By Tania Phillips
Jenny Cantlon’s favourite part of being a member of the Yarntopians in the Southern Downs and Granite Belt is contributing to the group’s annual Jumpers and Jazz in July event – not that she’s ever seen it in person.
Jenny isn’t in Warwick, she isn’t even in Queensland, she actually lives in Canberra but that hasn’t stopped her from contributing to the Yarntopians annual dazzling display of knitted and crocheted art works for the past six years and she’s already been working hard on the upcoming display – Yarnival.
To be held the St Marks precinct, Yarnival will offer all the fun of the fair thanks to colourful yarn art and is sure to be a major attraction of Jumpers and Jazz – as the Yarntopians displays always are.
Jenny will be there in spirit thanks to her colourful creations which will be added to the work of other keen Yarntopians – local or otherwise.
“I have been involved since 2018 but I have never been to the festival, though I hope to do so one day,” she explained.
“I love contributing to a community event that involves many people in various ways and seeing photos of the finished production.”
And so far it has only been photographs with Jenny sending her finished work all the way from Canberra to the Southern Downs each year.
She said it was a great event to be part of even though she’d never seen it in person – strange sure, but not completely unheard of as she was already part of a similar festival in Canberra which is how she discovered Jumpers and Jazz.
“While volunteering at the National Arboretum in Canberra during Warm Trees in July 2017, a visitor asked if I had heard of Jumpers and Jazz in July – an event held in Queensland,” she said.
“I hadn’t, so I investigated it and was keen to be involved from a distance.
“I have been involved with Warm Trees since it began in 2013 and it is an event where the trees are wrapped in scarves for the month of July.
“My mum taught me how to knit and crochet, along with many other crafts from a young age. I prefer knitting over crochet, but do enjoy both.”
Since 2018 she has been producing plenty of interesting creations for the various Yarntopian displays.
“There’s been lots of interesting things,” she said.
“In 2018 for the Home Sweet Home display I made biscuits, blocks of chocolate, leaves and a flamingo.
“In 2019 for Off The Grid there were pebbles, squares, hen, chickens, eggs and scotch thistles. There was no display in 2020 due to Covid 19.
“In 2021 for the Front Room there were yucca yarn bombs, squares, fern leaves and lovebombs.
“For the 2022 Paris Café 1920’s there were croissants, bread sticks, wisteria flowers, vines and squares and last year for Curiouser and Curiouser I made circles, squares, bunting and lovebombs.”
This year’s theme is Yarnival which Jenny said she was really enjoying.
“I have made dagwood dogs, some stripy things and the usual lovebombs,” she explained.
“Looking forward to making balloon dogs, pinwheels and maybe even a cupie doll.”
She said she’s loved everything she’s worked on but if she had to chose any of the themes it would have to be 2019 Off the Grid.
Head Yarntopian Loretta Grayson said it promised to be an exciting year for the group.
“St Marks will be providing us with the ideal spot for our Yarnival installation, incorporating indoor and outdoor spaces,” she said.
“We will also be having a retrospective exhibition of photos and items from the last ten years. The team has been working together on large-scale collaborative installations since 2014, having been originally formed by Warwick Art Gallery (our first installation was the “Knitchen”, a retro kitchen). This retrospective will be held at Kings Theatre, Warwick RSL.”
For those wanting to get involved, contact Loretta at Yarntopians@gmail.com or find them on the Jumpers and Jazz website:
