Furnace folk woke up on Sunday 28th April to find that their village was growing pompom trees, bright flowers up the wall of their hall and colourful birds nesting in the school garden, and many new residents had joined the community in the form of giant purple caterpillars, huge multi-coloured spiders and a rather odd-looking woman with a face painted by Picasso who was knitting nonchalantly outside the village hall – Furnace had been truly ‘yarn bombed’!
This unprecedented wool attack had been put together by members of the vibrant Furnace Craft Group who wanted to make their very first Furnace Craft Day a day to remember, and with the sun coming out to join in the fun, the day was a huge hit with residents as well as many other visitors from further afield dropping by to see the spectacular installations.
Once inside the hall visitors were able to browse the many colourful and innovative craft stands, including a visit from Travelling Yarns with their mobile pop-up wool shop selling a vast array of Scottish wools. Many visitors also took a seat around the ‘have-a-go’ table to learn more and make their own pompom caterpillar or plant, take up a bit of cross stitch or find out about the art of decoupage – a staple of the immensely popular activity of upcycling, while others took advantage of the opportunity to sit outside the hall enjoying delicious home-made cakes washed down with tea or coffee.
Co-organiser Ruth Tott commented: “The idea of the Craft Day just grew and grew, with one thing leading to another. One of the many fun attractions, our popular ‘scarecrow’ knitter, came about by accident after an old rusty garden chair was donated then renovated with the aid of a brightly-coloured spray paint, after which it was simply crying out for a body to sit on it.”
Plans are already afoot for next year’s event – surely a must following such a success and the roaring trade enjoyed by stallholders. Fellow co-organiser, Val Whale, added: “We’re holding a post-mortem with the craft group members this week to discuss what worked, what didn’t work, and what we can do better next year. Many from the community have already pledged their support, showing how crafting is so much more than just a hobby and can help forge friendships as well as passing on what can become a life-long skill. The weekend’s event certainly created an occasion to bring one Argyll and Bute village together for a fun-filled crafty extravaganza.”