Monday 4 March 2013

It's My Party and I'll Hold a Competition If I Want To...

As you may or may not know, I shall be 40 years old in April.  In order to celebrate this jolly occasion I thought a bit of a competition may be fun, you know, as something to do in between all the drinking and sobbing over my lost youth.

Now, those who follow me on Facebook will have seen the little knitted Rossetti I made a couple of months ago...


Because he looked so lonely, I made him a little Pre-Raphaelite companion.  The question is....Who have I knitted?

Send me your guesses before I become 40 years old (sob!) at 7.10am on 4th April 2013 and I shall send a signed copy of Stunner: The Fall and Rise of Fanny Cornforth to the person who gets it right.

Also, if you are feeling crafty, have a go at making your own Pre-Raphaelite companion and send me a photo.  A copy of Stunner will be awarded to the one that makes me squeal the loudest.

Go on, you know you want to...

All entries to stonellwalker@googlemail.com before breakfast on the 4th April and good luck to you all!

23 comments:

  1. It can't be anyone but Lizzie! You've knitted him a little Lizzie Siddal! Obviously....

    Am very tempted by this, if I can find the time. I rather fancy knitting a Fanny, or a Effie!

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  2. Lizzie Lizzie! I hope it's Lizzie! And don't let this influence you in ANY way, but 4th April is my birthday too!

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  3. Now Ladies, I've said before I could never knit a Fanny because I'd just end up giggling before I told anyone...

    Rhissanna, all the best people are born on the 4th of the 4th :)

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    1. Of course! Me and you and Robert Downey Jr.

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  5. Jane Burden, when she was still just a Oxford girl selling violets!

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  6. All splendid guesses, my friends. Keep them coming!

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  7. I have no idea, but now I'm itching to try to use my meager knitting skills to create a little Pre Raphaelite cutie! :)

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  8. I second Caroline's wombat suggestion! If human, though, let's not forget Christina! She could keep little Knit Gabriel company whilst keeping him in check with a bit of healthy sisterly disapproval.

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  9. I thought wombat at first too - but maybe brother William?

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  10. A knitted Ned would be a fine thing (and I have to say that woolly Gabriel has made an old man very happy) so I'll plump for Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bart, since no-one else has suggested that yet. Incidentally, I shall be sixty on 8 April, so stop all that sobbing. Things carry on getting better for some time yet, I promise.

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  11. That doll was so creepy but still cute and nice to have one.

    Zero Dramas

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  12. Simon, you don't look a day over 21, unlike me, who looks like a raddled old heap. Really, none of the photos I use are of me, I employ a buxom barmaid from a Carry On film for all my publicity shots.

    Thanks everyone for your guesses, I now wish I had knitted *all* of these, and perhaps I will (and publish a Pre-Raphaelite knitting book) ;)

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  13. Ooh, if I could knit, I'd make myself a little Topsy and Ned. Hear that, Grace???

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  14. I have little day dreams about turning your designs into screen-printed dolls, Raine. Obviously that is both sad and wonderful all at the same time ;)

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  15. Dear Kirsty
    Not Pre Raphaelite but wouldn't it be Dante's Beatrice? Probably looking like a mixture of Lizzie Siddall, Fanny Cornforth and Jane Morris. Now that would be a challenge to knit! Or it could be Dante himself, of course?
    (I have to say I find your Rossetti a little disturbing - perhaps he reminds me of a vampire - but I think I would have found the real Rossetti more than a little disturbing.)
    Best wishes
    Ellie

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  16. No one has stated Fanny ... just discovered yr blog today. Enchanting! Happy Birthday in advance. (PS logging in is strange ... there's no option for we who host our own WordPress blog? Not a fan of blogspot ... so many limitations. Now to dig up my google ID ... oh dear, oh well ... )

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  17. PS I didn't realize you wrote Stunner! It's on my Amazon wish list. I earned two art degrees (BA in Art and Master of Fine Arts), and we never once studied any PRB or significant 19th century artists beyond Impressionists and Fauves. Of course I love love love this era, plus the Symbolists and Expressionists. Reading about the women behind the scenes is fascinating. I grew up to photograph early punk rock (created some of the most revered, classic photos).

    I now commune with musicians and artists into yoga, metaphysics, goddess mythology and such, from India, America and other places. Reading the behind the scenes of the PRB (and Sisterhood) reminds me of my punk life and whatever one would call the yoga/metaphysical devotees).

    As with PRB, it's still sex n drugs n rock n roll, whether the drugs are booze, opium derivatives or pills, the rock n roll could be paintings or yoga or music (usually combinations of all).

    Let's say men are men and women still struggle for faithful relationships, emotional growth and creative recognition. However, we all have far more freedoms than anyone in the 19th or most of the 20 centuries. Fascinating stuff, fer sure!

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  18. If it's any comfort Jenny, I have the same problems with Wordpress being a Blogger person!

    Thanks for your comments, I never thought about the PRB and punk before but you're right. I wonder if that is why the 60s and 70s were such a renaissance for Pre-Raphaelite art as people began to see echoes of their former selves in the artists of the past.

    This is such fun, I should knit Victorians more often....

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  19. My WordPress blog doesn't require ppl to login from Blogger. They fill out a short form and type the captcha. Could be dif for those using Wordpress as a host, but my site(s) are self-hosted. I

    Few punks ever thought of themselves historically other than re-purposing graphics from the Nazi era, deliberately directed by Malcolm McLaren, a nice Jewish boy who studied art history. I always talked to ppl about Ballet Russes, symbolists, dadaists, etc. They thought me nuts, with my library of art history books and sharing stories (and art degrees).

    I think they all thought themselves so unique. Then Greil Marcus came out w/"Lipstick Traces," which reiterated and expanded upon what I always said. I don't know Greil. But those with a good understanding of art movements (outside of what was ever taught in school or popular culture) could connect the dots.

    But the 60's hippies were definitely influenced by the PRB, certainly Ken Russell's BBC productions affected the Brits, as well as his early movies. We Americans didn't have access to his BBC productions til they came out on DVD a few yrs ago. But the hippies loved 19th century art eras such as PRB, Symbolists and esp Art Nouveau, which all were related.

    Look to the Brits, the dandies of rock n roll, from the Who to the Stones in the 60's. And on St Paddy's Day, let's remember Oscar Wilde and Aubrey Beardsley ... certainly influenced by Rossetti and his pals.

    Even Johnny Rotten has been photographed looking like a cross between a Teddy Boy and dandy. It's all one big complex tapestry of interesting characters!

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Many thanks for your comment. I shall post it up shortly! Kx