THE reputation of Dorking's thriving community of "guerrilla knitters" has spread so far it is inspiring people on the other side of Europe.
The art of yarn bombing – socially-responsible street art featuring colourful displays of knitting or crochet – has been practised by members of the town's Knit n Natter group since the Queen's Diamond Jubilee last year.
Members of the group, which meets each week at the Fluff-a-Torium shop in West Street, have decorated the cockerel statue on the roundabout at the junction of Deepdene Avenue and Reigate Road with several made-to-measure outfits. But as the group unveiled the bird's latest adornment – a 6ft multi-coloured guitar to celebrate festival season – town centre forum chairman Margaret Cooksey revealed the group's influence has spread to Greece.
The Deepdene Avenue resident told the Advertiser: "(My husband) Steve and I were having breakfast in Stoupa in the Peloponnese when we saw these two ladies attaching something to the tree in front of the hotel.
"They were crocheting this cover on to the tree trunk. I guess you could call it a tree cosy – it was a long piece of crocheting with different coloured stripes and they held them round the trunk and crocheted them up so they stayed on like a stocking. We went and talked to them and asked 'what are you doing and why?'
"They said they had seen on a website this issue about guerrilla knitters decorating the cockerel and they wanted to do something similar. It was brilliant."
Knit n Natter group leader Clare Davies said she found it amazing their reputation had spread so far.
"I can't believe it," she said. "I think it's fantastic, because what we do is all about making people smile, challenging their perceptions of things and generally cheering everyone up. Seeing a tree covered in knitting would make me smile, so I hope it made the people of Greece laugh. If what we have done has touched other people, then that's great."
North Holmwood resident Mrs Davies, 47, said the cock's guitar was one of a pair made by 15 group members over eight weeks for a private party.
She said: "We put it up on the Sunday night a week ago and strapped it on quite tightly with rope and then somebody had a bit of a yank at it so it's quite low-slung now.
"It's a bit Chuck Berry-esque, so you could say it's doing the chicken walk rather then the duck walk."
The mother of three added: "The Knit n Natterers brainstorm ideas and it is a team effort. They not only do the knitting, they also come up with good ideas and we have a great laugh doing it. Anyone's welcome and you can be any level of knitting ability."
The group meets every Friday morning at the Fluff-a-Torium from 10am to noon.
