Around the world with Ms Clarice

In issue 54 you'll find Rosella Tinn's gorgeous Ms Clarice chicken

design (above), and we'd love to see how how well travelled Clarice becomes. Once you've had time to hook her, share your pictures with us on our Facebook, Twitter or Ravelry pages. We'll then put together our favourites in a gallery online!

Ms Clarice was inspired by the chocolatey hues of the yarn, a love of all things chicken and as a friend for Blossom. Blossom, the third in a series of chicks, now spends her days travelling around the world. We caught up with Rosella to find out more..

IC: Hi Rosella, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
RT: Hi there, I’m very happily married to the love of my life, I LOVE chickens, and hope to rescue some ex-battery hens, to love and care for, once I am able. I’m also addicted to crochet and designing and get most of my inspiration from nature. I suffer from sever hypoparathyroidism, and my crochet keeps me sane!
IC: What inspired you to create Clarice (and Blossom before that?)
RT: It all started back in 2011! I have a group on Ravelry called “cluck! cluck! feathers & yarn!” for folk who love crafting, yarn, and of course, chickens! I decided for a bit a of fun, to have “Cluck-along” (CAL/KAL), and the result was Miss Cecily Cluckington. She then met her boyfriend Tristan (made from yarn left over from one of my husband's sweaters)! Woolly clucks are very social, and you can’t have just one; rather like real chickens. They get lonely.

Below: Tristan, Cecily and Blossom

IC: We love the thread following Blossom on her travels - what prompted its launch?
RT: Everyone loved Tris & Ces so much, they actually wanted me to post them out, so they could meet them! Being rather large and expensive to post, Blossom arrived! She is cute and petite, and the perfect size to post. She is a friendship chicken! So, everyone who wanted to meet her, signed up, my husband and I plotted a route for her, packed her in her “travel-coop”, along with her journal and passport, and off she went to the USA!

IC: When did Blossom's travels begin and where has she been?
RT: Her first stop was in LA, with my 'Ravelry sister' Anne, where she was shown the sights! She was gifted with a bespoke prayer shawl, at Anne’s church. Then she went to Arizona (where she kissed a rooster), Minessota (where she met Opal [below], an original cluck-along-sister) then it off to Massachusetts, on to North Carolina, then she stopped for a while in Utah (where she shopped for yarn and visited a hospital). After that, she spent time in Florida, where she went to school with my friend’s daughter, Morgan, and there was a bit of a mishap with paint… but thank heavens it all washed off! And finally she travelled along route 66 (albeit in a mail van!) to New York, and got to visit Niagara Falls! She stayed with Penny and met her lovely grandsons, Jacob aged 9 and John aged 7. She's currently travelling around the UK and is off to Ireland next!

IC: Have Blossom's travels caused you any problems?
RT: No, in fact, she has led to so many wonderful friendships. She has met lots of my “pen-pals” folk I have yet to meet in person. I can’t fly, on account of my poor health/medication requirements. As my dear friend Monica puts it, Blossom is an ice-breaker. People who are normally shy and reserved, break in to a smile and come forward to meet her!

(Below: Blossom at Niagara Falls with her two favourite boys)

IC: What has been your favourite experience while Blossom has been on her journey?
RT: I don’t really have a favourite, every little adventure, every person she has met, and every place she has visited, has had enriched my life in some way. I’ve got so much pleasure from seeing how much everyone loves and welcomes my humble little woolly cluck! I could never have imagined, that a small woolly DK cluck, could be so loved, by so many.

If you've loved hearing about Blossom's adventures as much as we have, you can find out more via Rosella's blog www.woollycluck77.blogspot.co.uk,, on Ravely, or on her Facebook page The Crochet Cluck.