I started knitting moths in 2014 for an exhibition at Prick Your Finger. These are all hand knitted with Shetland wool. Each one is based on a real species of moth.
The Grant Museum of Zoology currently has an exhibition on called ‘Strange Creatures’ and on the 19th May I took part in The Great Grant Knit-a-thon. Inspired by artist Ruth Marshall’s knitted skin of a Tasmanian Tiger on display, The Museum teamed up with Prick Your Finger to get people knitting strange creatures of their own.
We armed ourselves with piles of carpet yarn in animal colours and spent 12 hours knitting and crocheting specimens from the museum’s extensive collection. We also had Ruth Marshalls pattern for a possum skin.
I took some of my moths along and was very excited to meet their real life counterparts. Here’s the Garden Tiger Moth alongside the Tiger Moth tray. I was going to knit another moth from their collection but with over 60,00 specimens to choose from I went for a Flying Fish. I loved it’s wings and the fact they can glide for up to 200 metres out of water!
Rachael crocheted a very accurate gorilla femur. There was also an excellent squid, a spider monkey skull and many possum skins.
I helped people to knit specimens with Rachael of Prick Your Finger and Larissa of Travel Knitter. You can read their accounts of the day and see more pictures from them here: Rachael – Larissa
It was an excellent day and I’m really grateful to The Grant Museum for the opportunity to spend so much time sitting and knitting specimens. It’s a great way to study and learn about strange creatures. The current exhibition is only on until the 27th June but it’s an excellent place to visit any time if you like cabinets full of bones, creatures and unusual specimens.
My exhibition of knitted moths opened on Friday and I wanted to share some pictures of the moths that are on show. If you want to take a closer look they will be on display until the 20th December. There is also a 2 metre moth but he deserves his own post…!
Six of the moths are available to buy as greeting cards.
Like a Moth in a Wool Shop
22nd November – 20th December 2014
Open Tuesday – Saturday 11am – 6.30pm Prick Your Finger, 260 Globe Road, London, E2 0JD
