“Knitting Anne was really fun.  I’ve always been fascinated with her tragic story. Creating a detachable head turned out to be quite a challenge.  After 2 hours at Lowes Hardware, my husband and I finally constructed a mechanism consisting of custom fit plumbing fixtures, and a system of magnets.  Sometimes my husband is surprisingly useful”.

Strangely enough Hilary Mantel conjures up a knitted Anne in her Booker prize- winning Wolf Hall.  Anne has just heard that Henry Percy’s wife is planning to petition for a divorce citing Percy’s pre-contract with Anne as the cause. Cromwell has been summoned to Whitehall to calm the Queen down.  He has been told that Anne is breaking up furniture and smashing windows in her fury.

“He has never witnessed, or quite believed in, Lady Anne’s uncontrolled outbursts of temper.  When he is admitted she is pacing, her hands clasped and she looks small and tense, as if someone has knitted her and drawn the stitches too tight.  Three ladies – Jane Rochford, Mary Shelton, Mary Boleyn are following with their eyes.  A small carpet, which perhaps ought to be on the wall, is crumpled on the floor.  Jane Rochford says, ‘We have swept up the broken glass.’”

There are many types of genius in.  Some conjure with wool, others with words.