Darwin's animals recreated by knitting team

Charles Darwin's treasured animal collection, including creepy creatures in jars and a stuffed tortoise, have been recreated by a team of knitters.

The woollen versions of Darwin's Victorian paraphernalia is part of an exhibition at Bristol Zoo Gardens.

The show, called Darwin's Leftovers, includes knitted hummingbirds, fossils, a life-size iguana, tribal souvenirs and a tarantula.

The stuffed animals once owned by Darwin have been copied by a team of 60 knitters from Gloucestershire to celebrate the bicentenary of his birth.

The exhibition is funded by the National Lottery and supported with materials from wool company Patons.

The creations were knitted by members of Stroud Knitting Group, along with children from three Gloucestershire schools and a team of volunteers.

Knitter Liz Lancashire said: "Darwin's Leftovers pushes the boundaries of knitting into a wild, wacky, three-dimensional world, and shows just what can be achieved with two knitting needles and some interesting wool.

"Charles Darwin had many hundreds of stuffed animals in his cupboard and I wanted to recreate some of the paraphernalia of his scientific collection and capture the day he had an office clear-out.

"Each element of the display celebrates a key part of Darwin's work and thinking.

"My aim is to spread understanding about Darwin's key ideas and to re-awaken people's interest in knitting, which is a dying craft.

"Fifty years ago most women would have been confident knitters making much of their own clothes.

"Now knitting is on a par with other hand-based skills such as dry-stone walling, and expertise is being lost with each generation."

Darwin's Leftovers will be on display in the Zoo's terrace theatre from Monday until Sunday August 23.