Students’ woollen bunting idea gets Tour knitters in a spin
Posted on 2 April 2014
The students suggested the jersey-themed decorations to Harrogate Borough Council last summer as part of a volunteering project in advance of the Tour visit to Yorkshire.
Their brief was to develop creative ideas for outdoor displays along the Tour route.
Willow sculptures and art installations were just some of the suggestions - but it was mini jerseys, knitted in the Tour colours of yellow, green and polka dot, that proved the best fit.
The council developed the idea. A pattern was designed by a local wool shop, and a plea issued for local knitters to pick up their needles. Now nearly 23,000 mini jerseys have been submitted, including contributions from as far afield as Bermuda, Canada and Switzerland.
The colourful result of the student-led project is set for an audience of millions around the world when the decorative displays line the route of Tour stages around Harrogate on July 5 and 6.
“It’s wonderful that Harrogate Council took our idea and ran with it - and that so many people have been inspired to knit the jerseys,” said Madeline Crosswaite, a third-year student in the Department of Education who helped develop the idea.
“I’m not a knitter but as a cyclist myself I was familiar with the distinctive colours of the Tour jerseys, particularly the yellow jersey. It struck me there must be a way to use these colours in a decorative manner. Bunting came to mind and after team discussions, we thought using wool would combine an element of Yorkshire’s rural heritage.
“During the Tour, I plan to be out there on the route cheering on the cyclists – but I’ll also be looking out for the jerseys,” said Madeline.
Fellow students Verity Washington, Gareth Tagger, Stian Kristoffer Jamessen and Nancy Saul worked alongside her on the project.
University of York careers staff, who helped the students develop their ideas, have also been inspired to take part. They are knitting mini jerseys which they plan to use as decorations during the Tour’s visit to York on July 6.
The project was part of the University’s @Work programme which encourages students to apply their academic knowledge and research skills to heritage, education and community projects.
Sarah Leith, Volunteering Project Officer in Careers said: “This is a brilliant example of the contributions our students can make to community projects.
“It’s such a simple but really creative idea which encapsulates some of the best elements of the Tour – and Yorkshire. It has caught the imagination of knitters in the local community and further afield enabling thousands of people to be part of the Tour in a really fun and colourful way.”
Harrogate Council, which originally asked for only 3,000 jerseys, has now called a halt to the creative contributions. Now they are looking for help to string the thousands of jerseys into bunting.
Notes to editors:
- Find out more about volunteering work carried out by students at the University of York www.york.ac.uk/careers/volunteering
- Find out more about ‘Le Tour de Bunting’ project at Harrogate Borough Council harrogate.gov.uk/pos/Pages/LeTourdeBunting.aspx
- Catch up with the latest news about Le Tour’s forthcoming visit to Yorkshire on July 5 and 6 letour.yorkshire.com/
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