This image of tree bark sprung to mind shortly after I had spoken to the obsessive knitter and brother after the recent earthquake in New Zealand. Even if half the obsessive’s glass collection was in tatters on the floor, and an out of sorts chimney stack was leaning precariously to many sides, I was glad they were safe and sound, hearing the sighs of relief in their voices and mine.

The obsessive knitter and I want this website to inspire, to encourage you to create your own ideas. We won’t dictate a pattern that you will create without question – that’s just not what this is about. So, we will regularly post inspirational words and images that we hope will get you thinking about the crafts, including knitting, in a different way.

The image – why did it spring to mind? It was something about the cracks in the bark, like mini-tectonic plates, where the old is swept away and reborn, anew.

The word fissure encapsulates it – those cavities that encourage and reveal new ways of looking at life; the tremors and vibrations (often felt on the other side of the world) that invigorate and inspire fresh perspectives.

What does this image make you think of? Would it inspire you to create, and if so, what would you create? What colours would you use?

Can you knit an earthquake?

BDW