Stitch London hit the main hall of London’s Natural History Museum on 27 August in an attempt to bring a shoal of stitched squid to life.
Amongst the dinosaur bones, stuffed beasts and birds, and fine fossils the stitched squid storm raged.
We witnessed the safe capture of the Stitched Sealife Six.
A sorry Stitched Squid and apologetic Osedax
The contrite Coelacanth
The sealed in Slender Snipe Eel
The very shamefaced Viper Fish
The attritional Oarfish
We were awed by the presence of the Godfather of Stitched Sealife: the Giant Stitched Squid (squidius knittius giganticus plasticus) who was brought to life by Deadly Knitshade from 160 knitted plastic carrier bags.
He'll make you an ten tentacled offer you can't refuse
Squidius Knittius Giganticus Plasticus
There were a whole lot of you squid stitchers too. Squid wrestling was rife but fortunately no serious injuries were had.
Squid stitchers lurk behind the beast
Stitch a Squid queue. It was madness!
Finger-fighting squid instruction
Ladies, start your squid stitching
Knitting a squid-catching net
Proud squid stitcher
Making squid friends large and small
A squid challenger
A fearless giant squid wrestler
Giant Squid vs Dinosaur. Who will win?!?!
Huge tentacled hugs to all 23 of our Stitch Sages who helped pass on the stitched squid skills, Laura Babb who took some some cracking photos you can see here, and the Natural History Museum for allowing us to wreck stitched sealife chaos in their lovely museum.
If you want to knit a tiny Finger-fighting Stitched Squid of your own you can buy the pattern here. Be warned. If you challenge one to a wrestle broken fingers have been known to happen.
Six stitched specimens from the Deep Sea have escaped in the Museum. We’re getting closer to catching the whole gang. The net is tightening…
An anonymous tip-off lead us to the Natural History Museum’s Member’s Room where we had been told the fishy members of the Stitched Sealife Six had made their hideout. Sure enough there they were:
The gang's all here
The cheeky Coelecanth, the fish femme fatale Viper Fish, the overly ambitious Oarfish, the ravenous Osedax, the shiny happy Slender Snipe Eel and tiny tentacled terror that is the Stitched Squid.
"This is it, fibre-finned compadrés. Tonight we make a break for it..." The Stitched Squid rests before the big push.
Will they make it or is it back to their specimen jar cells? There’s only one way to find out.
There are also rumours the Godfather of the Deep Sea, the Giant Stitched Squid, may put in an appearance on the night. At present these rumours are unconfirmed but word of the 8-metre knitted nautical beast seem to be everywhere. Can such a creature possibly exist?
Come along to the Natural History Museum August 27 to Stitch a Squid and see the Stitched Sealife Six. If we can catch them…
Six stitched specimens from the Deep Sea have escaped in the Museum. Walk softly and cast your gaze at the last escapee. Stitched Sealife Specimen number six…
The infamous Stitched Squid has yet to be explained by oceanographic scientists, as to this date not one specimen has been caught alive. This ten-legged tearaway was knit into life by your trusty Stitched Sealife correspondent, Deadly Knitshade.
You'll never catch me alive, see?
Impressing his deep sea companions with his ability to survive at any depth (including above sea level) the Stitched Squid is a little bit of a legend. In the underwater hierarchy they’ve been known to rub shoulders with some of the sea’s godfather figures and hang out at only the chicest sea parties.
Though some doubters have said that Stitched Squid don’t exist at all.
Dippy, tell the chick with the camera to make nice and leave.
Here at the Museum we caught this Stitched Squid at a sit down with Dippy the Dinosaur in the main hall but once he spied the cameras he gave us the slip.
We were forced to keep a wary distance as rumours of the arm-wrestling skills of ‘Squidius Knittius’ are often to be heard told by melancholy one-armed sailors drowning their sorrows in dockside drinking establishments.
This here is my baleen bodyguard. Say hello, Bluey.
One look into the glassy peepers of this miniscule marine cephalopod confirmed one thing. Stitched Squid do exist somewhere out there in the briny blue.
We just need to find them.
Come any closer and you'll sleep with the fishes. Capiche?
Tomorrow an anonymous tip off tells us where we’re likely to find the whole gang. Come back and check out if we manage to snap the Stitched Sealife Six together.
You can also come along to the Natural History Museum August 27 to Stitch a Squid and join in the hunt for them.
Six stitched specimens from the Deep Sea have escaped in the Museum. We’re in luck as we’ve just spied number 5…
The fierce but chatty Viper Fish has it all: huge gnashers, a hinged lower jaw and a light show on its appendages to tempt in fish who can’t help following something shiny. This toothy lady was stitched into life, glow-in-the-dark bits and all, by Stitch Londoner, The Fastener.
I feel fishy, oh so fishy...
Check out these chompers, baby
Sashaying through the shadows and the shallows anywhere from 400-2800 metres you can pretty much expect her and her teeth to turn up anywhere. In this case she turned up, rather scandalously, in the lap of a Mr Charles Robert Darwin.
So, you're Mr D? I hear this you're kind of a big deal around these parts.
She’ll try to impress you with tales of how she can bend her teeth behind her head and how she can swim two body lengths per second. Show off.
