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Meet the crafters group who brightened up St Ives with some Jubilee knitting
A family pose in front of a knitting celebrating the Jubilee displayed in front of the monument in St Ives. - Credit: Hunts Post
The Star Dancewear & Crafts shop ensured that St Ives was bursting with colour to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee by organising a Royal-themed yarn bombing initiative.
Those venturing around St Ives may have noticed an abundance of knittings and crochets of crowns, the Queen, logos and more plastered across railings and post boxes.
There were four crochets of the Queen displayed around St Ives and on post boxes. - Credit: Star Dancewear & Crafts
Elaine Spence, the owner of Star Dancewear & Crafts, formed an open group in February called the Star Crafters for people to get involved in crafting and the Jubilee project.
After countless meetings, motivating and planning, the group, consisting of nearly 200 members, combined to decorate St Ives in the yarn bombing bonanza.
Elaine said: "One of the reasons I wanted to do it was a community thing. I really wanted to try and get a group of people together, to try and give us an opportunity to make new friends, and there is no doubt I will keep the group going."
Crochets of the Crown spread across the balcony of St Ives Town hall. - Credit: Hunts Post
"Everybody is really appreciative of what we’ve done. There have been so many people saying thank you as we’ve been putting things out, and the community spirit has definitely been there over the weekend because of it, I would say.”
Other groups that got in on the Yarn Bombing act included St Ives Knitting and Crochet Social and St Ives Dementia Friendly Community, who produced several radiant benches alongside pom poms made by the 5th St Ives Scout Group and Eastfield School.
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Elaine has lost count of how many items have been distributed but said that hundreds and hundreds went out with 120 strips on rails around the St Ives monument alone.
More than 120 strips of wool were placed around the monument in St Ives. - Credit: Star Dancewear & Crafts
The group were armed with wool from Elaine's shop and their own stashes for the yarn bombing, which is an activity covering objects or structures in public places with decorative knitted or crocheted material.
St Ives Town Council supported the idea, and the council's groundsmen helped place the bigger items on the Town Hall and St Ives bridge.
One of the largest displays made by the crafter's group was placed on St Ives bridge. - Credit: Star Dancewear & Crafts
Elaine added: “I have so many favourites. I really like the cute little Octopus at the memorial, but that’s very tiny. So It’s got to be the double post box topper, really. It’s got the Queen, the Corgi and a soldier on top, which was made by Wendy."
Crochets of the Queen, her corgi and the Queen's guard on top of a post box. - Credit: Star Dancewear & Crafts
There was a yarn bombing on the railings by St Ives Bridge. - Credit: Star Dancewear & Crafts
Elaine said there will be another meeting next week to give each other a collective pat on the back and discuss ideas moving forward.
Soon the items will be taken down, and the Star Crafters hope to raffle some of them for charity.
