014 Challenge - One Colour
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IFFFG 2014 Challenge - One Colour

Project info
Knitting
IFFFG 2014 Challenge
Needles & yarn
Notes

Middle-earth Milly from Moseley Bog

Moseley Bog is part of my local landscape that inspired Tolkien to create Middle-earth. In 1982 it provided the inspiration for my final degree show. This was the start of my freeform passion and so it seemed appropriate to use it as my design inspiration, some 32 years later, for this challenge.

Milly magically started to appear when her eyes emerged, imitating the wounds left on a tree when a branch has been removed. She continued to grow into her character with the addition of her branches, bark and ivy decoration. In retrospect, the extensive use of freeform cables that provided her richly textured surface seems to be an evolution of my project for the UK Freeformers Christmas Challenge (2013).

Milly was not just created for this challenge, she is more than that. She both represents and has her roots in my freeform journey of over 32 years.

This year’s challenge was interesting because the title was One Colour. Although this seemed problematic at first once I decided on the design element of my project the colour choice was fairly logical. I did include variegated yarns which contained brown to increase the range of textures I needed. Most of these yarns were aran weight and all of them were the roughish sort of acrylic yarn that I could find. You wouldn’t use these yarns to make a garment but they were perfect for tree bark!

Milly was created in sections using both knitting and crochet. The starting point was a large, shaped, vertical cushion, which was 62cms high. (Yes Milly was nearly 2 feet tall!) This was my 3D template and provided a base which I could pin into. I have used this technique before when I crocheted my son Thomas and knew it worked, but I thought I could improve on it. I knew that I wanted to create some type of facial features because in several photos from Moseley Bog the wounds on the trees looked like eyes.

I love knitting cables (without using a cable needle) and combined these with i-cords and a sort of freeform entrelac to create the tree bark. This was worked in sections, pinned to my base and joined on the right side using mattress stitch. The textured surface was further defined by using drifting pleats featured in Lynne Barr’s book The Shape of Knitting.

Hanging ivy leaves and large mushrooms were some of the crocheted elements which added further decoration. Large tree branches, lightly filled with stuffing, created the host of branches which might suggest Milly’s hair.
I had trouble photographing Milly because I wanted to place her in an attractive and appropriate setting, but it was always raining here in Birmingham! (April showers in May!) I was anxious to go back to Moseley Bog but that was just not possible due to the rain, so I had to settle for finding a little niche in my garden for the final photographs. Most of these were taken by making a quick dash out in-between rain showers.

From the start I really wanted Milly to be washable. (This probably comes from years of teaching and also being a practical person.) Milly has a crocheted base but it is not joined all the way round and can be easily removed from her padded fabric shape.

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About this pattern
Personal pattern (not in Ravelry)
  • Project created: May 13, 2014
  • Finished: May 13, 2014
  • Updated: August 3, 2014