They’ve pulled the wool over our eyes
Fans of novelty cards ‘produced by a small town knitting circle’ have been spun a yarn
THEY are among the most successful greetings cards of the past few years, featuring charming soft toys created by the Harborough Ladies knitting circle, accompanied by gently humorous puns.
But the thousands of fans of the whimsical images have been spun a yarn – which The Mail on Sunday can unravel today. For we can reveal that the decidedly Middle England institution behind the knitted dolls is entirely fictitious.
Up to 10,000 Knit and Purl cards a week are sold in stores such as Sainsbury’s and Tesco, each bearing a note on the back reading: ‘Lovingly hand knitted for you by Avis and Aileen and all the girls from the Harborough Ladies knitting circle.’
But those who have tried to contact the group have drawn a blank.
Some have tried the Women’s Institute in the sleepy Leicestershire town of Market Harborough, and many turned to social media.
One woman from Perth, Australia, even tried the local newspaper, the Harborough Mail. Norma Weaver had been sent the cards from relatives in the UK and wrote: ‘I am an avid knitter and would love to get hold of the patterns they use.’
However, Debbie Williams, owner of Mint Publishing, the company behind the cards, has admitted the knitting circle is simply a market- ing ploy. She said: ‘We get lots of requests asking how to join the knitting circle – but there isn’t one. I knit all the creations and when we first started I enlisted the help of my mother- in- law, Aileen, and her best friend Avis. ‘When the creative team heard about Avis and Ail een t hey couldn’t resist putting something on the back of the card. ‘ But they no longer help me with the knitting as they are quite elderly now. I’m afraid the bubble has been burst. ‘ But I think people are more interested i in what’s on the front of the cards.’ Knit and Purl’s most popular design features a knitted pea with a smiley face and the message: ‘Happea birthday.’ Other popular products include a house-warming card showing a frog sitting on a lily with the phrase ‘new pad’ and a driving test card featuring another pea and the caption: ‘Yip-pea you passed.’