Local sewing and knitting group, The Sewing Bee, who recently “yarnbombed” the Dahlia Coffee House at Aylett Nurseries in St Albans have raised an amazing £2,065 for Rennie Grove Hospice Care.

Herts Advertiser: The Ayletts yarnbombing by The Sewing Bee.The Ayletts yarnbombing by The Sewing Bee. (Image: Archant)

Yarnbombing is a type of “graffiti” or street art that uses colourful displays of knitted or crocheted yarn or fibre rather than paint or chalk. It is believed to have originated in Texas, with knitters trying to find a creative way to use their leftover and unfinished projects, and has since spread worldwide.

The Sewing Bee, whose members meet twice a week at the garden centre, were inspired to yarnbomb the coffee house in memory of Marilyn, one of its original members.

In addition to covering trolley stands and vertical beams the group strung up 100 meters of bunting and knitted items such as dinosaurs, bugs and bees, mushrooms and lots of people and toys that were sold to raise funds for Rennie Grove.

Aylett’s director Adam Wigglesworth said: “What a fantastic amount raised, purely through the hard work of the Sewing Bee team. Customers loved what they had all made and being “yarnbombed” is a first for Ayletts.”

Herts Advertiser: The Sewing Bee present a donation to Rennie Grove.The Sewing Bee present a donation to Rennie Grove. (Image: Archant)

Gillian Barnett, director of fundraising and marketing at Rennie Grove Hospice Care said, “Thank you to the Sewing Bee, Aylett Nurseries and to everyone who bought knitted items or made a donation at the recent yarnbomb event.

“Together you have raised an incredible amount of money that will make a significant contribution to enabling us continue to offer local patients with life-limiting illness a choice about how and where they receive care towards the end of their life.”

To find out more about how you can support Rennie Grove by running an event of your own please visit www.renniegrove.org/support.