Knutty Knitters, Crafty Critters

When we lived in London, the weekend days were spent wheeling the kids around the Tate Modern, the evenings at Sadler's Wells Ballet. (Okay we did that once) Don't feel sorry for us high-brow bods though, we continue to be constantly totally steeped in the arts. Plus crafts.

Harley, Cy, Jackson and The Bench

Cy, 7,  finished his bench at Carpentry Camp. Okay it's not Damien Hirst's cow in formaldehyde, nor is it Tracy Emin's unmade bed. It's better. It speaks to me of human suffering (well a few bangs on Cy's fingers anyway). I made a bench, Mum, Cy said. And he really did. A three person bench. With arms.

Meanwhile at my parent's house in Ohope Beach, NZ,  Tallulah and her cousin Leah, both 10, were the crafty girls, knitting up a storm.

Knutty Knitters

Mum, Dad and the girls

This verbatim email message from Mum: "Talulah learned to knit this morning Tho sh e did say sh e had learned at age 5 she did one row of 10 stitches and said THATS IT I CAN DO IT Im going to knit My mother a poncho Tonight after another go and 3 more rows she says PERHAPS A S CARF Good day They love the pool its well supervised and lots of fun We are lucky with the weather much warmer today love M."

Are all our mothers' poetic emails worthy of staging at the Tate in a clear vitrine case? Collectors...I think so.

Next my sister Pietra gave cameras to both Tallulah and Leah and below are the results... They're natural documenistas, Pietra said.  How do children frame things so instinctively?

Aunty Pietra

Whale Island

Man with his dog

Rubbish bin

Meanwhile in Oakland, Sadler's Wells it wasn't, but there was a certain standard of dance at our friend Martin's birthday held by Mike'n'Kenny's.  Aided by a couple of these Mike-invented martinis - tomato water, vodka and shredded basil and a stick of tomato and mozzarella -  I challenged the other three blokes to a Wii dance- off.

I'm just so blimin' artsy I couldn't help adding in CatDaddy and bits of the Dougie here and there. Just keep it simple the others said, you're adding stuff in.  I lost to everyone including this bloke here, 7,200 to 4,000.  Blame it on the shredded basil.

You don't know whether to laugh or cry do you? What art encounters were in your weekend?