Some of the yarns used in Brian McCarthy’s knit project. Photo: Supplied.
For the first time, Illawarra textile artist Brian McCarthy’s complete nine-piece plant-dyed, hand-spun fine knits project will be unveiled at Gerringong Library and Museum as part of a two-week celebration of Worldwide Knit in Public Day.
Running from 30 May to 12 June, the free exhibition will also feature live demonstrations, the best handmade Wrap With Love charity blankets from Kiama and Gerringong library Knit+Chat groups from the past year, and handmade quilts and embroidered fabric art by Kiama Quilters Guild.
Long-time library knitter and co-organiser Boni Maywald said Brian was a retired French professor from the University of Wollongong who would unveil a world-first collection featuring 110 plant-based natural dyed yarns, hand-spun and hand-knitted into nine unique pieces.
“I met him when we were both members of the Kiama Knitters Guild and when he was going along to that knitters’ guild, he also met a woman who was doing some spinning and he got quite fascinated with spinning of fleeces,” Boni said.
“Over the last 10 or 15 years, he’s absolutely mastered the art.
“His latest project has never been seen in total anywhere and we’ve got the whole project with all pieces in this display.
“He’s shown about five of the pieces at Kiama Show this year in the spinning, weaving and knitting section, and they wiped the floor by getting first prizes all over.”
She said Brian, a Berry Spinners and Weavers member, used different trees to produce his dyes for the yarns.
“In his latest project, he’s used 110 plant-based dyes, he hand spins them and then he hand knits them into these beautiful wraps and covers,” she said.
Boni said complementing Brian’s work would be 24 of the best Wrap With Love blankets created by knitters who met monthly for knit-ins at the two libraries, which Wrap With Love then distributed to charities throughout Australia and the world.
She said visitors to the exhibition would be able to vote on the blankets for the People’s Choice award.
“This year we’re partnering with Kiama Quilters which are providing half the display, by providing bed covers, wall hangings and art embroidery pieces,” she said.
“We’re also using it to encourage people to drop in any small pieces they can manage by hand to give to local charities for winter – children’s wear, beanies, scarves, fingerless gloves.”
She said throughout the exhibition there would be knitters and quilters doing handwork and chatting to attendees about what they did and how they did it.
“They’ll be a living part of the display,” she said.
On 7 June at Gerringong Library, there will also be a mini knit-in, with two Sydney men coming down with their crochet projects from 9:30 am to 3 pm.
As part of planned events, there will also be a smaller exhibition at Kiama Library throughout June with fine handknit small figurines and 3D frames, and a bus tour from Sydney Mechanics School of Arts to the exhibition launch, and Clifton, Gerringong and Berry school of arts buildings.
She said they used the worldwide day, celebrated on 14 June, as an opportunity to acknowledge the beautiful work done by knitters, raise awareness of the work being done in the community and the opportunity to donate blankets and squares, and thank the libraries and council for the use of public spaces.
“We’re just celebrating the joy of making things by hand and using public spaces,” she said.
“We’re so lucky to still have public libraries that allow people to meet and do things without having to pay for the use of space.
“Every year for the last five years we’ve booked a different public space to do a display.”
She said it was about the joy of knitting, crocheting and stitching and giving things to people in need.
“There will be five charities who will receive what’s on display and what people donate,” she said.
She said the Kiama and Gerringong casual knit-in groups met monthly, with a new group having started this year at Bluehaven in Kiama.
“If you want to bring along your own work, you can sit and do that, or we’ll give you yarn and needles and patterns and encourage you,” she said.
“We have people who have incredible skills, both in design and in the craft, that are very generous with their time.”
Gerringong Library and Museum Worldwide Knit In Public Day will launch on 30 May at 1 pm and run until 12 June.
