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West Leeds goes knitting mad
West Leeds is going knitting mad in anticipation of this year's I Love West Leeds festival.
Avid knitters are putting their needles to good use, making a variety of weird and wonderful objects including birds, vegetables, road signs and a garden shed.
The shed is the centre piece of the wool-themed festival, taking place between July 7 and 22.
Festival organiser Jane Earnshaw explained how she came up with idea.
She said: "A friend of mine has been nagging me over the past few years to have a knitting part to the festival.
"I'm getting people to knit all kinds of wacky things for festival week.
"I always have a lot of sheds at the festival but I think a knitted shed is a first. The whole idea behind the fesitval is to make the ordinary exceptional.
"From a little way off it should look like an ordinary shed."
But Jane's creation, designed in conjunction with artist and knitting expert Liz Noble, is made up of wool panels on the outside and covered with a patchwork on the inside.
Jane said: "The outside will look quite realistic and then the inside will be a giant patchwork.
"Each patch will be a different size based on how old the knitter is, casting on a stitch for each year and knitting a square.
"It will be a visual representation of all the different people taking part."
The garden sheds are transformed every year and have become a feature of the festival, which is held in Bramley Park.
Jane has been encouraged to pick up knitting again.
She said: "I have only just learnt myself and am working on roof tiles at the moment.
"I do have a thing about owning a knitted cabbage!"
Woollen fruit and veg, birds and biscuits, flowers and bugs will also all be needed to complete the shed before May 31.
One group that is already having a 'ball' is at New Wortley Community Centre.
Centre manager Charmaine Howell said: "They've shown tremendous enthusiasm. We've even got some of the neighbourhood wardens knitting for us and everyone is keen to get involved."
No experience is needed and a series of knitting workshops will take place this Spring.
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Weather for Leeds
Saturday 19 May 2012
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Temperature: 7 C to 10 C
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