Knitters bring colour to village on Yarn Bombing Day

Volunteers have given a village a knitted makeover as more than 100 decorations line the streets.

Formby Village, in Sefton, has been transformed for the third year running as part of International Yarn Bombing Day.

Colourful knitted and crocheted items can be found in creative displays decorating everything from bollards to post boxes to trees.

Organisers of the event, aimed at attracting more visitors to the area, has promised it is "bigger and better than ever".

Volunteers from Imagine Formby, a Community Interest Company (CIC), have marked International Yarn Bombing Day for the third year.

It was first celebrated internationally in 2011 and includes the practice of adding knitted works of art to public places.

In Formby, visitors will be able to find a life-sized snorkelling figure – Dave the Diver – outside Formby Pool, a full-sized rose-covered pergola and an under-water scene featuring an octopus, anglerfish and jellyfish.

Organiser Leanne Jones, said: "Our intention is to have some fun, to brighten up Formby village and help remind people what a fantastic place it is to come and enjoy.

"We're going from strength to strength every year and this year's display will be bigger and better than ever."

A full-sized crocheted older woman also featured in the designs, with organisers explaining the piece represented the poem titled Warning.

It is about growing old disgracefully, which features the famous lines: "When I am an old woman I shall wear purple with a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me."

Visitors also had the opportunity to meet the artists behind the creations at A Modern Yarn on Saturday.

Ms Jones said the event has grown from a "core group of four knitters" to 14 with another "eight ladies producing items".

The volunteers have been working on the International Yarn Bombing Day creations since last year.

"We've replaced 90% of the items from last year and, while we'll still have around 150 items, we are concentrating on larger scale, higher impact set pieces," added Ms Jones.

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