This year’s Hitchin Festival will see the trees around St. Mary’s Church decorated with a wonderful riot of colour, using wool and fibre to create a Secret Garden Yarn Installation. The local knitting group, Hitchin Stitchin have been busy knitting and crocheting decorations for the trees.
It is fitting that this exhibition should take place in the green space around St Mary’s Church, which was built with money from the wool trade, its size and beauty demonstrating just how prosperous sheep farming and the wool industry was in the 13th Century.
In addition to bunting and pompoms look out for fairies, butterflies, fruit, lollipops, hearts and flowers.
One of the Hitchin Stitchin members, Clare Arends is using an unusual material to knit and crochet with; plastic bags! The theme of her tree decoration is keeping Hitchin clean and tidy.
Local crochet designer, Helen Ingram told us “I was so excited to be asked to decorate a tree and be part of this Yarnbomb installation. It is an opportunity to show the beauty and versatility of wool and also celebrate the British wool industry.” Helen has only used British Wool, some of which has been spun from the fleece of her family’s sheep, in her design for her tree decorations. Helen has a small wool business, Woolly Chic, from where you can buy her British wool.
Hitchin is once again re-establishing its reputation as a wool town not only with this yarn exhibition but also with the return of Festiwool, a spectacular wool festival in November, where over 50 British designers, makers and wool manufacturers will be exhibiting at North Herts College. The organiser of Festiwool, Philippa Gregory, will be decorating one of the trees to promote the event.
The Yarnbomb installation will be on display from 26th June to 25th July
Definition of Yarnbombing
Yarn bombing, guerrilla knitting, urban knitting or graffiti knitting is a type of graffiti or street art that employs colourful displays of knitted or crocheted yarn or fibre rather than paint or chalk.
Hitchin Stitchin
Hitchin Stitchin' is a knitting group that went from small beginnings in a room above Tim's Art Supplies in 2009 to a large group of friends who meet every Friday morning (10am) at The Sun Hotel.
As they have grown in numbers, so has the members' confidence and expertise. They have organised three full days of workshops, attended The Festival of Living Crafts Festival at Hatfield House, organised trips to local places of interest, celebrated Christmas and New Year together and arranged away-weekends.
New members are welcome to join the regular Friday sessions at The Sun Hotel
Festiwool
Festiwool will take place this year on Saturday 14th November in the Atrium at North Herts College, Cambridge Road, Hitchin.
For more information on the event and all the exhibitors visit www.festiwool.com
