Knitted tree installation in Broadfield Park

Knitted birds and pom poms in the Blossom Tree

A tree in Broadfield Park has been decorated as part of a special knitted installation project linked to the current Bloom exhibition in the Touchstones Heritage Gallery.

A group of pupils from St Edward's C of E Primary School, Castleton recently took part in a creative knitting workshop at Touchstones with artist Alison Cooper. The children worked with Touchstones Knitty Gritty group to make knitted pom poms which have been added to knitted butterflies and birds the knitting group created. Members of the wider community also contributed to the project by sending in their knitting to add to the 'blossom tree' in Broadfield Park for the art installation.

This is the second part of the knitted installation project. For the first part of the project the Touchstones Knitty Gritty Group created knitted flowers and leaves and worked alongside children from Woodland Community Primary School in Heywood to make knitted stems. The work is installed above the entrance of the Touchstones building.

The project is inspired by the exhibition 'Bloom' currently on display in the Heritage Gallery at Touchstones Rochdale. This exhibition celebrates the significance of flowers and explores how floral motifs feature within the Museum and Art Gallery collections.

Both parts of the knitted installation project have been filmed and will be on display for the duration of the exhibition. The exhibition runs until Spring 2014.