Heaton craft group to 'yarn bomb' Newcastle Cathedral for a good cause
Heaton Hookers are covering the inside of Newcastle Cathedral with knit and crochet creations, which will be donated to the homeless community once the display comes down
by Daniel Hall · ChronicleLiveA Heaton craft group are set to take over Newcastle Cathedral for two weeks next month by "yarn bombing" the interior of the historic religious building.
The Heaton Hookers were formed in 2022 and anyone who has visited the east end suburb may have seen their work on and around Chillingham Road. The group have knitted and crocheted postbox toppers on Cartington Terrace and Chillingham Road, and have also decorated trees and signposts by covering them in brightly-coloured wool webbing in acts of yarn bombing - a form of street art where knitted or crocheted pieces are used to decorate public spaces.
Next month, they are set for one of their biggest jobs yet, decorating the interior of Newcastle Cathedral - and they have already decorated an Illuminated Sheep at the cathedral. The plan is to wrap around some of the stone pillars and drape decorative bunting across its lofty arches.
Emma Fraser, of Heaton Hookers, said that she was really excited about the project, but that it was also a "massive, massive undertaking." The circumference of the panels they are decorating are around two-and-a-half metres wide, and several metres high.
The kind-hearted crafters already have 90 metres of crochet and knitted panels, as well as more than 50 metres and other accoutrements from more than 30 crafters in the North East outside of their group. Emma said she had been "astounded by the generosity and creativity of the people involved in the project so far".
The group is further appealing for knit or crochet squares or triangles of any size, style or colours, as well as flowers, hearts and any other colourful shapes. Following the display period, the group plans to repurpose some of the handmade creations as winter scarves, which will be donated to members of Newcastle's homeless community, who regularly use the Cathedral as a place of sanctuary.
Emma continued: "It's yarn bombing on a massive scale and for a bit of a purpose. Not all of us are religious, but the Cathedral really put their money where their mouth is and put a lot of investment into the community, especially when it comes to welcoming homeless people."
The Very Reverend Lee Batson, Dean of Newcastle, said: "We're marking the Cathedral’s Harvest Festival service a little differently this year, with our Illuminated Sheep as an acknowledgement of our connection to Northumberland and its rich history of sheep farming.
"We wanted to do something a bit special that ties together wool and traditional skill themes – quite literally! The Heaton Hookers have embraced our values of sustainability and caring for the community by making sure the work can be re-purposed as winter warmers."
Heaton Hookers' yarn bombing will be in place at Newcastle Cathedral from October 6 - October 24, including the Cathedral's Harvest Festival on Sunday, October 20 and the Illuminated Sheep artwork by Deepa Mann-Kler from Tuesday, October 22 to Thursday, October 24.
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