Ripping yarn of ‘guerrilla knitter’, aged 104

A GREAT- grandmother is thought to have become the world’s oldest street artist after joining a team of ‘guerrilla knitters’ at the age of 104.

Grace Brett is part a group called the Souter Stormers who bedecked landmarks in the town of Selkirk with 46 of their works.

These included a woolly newspaper board outside a newsagent and a knitted banner depicting a train on the new Borders railway line.

As part of the area’s Yarrow Ettrick and Selkirk (YES) festival, Mrs Brett crocheted woollen balls which were hung outside shop windows.

Now living in St John’s Care Home in Melrose, Roxburghshire, Mrs Brett knits to keep herself busy, also making clothes for daughter Daphne Pratt, 74, her six grandchildren and her 14 great-grandchildren.

Mrs Brett said: ‘I thought it was a really good idea to decorate the town and enjoyed having my crochet included – I didn’t think it was good enough.

‘I liked seeing my work showing with everyone else and thought the town looked lovely.’

Kay Ross, spokesman for the Souter Stormers, said she was delighted Mrs Brett was part for the ‘yarnstormers’.

She added: ‘How wonderful it has been to have a lady who must be Britain’s oldest “guerilla knitter” on board.

‘Grace has been able to put her crochet skills to an imaginative and creative use.

‘The yarnstormers, a group of mixed age range, have been inspired by Grace to use their creative and artistic skills to transform the Selkirk landscape.’

Mrs Brett’s daughter said she had knitted most her life, adding: ‘She thinks it is funny to be called a street artist.

‘She was very pleased to be asked to do some crochet for the YES festival as it made her feel useful and gave her an interesting thing to be part of.’