Colourful crochet comes to Conservatory

ROSALIND Park is home to the latest installation from the Bendigo yarn bombers.

Crocheted hoops, bunting, insects and even ducks currently fill up the Conservatory Gardens building as the group aims to bring a bit of colour to the cold winter.

A spokesperson for the Bendigo yarn bombers said much of the work has come from repurposed crocheted umbrellas which were installed five years ago.

“The Conservatory’s a fabulous place to exhibit stuff and it’s sort of an extension of when we did the umbrellas. The hoops were inexpensive and a great way to showcase our work,” the spokesperson said.

Some of the hoops are for sale, with visitors able to leave their details in a box and pay what they want, with all money going to a local charity.

“We’ve got limited space for storage so we thought, we always have people say oh I’d love this so we thought we’d give people the opportunity so if they wanted to buy one and take it home to enjoy they can,” the spokesperson said.

The yarn bombers meet every Tuesday, barring COVID-19 restrictions, and their work over the nine years of operation has included crocheted hearts for Valentine’s Day, stars on the Poppet Head at Camp Hill, a small garden at the Bendigo Hospice, and the currently-out-of-commission 302 tram.

“Our philosophy is we defy anyone not to smile when they see the crochet tram or how bright and cheery the hoops in the Conservatory,” the spokesperson said.

“We’ve got a fabulous group of people that we do lots of laughing and lots of brainstorming and have outlandish ideas.

“The installations are just kind of the end product, and we just love what we do, getting together and sharing ideas, helping and spreading a bit of joy for other people.”

During lockdown, the yarn bombers stay active on their private Facebook group, turning to crafts to stay happy during tough times.

“Especially in times like the lockdown, to have something like crochet or any craft, it’s just a way of doing something positive,” the spokesperson said.