It is not advisable to allow this fishy femme fatale to talk you into anything. Beware her good looks and pearly whites. She’ll break your heart and probably steal your wallet.
Fancy a bite to eat, toots? I know a nice plaice...
If you’re quiet tomorrow we could be lucky enough to catch the last Deep Sea escapee.
You can also come along to the Natural History Museum August 27 to Stitch a Squid and join in the hunt for them.
Six stitched specimens from the Deep Sea have escaped in the Museum. If you’re very quiet we can creep up on number 4 of the Stitched Sealife Six…
The unwavering cheerfulness of the mysterious Slender Snipe Eel, sometimes known as the ‘Deep Sea Duck’, can be a little unsettling. This skinny fellow slid from the needles of Stitchette and camera-wielding stitched sealife stalker Deadly Knitshade.
Happy happy happy happyhappyhappy HAPPY!
Slipping along the seabed at depths of up to 2000 metres little is known about this slightly sinister shiny-eyed slip of an eel who can be 75 times longer than he’s wide. Slender indeed.
Finding him floating in the deep sea darkness with his smileful of tiny sharp teeth may put investigators off pursuing enquires.
Whale carcass! I love! Can I play? Can I? CAN I?
He is rumoured hitch to rides on larger fish by sidling up and clamping his tiny teeth into their tails.
What’s that on your shoulder?! AAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
I come home with you now, human?
Come back on Monday to follow the damp finprints of the next Deep Sea escapee story.
You can also come along to the Natural History Museum August 27 to Stitch a Squid and join in the hunt for them.
Six stitched specimens from the Deep Sea have escaped in the Museum. We hunted down number three of the Stitched Sealife Six…
The mysterious Oarfish, also known as the rather regal ‘King of Herrings’ is not often seen, despite the fact that they can grow up to 10 metres long. This Oarfish tiddler, stitched into existence by Stitch Londoner Knitterbird, may be a minnow but he has grand plans.
Bow to his majesty, the Oarfish
Lurking 1000 metres beneath the sea this Oarfish has had plenty of time to plan his strategy on his journey to ground level. He was last seen in a commanding position at the entrance to the Museum’s Deep Sea exhibition.
When I am 10 metres long I will have your heads, airbreathers...
Often mistaken for legendary man-guzzling sea serpents in tales of old, this particular Oarfish is rumoured to have world domination plans aplenty.
Do not let the distinguished ‘moustache’ and fly away hair-do fool you. His plans for the world above the waves are sure to be dastardly.
Submit to the rule of my iron fin, puny humans!
Return tomorrow for another damp chapter of the Deep Sea escapee story.
You can also come along to the Natural History Museum August 27 to Stitch a Squid and join in the hunt for them.
Six stitched specimens from the Deep Sea have escaped in the Museum. This is where we found the second of the Stitched Sealife Six…
The hungry Osedax have another, not so pretty name. They are the Deep Sea’s ‘Bone-eating Snot-Flower Worms’ and this famished bunch were stitched to life by Stitchette The Bluestocking Stitcher.
Chomp chomp sniff chomp chomp
Lurking a grand 2500 metres below the sea this little lot came a long way to get to the Museum. This made them hungry. It seems they went in search of a bone-based lunch. They were last seen eyeing the skeleton of a Giant Sloth.
The Osedax peer hungrily at the Giant Sloth
You are by no means to approach these tiny nibbing worms, which have been known to strip entire whale carcasses on the sea bottom.
They are to be considered hungry and dangerous escapees. You have been warned.
Feeeeeeed us! Feeeeeeeeeeed us!
Come back tomorrow for the Deep Sea story of another stitched sealife escapee.
You can also come along to the Natural History Museum August 27 to Stitch a Squid and join in the hunt for them.
Six stitched specimens from the Deep Sea have escaped in the Museum. This is the tale of the first of the Stitched Sealife Six…
The cheeky Coelacanth, known for his hollow spine and its tendency to ‘walk’ across the seabed, was stitched into the world by Stitch Londoner Ginger Knits.
Meet the Coelacanth
He dwells 150-400 metres under the sea
He is one of the oldest species of fish in the world, but that didn’t stop him strutting his finny stuff down the Fossil Hall of the Museum for all the world to see.
Comparing fin size with a plesiosaur
Coelacanth have also been known to stand on their heads. We judge from the look on the face of this escaped specimen that he is capable of much more. Be vigilant! He could be up to anything.
Planning something fishy
Return tomorrow for the Deep Sea tale of another stitched sealife escapee.
You can also join us at the Natural History Museum August 27 to Stitch a Squid and join in the hunt for them.
To celebrate all things Stitched and all things from the Deep Sea some of Stitch London’s artiest wielders of the wool have created a shoal of deep sea specimens to tempt you into the chilly waters of deep sea stitching.
Starting tomorrow see the fishy tale of how the Stitched Sealife Six specimens escaped into the Museum and got to know the place where the dinosaurs, bones and beasts dwell…
We seek them specimens here, we seek them there...
PS We’re still looking for teachers on the night to teach our very simple Stitched Squid pattern. Please email us if you’re interested.
