Visitors to Northwich will be left in stitches this week as colourful floral themed knitted and crochet displays have appeared on benches across the town. The project celebrates the towns entry to North West in Bloom and is the result of a collaboration between local businesses Crafty Stitches and Dantes Boutique, together with Northwich BID.
Crafty Stitches owner Louise Hough said of the project, “We asked our customers if they could help by knitting and crocheting flowers and we were overwhelmed with their response. There have been so many wonderful customers who have helped to bring this idea to life with their fabulous creations which you can now see across Northwich. We can’t thank everyone enough as without their support we wouldn’t have achieved this in the timescale we had.”
In previous years, mother and daughter team Joan and Louise have called on their staff, knitting club (Chicks that Knit) and customers and have created intricate floral installations in their own shop including an archway made of knitted and crocheted flowers to promote Northwich in Bloom. This year Louise was keen to do something different by bringing together the community for a truly unique brand of yarn bombing.
Adorning benches, floral displays and hanging baskets are spread throughout the town and appeared seemingly overnight to the surprise of local residents. The yarn bombed benches feature messages of positivity with an ‘always’ theme wishing you to always love, always hope, always care and always grow.
They will remain across Northwich until the end of August and can also be viewed as part of Crafty Stitches’ window submission for the Northwich in Bloom window competition.
The initiative helps to support the towns entry to North West in Bloom in which towns across the region compete to improve their surroundings with imaginative use of trees, shrubs, flowers and landscaping. The competition is part of a tradition running since 1964 with the aim to promote horticultural excellence, community involvement and environmental friendliness.
Northwich Business Improvement District, who are managing the town’s entry into the competition, have welcomed the community’s creative use of yarn bombing to support one of its strongest entries yet.
Northwich BID Manager Adam Gerrard said of the project, “It’s fantastic to see our businesses working together with the local community to bring an extra splash of colour and animation to the town. I’ve had plenty of updates during the course of this project coming together and can certainly say it was no simple task. I would like to personally thank everyone for their time in making this happen.”
