A couple of months ago, I came across the woollen woods project:

…an enchanting outdoor art installation, created as part of Eden Arts’ CANOPY project. The exhibit features hundreds of woodland themed woollen artworks; all made using 100% wool, in support of ‘The Campaign for Wool’… After the success of the first exhibition we are now inviting people to make artworks for a 2014 Woollen Woods installation at National Trust property Sizergh.

Group of three Boletus

Last Saturday, whilst needing something to occupy my over-active brain at 2:30 in the morning, I decided to make my contribution. The result was a group of three Boletus fungi. And so on Sunday I downloaded the submission form so that I could send them off. Alas – they are not eligible! All the pieces of work have to be mounted in the trees  rather than on the ground, and I have made a species that definitely occupies the woodland floor. So, those fungi will have to have a different home. Obviously 2:30am is not the best time to make decisions!

Woolly Ramalina fraxinea on willow

I still want to contribute something to the project, so last night I did a bit of free-form crochet and created this lichen (it’s supposed to be Ramalina fraxinea). Next I’m planning to make some Graphis scripta (a white lichen with what looks like black writing on it) before moving on to bracket fungi, which really do grow on trees. Amusingly, the word ‘crochet’ in French means ‘square bracket’ so there is something strangely pleasing to me about making crochet bracket fungus!