Yarn-bombed Christmas tree to double as blankets for homeless

Knitters from St Michael’s Church in Stoke Gifford have not only created their own Christmas tree from yarn – but when the decorations come down they plan to recycle it into blankets for local homeless charities.

Over 800 woolly green squares have been knitted or crocheted and then stacked into a six-foot tall Christmas tree by the St Mike’s Yarn Bombers (SMYB).

Whilst thousands of real Christmas trees are recycled into compost – the knitted tree will be dismantled and sewn into at least ten woolly blankets for two Bristol charities supporting homeless people.

The yarn bombing group has been delighting local people with surprise displays and decorations at community events in Stoke Gifford since early 2016 (see previous Journal article here). But when they launched the Christmas tree project they were joined by around a hundred other knitters across Bristol and beyond. Church members, craft groups, family, friends and children produced squares. They were even sent three green squares from a knitter in Washington DC in the United States.

A total of 848 different green squares have been stacked into to the woolly Christmas tree. Of these, 816 have been knitted or crocheted and 32 are made of felt and were decorated by children at the Messy Church which meets once a month at St Michael’s.

Kia Harris, one of the leaders of SMYB, said:

“At St Michael’s, we strive to be the heart of the community, by living to make a difference. Involving so many people is helping us to celebrate Christmas as a whole community, and very soon our work will be making a real difference to homeless people in Bristol as well.”

The group estimate they have enough knitted squares to make over ten warm blankets which will be donated to Emmaus Bristol and the Julian Trust Night Shelter – charities which St Michael’s Church has supported for many years.

The idea originally came from a craft group in East Anglia, but has exceeded all expectations as it caught the imagination of knitters across The Stokes and the wider Bristol community.

While the knitted tree is now finished, it’s not too late for more squares to be added to the project.

Contributions need to be 6 inches (15cm) square, made from any yarn, in any stitch. Donations can be dropped into the St Michael’s Church Office on North Road, Stoke Gifford.

Further details can be found on the SMYB page on Facebook.

Photo: SMYB members with their Christmas tree (l-r): Debbie Bambridge, Emily Preston, Kia Harris, Sara Clothier and Zoe Garde-Evans.