Preparations for a royal knit to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday in Mansfield in June are under way at Veolia (Nottinghamshire County Council’s waste contractors).

It has been welcoming knitters and crocheters to the visitor room at the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Forest Town for afternoons of knit and natter.

The community challenge to decorate the Market Place in Mansfield from 6th June using a street art phenomenon known as yarn bombing has been launched by Mansfield District Council.

Yarn bombing involves wrapping decorative knitted or crocheted material around tree trunks, railings, fences and other street furniture, in time for the town’s main celebration — the Queen’s 90th Birthday Street Party.

Project co-ordinator Sara Brown, of Yankee Yarns, is leading the sessions at MRF, Warren Way, Crown Farm Industrial Park.

Once the yarn bombing has taken place the knitted and crotched items will be turned into blankets and donated to a homeless charity.

All people have been invited to join the knit and natter sessions at the MRF on Warren Way, Crown Farm Industrial Park, Forest Town, Completed knitted squares can also be dropped off anytime up to the 30th May.

The next sessions are at:
Friday 20th May from 1 – 4pm
Tuesday 31st May from 10am – 4pm
Friday 3rd June from 10am – 4pm

Sara Brown said: “I’ve always wanted to take part in a yarn bombing project so this was the perfect opportunity for me to get involved. Working with the community to celebrate the Queen’s birthday is a real honour.”

Wayne Draycott, MRF Manager at Veolia Nottinghamshire said: “The knit and natter sessions have been a great way to open the doors of the visitor room at the Materials Recovery Facility and welcome all in to take part in this community activity. Events like these increase the opportunities for Nottinghamshire residents to see what happens to their recycling once it leaves their bins at home.”

The Queen’s 90th Birthday Street Party is a big family event, with face painting, craft workshops and other activities in Mansfield Market Place on Sunday 12 June, the day after the Queen’s official birthday celebration.

The aim of the yarn bombing is to bring people in the district together to help dress the town centre for the street party by knitting squares in patriotic colours of red, white and blue, and in patterns such as Union Jacks, the Queen’s head or other royal iconography.

Patterns can be downloaded from www.veolia.co.uk/nottinghamshire/KnitandNatter