Yarn bombings enliven St Leonards strip for third-straight year

MORE than 25 St Leonards trees are donning knitted Christmas yarn bombings for the third consecutive year thanks to St Leonards Progress Association.

St Leonards and Indented Head kitted the festive creations which feature on 27 trees on Murradoc Road, St Leonards.

Association chair Marie Reed said the number of trees decorated this year is four less than last year, but the enthusiasm from community members has not wavered.

“Everyone loves it, whether it be tourists, visitors, residents or groups, everyone loves seeing the creativity that goes into creating these yarn bombings,” Ms Reed said.

“We already have about 10 regular participants already thinking about what their designs will look like for 2023.”

St Leonards resident Ms Reed initiated a Christmas inspired community yarn bombing project for the first time in 2013 to bring colour to the main street of the town, and since 2020 has been an annual event.

Fellow St Leonards resident Liz Korszla is a returning yarn bomber in 2022 and takes great pride in creating her design each year.

“I do my yarn bombing each year primarily for the enjoyment of the kids, who always react positively to seeing them, I am all about putting smiles on their faces,” she said.

“The first year of yarn bombings was pretty much entirely COVID-controlled with people doing them within their homes and that has pretty much stayed the same since, but we love it now, it’s really exciting to see the finished product each year.”

The yearly yarn bombings coincide with a joint project involving St Leonards Primary School and the St Leonards Men’s Shed, where students and men’s shed members produce a series of Christmas tree cut-outs and line them along the fence of Dan Dan Nook Playground, formerly Harvey Park.