What’s it all about?
Always wanted to learn how to knit but have never quite had the right motivation? Well, the Knitting Nannas of Toolangi (KNOT) are a group of nannas that are crazy about their knitting and also pretty wild for their forest homes in the Central Highlands north-east of Melbourne.
They protest peacefully against the destruction of our beautiful native forests. In response to recent legislative changes that have created a 150 metre exclusion zone from logging coupes, the knitting nannas have been knitting a scarf 150 metres long.
As any good knitting teacher will tell you, the best place to start on your knitting career is to learn how to knit a scarf. So we thought we’d combine a knitting lesson with some interesting yarns of the adventures of the Knitting Nannas of Toolangi and their quest to protect their forest homes.
What will we cover?
We will cover all the little things you need to know such as: how to choose needles that go with the wool you want to work with; casting on and casting off; and what the difference is between plain and pearl stitch and when you would use them.
As you gain confidence with practicing your new skills adding onto the KNOT scarf, you will be entertained with stories about why the Knitting Nannas of Toolangi came together, what is the essence of their important work for the forests, and what they hope for the future. And how you too can use your creative talents to support the forests campaign.
Who will be teaching?
Karena Goldfinch is one of the very passionate Knitting Nannas of Toolangi (KNOT). Karena learnt to knit when she was a child, taught by her nanna, and has transformed these skills into garments of all sorts. Karena also experiments with felting and her main artistic mediums are photography and photogravure.
Karena will be ably assisted by volunteers from KNOT who can support you on the night with your new-found knitting prowess.