I went to Electric Picnic this weekend. It was my third year attending, and my first year paying - last year I volunteered as a steward, and the year before I came with work (and technically qualified as a performer and got a performer's wristband, no big deal). Part of my motivation for paying this year was that I'm more interest in the crafts and performances than the music, and most of that goes on during the day. I might revert to not paying next year, but it was lovely to have a year to wander around the Green Crafts Village at my leisure and not be in a rush to pick a workshop that would finish in time for my shift.
The Green Crafts Village also makes me want to run away and live in a tree in a hippie commune where everyone teaches everyone else new skills all day. Hopefully some of those skills are farming and cooking, so we don't all die.
On Saturday I made this ring at a workshop run by Forgotten Silver. I've never worked with metal before, and never had occasion or opportunity to solder, so I really enjoyed it. I've smithed something!
I carved this 'wood spirit' from lime wood at the Irish Woodcarving stall. I started with a triangle of wood with two divots taken out of it for the eyes and the area just beneath the nose, and the carver marked the lines I should carve with pencil as a guideline. I think he looks a little bit like the Deku Tree.
The wood was a lot lighter before varnishing. (I also got a henna doodle, but it didn't stain very strongly!)
In Mindfield I encountered the portable version of Winnie's Craft Cafe. I'd never heard of it before, so I'll have to make an expedition of cycling out there while the nice weather holds. I had intended to pop in last thing on Sunday to pick up a small project's worth of yarn (and then it could be my EP hat/pair of gloves/etc.), but they were packing up when I arrived. In fairness, it's usually a safe bet that no-one is looking to buy yarn at half eight on the last night of a festival. Usually.
They also had giant needles! More giant than the child with the wand in the corner of the lower photograph. I bet her that the needle was taller than her, and we measured her against one of them, and then we had to measure the second to be sure. Kid has the heart of a scientist.
The yarn I'm using in that photo is fabric selvedge, and I completed a row. No big deal.
If I could find an event in Dublin that allows craftspeople to run casual workshops, I would be very excited. As it is, I'll just get excited bout next year!
P.S. I saw The Cure. The Cure. I saw them. So.
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