Group makes giant knitted King Charles III tribute ahead of coronation
The project took four months and the hard work of 29 people
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A group of knitters created a unique tribute to King Charles III ahead of his coronation on May 6 by knitting a seven-foot tall statue of his likeness.
The team of 29 people used more than 75 balls of wool during the four-month process to create the figure, said the news agency SWNS.
The full display was unveiled to the public on April 23, the agency reported.
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In addition to the likeness of the king, the display also contains a wheelbarrow full of "pond life," a pair of knit rainboots and a "regal watering can," said SWNS.
Anita Armitt, founder of the Holmes Chapel Community Yarn Bombers in Cheshire, England, told SWNS that the display was inspired by the king’s love of nature.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Holmes Chapel is a village located in Cheshire.
The uniquely crafted display can be seen at St. Luke’s Church, Holmes Chapel, England. (SWNS)
"King Charles is into his ecology and his gardening," said Armitt.
"So we thought, ‘Let’s add a few garden things in, like butterflies, bees, a wheelbarrow, a spade with a robin on it and [bumble] bees."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Those involved in contributing to the elements of the display were not told what they were actually creating, said Armitt.
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"We’d say, ‘Do you want to knit a square or an insect or animal?’ and then I’d privately message them giving them the pattern to go off and do it," she said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The vicar is thrilled to bits."
The parts were then combined to make the display.
"We were all knitting and crocheting from our own homes, which we still do," she also said.
The seven-foot-tall statue of King Charles III was created in secret by a group of knitters and crocheters. (SWNS)
Armitt founded the Holmes Chapel Community Yarn Bombers during the coronavirus lockdown.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Everybody was feeling a bit miserable and down because you couldn’t get out of the house," she said.
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"Yarn bombing" is a kind of street art that involves the creation of art installations out of yarn in public places, the website Emma Leith explains.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The first project completed by the Holmes Chapel Community Yarn Bombers was a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022.
The display alludes to King Charles' passion for ecology and gardening with the addition of a "regal" watering can and a pair of rainboots. (SWNS)
Following the death of the queen, Armitt said that others were asking her if she would create a tribute to King Charles III.
Armitt provided more information on the covert nature of the creation of the knitted King Charles III, said SWNS.
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"I was buying the wool, and I put a list of what I wanted. Then I’d put the wool in a bag and leave it on my porch," she told SWNS.
"They’d come and collect it and drop it off again. But nobody other than (co-director) Nicola and myself knew what we were doing," she added.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The giant model of King Charles III holds a butterfly. Twenty-nine different people over a four-month period made the sculpture. (SWNS)
Ever since the display was revealed, Armitt said the response has been extremely positive.
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"Everybody says the detail is magnificent, and they say it’s better than [what they did for] the queen," she said. "But I found that quite surprising."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}As for the church hosting the display?
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"The vicar is thrilled to bits," she said.