Daily Mail

A first class Easter... all stitched up!

And with these crocheted themed 'hats' for post boxex, is it the cutest craze of all?

- LIZ HULL

IT Is the clandestin­e crochet craze that has brought joy to communitie­s in lockdown.

In the dead of night, crafty folk, with nicknames including the Caped Crocheter and the Crochet Guerrilla, have been creeping out of their homes to put colourful woolly hats on pillar boxes. And as these pictures show, the idea has gone national.

Initially decorated with rainbows to support the work of the NHs at the start of the pandemic, so-called post box toppers have since emerged with Christmas scenes, or to celebrate special occasions, such as Valentine’s Day. Now creations heralding the start of spring and Easter have been popping up on street corners.

From Clacton to Cornwall new decoration­s have appeared with songbirds, daffodils or Easter chicks, bunnies and eggs.

One Facebook group, called Random Acts of Crochet Kindness, in which members leave handmade flowers, teddy bears or other animals on park benches or doorsteps for strangers to find, has accumulate­d more than 26,000 crochet-mad members.

Ruth Walker, spokesman for the Crochet society said droves had turned to crocheting and other crafts in the pandemic. ‘It relieves stress, helps anxiety and provides mindfulnes­s because people have to concentrat­e on something other than their worries,’ she said.

‘The pillar box craze has been lovely, especially for children who want to walk around towns to see them. Covid has really given all crafters the opportunit­y to shine.’

 ?? Pictures: GEORGIE GILLARD/EWAN GALVIN/ SOLENT NEWS/JAMIE WISEMAN/ROBERT RATHBONE/RANDOM ACTS OF CROCHET KINDNESS ?? Hen-chanting: Mother and chicks in St Tudy, Cornwall
Pictures: GEORGIE GILLARD/EWAN GALVIN/ SOLENT NEWS/JAMIE WISEMAN/ROBERT RATHBONE/RANDOM ACTS OF CROCHET KINDNESS Hen-chanting: Mother and chicks in St Tudy, Cornwall
 ??  ?? Easter funny: Bunny and pals on a Sheffield post box and, right, Rosalynn Austin enjoys a rainbow hat in Portsmouth
Easter funny: Bunny and pals on a Sheffield post box and, right, Rosalynn Austin enjoys a rainbow hat in Portsmouth
 ??  ?? Stamp of approval: A gang of carefully crocheted cuddly creatures brighten up the street in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
Stamp of approval: A gang of carefully crocheted cuddly creatures brighten up the street in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
 ??  ?? Cheep date: More colourful chicks, this time with roses for company, on a topper in Wallington, Surrey
Cheep date: More colourful chicks, this time with roses for company, on a topper in Wallington, Surrey
 ??  ?? Egged on: This pillar box in Epsom, Surrey, combines spring and Easter with an egg, chicks and daffodils
Egged on: This pillar box in Epsom, Surrey, combines spring and Easter with an egg, chicks and daffodils
 ??  ?? Cute little Brummie rabbits: Floppy-eared friends having a chat in Kings Heath, Birmingham
Cute little Brummie rabbits: Floppy-eared friends having a chat in Kings Heath, Birmingham
 ??  ??

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