Monday 28 May 2012

Seabirds...

In the post I have received the ingredients to knit an Arctic Tern.
The project is organised by Deirdre Nelson in response to the changing migration patterns of seabirds across Scotland's islands.  These knitted 'lost' arctic terns will be arriving on Tobermory Pier in Mull soon, and will then migrate over to the Dovecot studios in Edinburgh.  The yarn has been supplied locally from Ardalanish, Isle of Mull weavers.  It is a rich, tweedy, Bluefaced Leicester, and I can't wait to get my bird started.  As preparation for knitting an Arctic Tern, on Saturday I actually got to see some!  We went on a boat from the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick, out to the Isle of May. This is me preparing for a life on the ocean wave!
The island is currently home to puffins, eider ducks & ducklings, kittiwakes, shags, fulmars, guillemots, razorbills, arctic terns and many more. On the way back the boat took us round Bass Rock, which was literally covered in gannets (and it smelt like it too!).
It was great fun, and perfect research for knitting an arctic tern!

5 comments:

  1. I'm knitting one as well! At least, I've knitted it but not stuffed it or given it a beak and feet yet. Such a lovely thing to be part of.

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  2. That is great! I started mine tonight, am half way through. Hope to get it finished for the weekend, have an idea for the feet... but we shall see how successful it turns out!

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  3. What an amazing project, and a brilliant day out.

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    1. Thanks! I would very much recommend a trip over to the Isle of May, although I realise that we were very very lucky with the weather!

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  4. Your photos of your island trip look amazing! Good luck with your tern feet :-)

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