Mini Jersey Bunting Supports Marie Curie Cancer Care

The Knit a Bike Installation, celebrating Le Tour Yorkshire, is gone but the jerseys have been washed ...

the labels have been printed...

and the mini jerseys have been put back on their black knitted cord ...

so they are now ready for sale in aid of Mare Curie Cancer Care, the official charity of the Tour de France Grand Départ.

They are for available for £10 per set plus £3.50 postage and packing (UK only).  All proceeds (excluding postage & packing) will be forwarded to Marie Curie Cancer Care so if you want to add a donation as well that would be great.  There are only 10 strings of bunting still available and all were part of the Knit a Bike Installation in Rowntree Park, York. (This project was sponsored by the Friends of Rowntree Park, was part of the Yorkshire Festival & the York: Be Part of it Festival Programme which celebrated the Tour de France Grand Depart in 2014)

The bunting cord is approx. 3.2 metres long and each set has 7 mini jerseys.  Two sets have yellow and white jerseys and all the rest are various shade of yellow.  The jerseys vary in size and shade.  They can be hand washed.  The bunting cord should be washed separately to the mini jerseys.  If you are interesting in buying a set please email me.  My email address is here.

The Woolly Bike Exhibition

Cassandra Kilbride worked with yarn enthusiasts across the region to create 10 Yorkshire themed Woolly Bikes as part of the Yorkshire Festival 2014 (100 days of art & culture in the run up to the Grand Depart of the Tour de France in Yorkshire - Le Tour Yorkshire).  These Woolly Bikes are currently being exhibited in Sheffield Cathedral until 3 August 2014.  

I contibuted to the Historic Yorkshire (Viking) bike which was made in York & so was lucky enough to be invited along to the private view of the exhibition.  Here are some pics of the lovely bikes ...

 

1. Off t'Coast - Representing Yorkshire's fab coastline and made in Scarborough 

Don't you just love those seagull handlebars and the puffin representing Bempton Cliffs -  a great place for watching seabirds!

2. Historic Yorkshire - Paying homage to the Viking influence & made in York

Don't let that Viking scare you!

3. The White Roses - Depicting the white Yorkshire rose emblem & made in Leeds

Lots of different white roses on display!
 
4. Yummy Yorkshire - Concentrating on food & made in Wakefield

Yorkshire pudding, Yorkshire tea, rhubarb and Wensleydale to name but a few!
 
5. Landscape & Literature - Paying homage to local writers and those that feature descriptions of Yorkshire & made in Haworth

Those Brontes get everywhere!
 
6. Green Rolling Hills - Not just hills but rugged moorland, dry stone walls and roaming sheep & made in Hebden Bridge

What's not to love - fantastic textures and those sheep!

7. Multicultural Yorkshire - Celebrating diversity & made in Halifax

Fantastically colourful - using yarns made from reclaimed saris and South Asian textiles

8. Yorkshire's Industrial Heritage - Coal, canals and mills & made in Huddersfield

 

Recognize the coal mine on the bike's sprocket?

9. Flat Caps & Whippets plus a ferret (need I say more?) and made in Holmfirth

 

I just love Compo the whippet and did you spot the ferret on the front wheel?

10. Yorkshire's Sporting Heritage - A tribute to Team Yorkshire's Olympic & Paralympic successes, Yorkshire's favourite sports and other sporting heroes & made in Sheffield

Jessica Ennis-Hill is featured on the handlebars.

and as if that wasn't enough there were Yorkshire refreshments too ...

 

If you're in the vicinity take a look!  The bikes move on 4th August, after which 9 will go on display in Wakefield One then each bike will return to it's local community. You can read more about the bikes on the Woolly Bike Trail website or take a look at Jess Rowbottom's official photos of the bikes here.  Thanks, Cassandra!

Going, going , gone - the Knit a Bike Installation comes down!

Today we took the Knit a Bike Yarnstormed Installation down.  It was the most gorgeous day in Rowntree Park, York - rather like the day we put the installation up!

We've really enjoyed the excitement of ...

 
and all those mini Tour de France jerseys ...

There were some fantastic shadows today ...

 but it was ...

going ...

going ...

gone!

Thanks to everyone who let us go ahead with our mad idea, to those who took part and helped us realise it and to the Friends of Rowntree Park who sponsored it.  It was great helping Yorkshire & York celebrate the Grand Départ of the Tour de France and being part of the Yorkshire Festival 2014 and York: Be part of it.  Hope you've all enjoyed it and taken lots of photos.  Have a great summer!

If you want to read more about the Knit a Bike Installation check out the blogposts in March, May, June & July 2014.

"The Road Through York" Celebrates the Tour de France

Bile Beans, City Walls & St William's College

"The Road through York," a huge mural based on an original painting by Karen Winship, appeared on the Knavesmire to celebrate the Grand Départ of the Tour de France.  It was painted by 400 local amateur artists, learners from adult education classes, residential homes, schools and charitable organisations.  Influenced by David Hockney it shows famous and favourite York landmarks.

Mansion House

It was exhibited on the ground so that aerial coverage of the event would show it to best effect (which meant it was a bit tricky to photograph).  Anyway here's a flavour ...

Railway Station & Clifford's Tower

Flood warning & telephone box

It is massive in scale - made up of 320 panels - and quite fabulous.  It had been on display to those who had helped to paint it at the Railway Institute in York prior to moving to the Knavesmire.  Kate has let me use her photos from there which give you a better view of the whole picture and the scale of artwork. (Thanks, Kate!)

The Road through York

Laid out at the Railway Institute in York

It would be great if it could be exhibited somewhere where you can see the whole thing easily so more people get the chance to see it in all its glory!

Flyer showing what's in the complete picture

What's the Knit a Bike Installation made of?

The Knit a Bike Installation in Rowntree Park

Sugar & spice and all things nice - no, nothing like that - well, maybe the all things nice bit!  The other day, I was writing a letter detailing what went into the Knit a Bike Installation & afterwards, I thought other people might like to know too.  So here goes:

The mini jersey bunting:

79 mini tour jerseys

37 metres of knitted bunting cord 

The big jerseys:

4 large tour jerseys made from 4 wool blankets cut up into yarn

20 red felt polka dots stitched in place

The writing:

13 metres of finger knitting

The bike:

12 metres of arm knitting

10 metres of finger knitting

1.9 metres of crochet 

Not to mention:

3 decorated wheels

54 pompoms

1 information sign

All made by lots of lovely people :

 

 

at two workshops

84 person hours

and the Fairfax Court Yarnbombers

100 person hours

And that doesn't include all the additional time people spent at home making things for us.  

And finally:

Time Taken to Put up the Installation

18 person hours

So once again thanks to everyone who helped to #bepartofit!  And thanks to the Friends of Rowntree Park for sponsoring us and to Rowntree Park Reading Cafe and Your Bike Shed Bicycle Cafe for letting us hold out workshops there.