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After 40 years, it is now 'cool' to knit and, in a joint venture between sheep farmers and Yorkshire yarn manufacturers, hundreds of Yorkshire school children will be 'in stitches' later this month at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate.





The 'Great Yorkshire/British Wool Knit In' will take place during the Yorkshire Agricultural Society's Countryside Days, 24th and 25th May, to create a large 'woolly' mural out of French knitting





Every child attending the event, organised to give youngsters insight into aspects of food, farming and the countryside, will have the chance to knit a length of British Wool. All the knitting produced during the two days, together with the names of the knitters, will be turned into a piece of art, to be later presented for display at Harrogate District Hospital.





Last popular in Britain in the 1960's, hand knitting is currently enjoying an international revival which seems to have begun in Hollywood. Promoted by the likes of Julia Roberts, Madonna and Catherine Zeta Jones, knitting has lost its 'Grannie' image and handmade knits - from sweaters to lipstick holders and shoe laces - are vogue.





The 'Great Yorkshire/British Wool Knit In' is being organised by the Bradford based Wool Marketing Board, which handles and promotes British fleece wool on behalf of 60,000 sheep farmers, with assistance from the British Hand Knitting Confederation which represents UK yarn manufacturers, dedicated to promoting the crafts of knitting and crochet.





ENDS



Issued by Liz Ambler at the BWMB - lizambler@britishwool.org.uk