Most folk would not think of picking up their knitting needles when it is time to trim the Christmas tree.

 

But that is exactly what the members of Wath WI did - and used their knitting skills to create the tree itself as well as all its decorations.

 

The nimble fingered ladies have shown incredible skill and imagination to knit and purl the tree and then decorated it with knitted bunting and baubles and Santas and even knitted paper chains.

 

Now the eight-feet high tree is gathering admiring glances in Wath library where staff say visitors have been incredulous at the novelty of the knitted tree.

 

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Every single piece of knitting that went into creating the finished product was made from spare wool the ladies had just lying around.

 

A local timber merchant donated a piece of wood that was used to create the solid spine of the tree which was then covered by knitted branches.

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When Christmas is over the ladies can either store the tree and its decorations for next year- or even pull it all out and start knitting the same wool again next year- the ultimate in recycling.

 

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New member, 71-year-old Jean Cooke, said: "I am absolutely thrilled to bit with how the decorations that I knitted turned out.

 

"I've even stuck sequins on mine, it has been such a fun activity to get involved in and the tree and all its trimmings looks absolutely incredible."