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From Goa to Ohio via Oldham, it appears to be the year of the 'granny square' Christmas tree, and now Newcastle has also jumped on the heritage craft trend.
Fifteen crafters, called the Knitters, Movers and Shakers, have been hard at work since November, crocheting hundreds of colourful squares in just four weeks.
The resulting tree is over 10ft tall, and topped with a golden crocheted star, it stands proudly in the foyer of dance company balletLORENT's studio in Scotswood. With a homely vintage feel, festive green and red wool dominate, but pinks, browns and blues also shine through.
The crochet queens range in age from 55-87 and meet at the John Marley Centre on Friday mornings, at a free crafting and movement group coordinated by balletLORENT.
No one was able to estimate how many balls of wool were used during the 10 week long creative mission, but balletLORENT said no new yarn was purchased and the project made great use of a large number of leftover skeins.
James MacGillivray, Education and Projects Manager, balletLORENT, said: "Our Knitters, Movers and Shakers have a wide range of skills and are always up for learning something new and taking on a crafty challenge.
"This seasonal project brought together experienced crocheters and people who were completely new to the craft and it's been a pleasure to see it taking shape. Everyone turned up each week with piles of squares they had crocheted at home. It's been a real labour of love."
Anne Clarke, who had been attending the group for almost two years, said: "We've all really enjoyed making this very special tree. It's been a project we could all take part in, whether we were beginners or superstar crocheters.
"And it's a great way to showcase our fabulous group and hopefully find some new members. It's turned out even better than we imagined and we know it's giving so much pleasure to everyone who visits balletLORENT's studio."
balletLORENT's Knitters, Movers and Shakers is free to attend and is welcoming new members aged 55+ in 2026.
They meet at John Marley Centre, Muscott Grove, Newcastle NE15 6TT on Fridays 11.30am-1pm. Contact 0191 233 1811 for more details.
