#wemadethishull is very excited to have been given the opportunity to deliver craft sessions with a maritime twist as part of the Hull: Yorkshire’s Maritime City Project.
These sessions will be monthly and are two hours, so long enough to start and finish a piece. They are individual pieces in their own right, rather than being part of an accumulation of pieces and can be as different as we all are and each has a nod to Hull’s maritime history!
Three have taken place already, the first being part of the #wemadethishull very successful and great fun Nautic’Hull Alphabet project. This was all about using the international signalling flags to send messages to each other, and appreciating how difficult communication is until you know the mutual language spoken.
The next was weaving God’s Eyes, thought in many cultures to be helpful in warding off evil nastiness. Seafaring has many superstitions and it is important to remember these as they were a way of living with the hope that those seamen returned to their families. These were woven in wool in recognition of where Hull began in the 1100s with the monks from Meaux Abbey buying land along the rivers Humber & Hull to manage their wool exports more effectively.
In April we looked at scrimshaw, a pastime of many a seafarer, especially on long whaling trips designed to pass the time by scratching designs on whale teeth and bone to bring home as gifts, or sometimes to sell. The lines were filled in with e.g. powdered ink, or soot. These showed sights they had seen, or current fashion trends or characters from books of the time. In the absence of whale’s teeth, we used soap and shoe polish to emulate the real thing!
There are many more to come, they are free and are bookable on Eventbrite, although walk-ups are always welcome.
Coming up are:
Making love tokens using boxes and shells at Western Library – June 23rd 3.30-5.30pm
Wool wrapping maritime scenes at Blaydes House – July 6th 10.30-12.30pm
Inchies, twinchies and thrinchies! venue tbc
Knotting and netting venue tbc
Weaving using blues and hues Greenwood Library
Wreath making using sisal and hemp Cups & Scoops, Chanterlands Avenue
Lantern designing and making venue tbc
Details of these sessions will also be on the #wemadethishull, Hull Maritime and Hull Libraries social media channels. Please be aware that venues may change.
Come and have some maritime crafting fun!
#wemadethishull 