It’s been Christmas all year round for a dedicated group of women who have spent 11 months knitting a spectacular woollen festive tree.
The Crafty Crafters, a group of five women who are members of All Saints Church in Peterborough, have spent the past year creating the five foot six inches tall tree.
The talented ladies knitted more than 300 square patches, each about five by five inches, and several woollen decorations before making the tree complete with a curtain pole and green netting.
It was unveiled as part of the church’s Christmas Tree Festival last weekend and it will remain in the church, in All Saints Road, for all to admire until January.
Sue Cousins, a Crafty Crafters member, said: “We’re very pleased with the end result. The tree looks really nice.
“We wanted it too look really ‘Christmassy’ but not too over-crowded with decorations and I think we’ve got the look just right.
“As a group it’s nice to be able to stand back and admire our efforts over the past year.
“The reaction from people who have seen it in the church has all been positive as well. Now we’ll have to try and better it next year.”
The idea to create the tree came about after the group saw pictures of knitted trees in magazines and decided to have a go at making one themselves.
Starting in January, they met up once a month to knit as many of the woollen patches as they could get through in one session.
Sue (59), of Eastfield Road, Peterborough, added: “My husband has been joking that it’s been Christmas all year round in our household.
“There must also be a shortage of wool in Peterborough because we’ve got through an enormous amount over the past 11 months.
“We haven’t counted the exact number of patches on the tree but it must be over 300. The tree decorations are all knitted as well.”
Gwen George, another Crafty Crafters member, added: “We’re really proud of the tree and hopefully other people who visit the church will like it as well.
“We enjoyed the process of making the tree and we’re already planning to make another one next year, which has got us excited.
“As soon as I saw it completed it immediately felt like Christmas had arrived.”
The other members of the Crafty Crafters who helped to produce the tree are Shirley Laws, Velma Wilson and Joan Burborough.
Christmas celebrations are starting to gather pace across the city. Crowds gathered at Peterborough Cathedral on Monday evening for a candlelit procession and service, which also included seasonal readings, music and collection for Kidney Research UK, to mark the start of Advent.
Homeowners have also been getting into the festive spirit, putting up bright lights and decorations on the fronts of their houses.
The PT’s photographic team has already captured festive lights on homes in Ash Avenue, Dogsthorpe, Birchtree Avenue, Dogsthorpe and Main Street, Yaxley.
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