A cute lighthouse scene, pirate Finn and a tribute to 100 years of the RNLI are among postbox toppers popping up around Largo.
Largo YarnBombing Lassies have made it their mission to introduce crocheted characters to their villages.
Their seaside-themed postbox toppers have caught the eye of locals and tourists in Upper and Lower Largo and Lundin Links.
We caught up with some of the members in Lundin Links to learn more about the craze.
Stephie Hendrie started the group with fellow wool-craft enthusiasts in and around Fife’s south coast.
An ebullient native of France and former French teacher, Stephie has lived in Fife for five years, after 35 years in London.
She says: “I learned to crochet and to knit as a way to keep my grey cells active!
“Now I have mastered them, I find it very relaxing. There is nothing more satisfying than finishing a project and feeling proud of your achievement.”
Stephie and other members of the yarnbombing group helped create hundreds of crocheted and knitted poppies displayed in Lundin Links to mark the 100th anniversary of the Royal British Legion in 2021.
After the success of that project, she says: “We decided that it would be nice to create a yarnbombing group to cheer the villages of Lundin Links and Upper and Lower Largo.
“It had been a tough time with Covid so it was nice to cheer everyone.”
A topper for all seasons
Stephie and her fellow stitchers create postbox toppers and other displays throughout the year.
“We have done toppers for the Queen’s Jubilee, Burn’s Night, Christmas and Hallowe’en,” explains fellow YarnBombing Lassie Karen Nicholson.
But the main focus is their summer collection. Themes always pay tribute to the community’s seaside location and heritage.
Nearly all of the wool used is donated.
“We need to use acrylic wool to make the toppers,” says Stephie, “so that it isn’t affected by the wind and rain and the colours stay vibrant.”
Other types of wool donated to the group are knitted into hats for premature babies at Kirkcaldy’s Victoria Hospital or warm items for distribution through homeless charities.
Toppers from previous displays are often repurposed.
Postbox toppers are a labour of love
That might mean that a starfish or a seagull reappears in a new design or bases are reused for next year’s toppers.
Nothing goes to waste. Which is just as well given the hours of work that go into making these mini works of art.
“Actually, I don’t want to quantify that,” says Stephie. “We all put a lot of time, hours and hours, into making the toppers.”
Planning for the summer season usually starts in January. The ladies decide on a theme then share out the tasks.
The pirate topper pictured above is a case in point. The sea base has been reused, while the treasure chest was crocheted and adorned by Stephie.
Theresa Taylor knitted the pirate figure, who she nicknamed Finn after her grandson.
All of the women are modest in the face of praise for their own work and overflowing with enthusiasm for the creations of their fellow yarnbombers.
At the end of the day, they are all clearly delighted to be part of a great team.
“We enjoy each other’s company,” says Hilary Smeaton. “And the tea and cake of course!”
Happy faces when people find the toppers
For Stephie, the joy of people’s reactions to the toppers helps to make the effort worthwhile.
“I love seeing the happy faces when adults and children discover them. And the upbeat and positive comments are so encouraging,” she enthuses.
Another group member, who in the true spirit of the yarnbombing concept prefers to stay under the radar, agrees.
“Knowing that others find pleasure in what we produce is rewarding,” she says.
“I enjoy the collaboration, working with others, finding solutions and ultimately completing each product whilst our heads are full of ideas for future projects.
“It is very time consuming to create the displays, but it is something we all enjoy.”
Great team of postbox topper makers
For all the members of the group, the therapeutic nature of knitting and crochet and the chance to share ideas and techniques are hugely important.
“We all have a lot of pattern books,” says Karen, “or we can look up ideas on the internet; we are a good team.”
“One member is very aware of colours,” adds Theresa, “she’ll tell us if it clashes! We’ve all got our talents.”
Topper thefts
The one downside has been a few thefts over recent months.
It is heart-breaking to put so much time and effort into creating the toppers then have them disappear into the night. Disappearing toppers has been an issue in other areas of Scotland.
At Easter, two beautiful toppers went missing and the group have had parts of their displays taken.
“The community have been really great in looking out for the thieves, but so far we have never caught any culprits,” says Theresa.
Practical considerations for the Largo YarnBombing Lassies include how to fix their creations to postboxes, which come in more shapes and sizes than you might think.
The group doesn’t need permission to attach the toppers as long as they don’t obstruct access to the box or cover collection information.
In fact, Theresa says the toppers are very popular with postal workers.
“There is a Facebook group,” says Theresa, “where they show off the postbox toppers on their routes. I think there is a bit of rivalry among the drivers across the country!”
Picking the best topper like choosing a favourite child!
The Largo YarnBombing Lassies use their work to raise funds and awareness for local and national charities, including the Poppy Appeal and Levenmouth Foodbank.
“We try to embellish the community but also to give back,” explains Stephie.
With so many toppers in storage or on display in Upper and Lower Largo and Lundin Links, I wonder whether Stephie has a favourite?
“I couldn’t possibly choose,” she protests, “we put so much love into them that it would be like choosing your favourite child!”
For other members, the poignancy of the poppy displays will always tug at the heartstrings.
One says: “The poppy displays for Remembrance will always be the ones which have most significance for me, especially remembering family members over the generations and a son who all served in various conflicts and came home safe.”
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