KNITTING and cycling are being combined in an attempt to link the Yorkshire Festival and the Tour de France.

Prolific yarn-stormer Cassandra Kilbride is touring the region to create uniquely decorated bikes for ten Yorkshire towns and cities.

Yarn-storming is the act of covering everyday objects with crochet or knitting.

Cassandra said: “When I devised the project concept, I wanted the bikes as a full set to represent all the things that make Yorkshire so distinctive as a county but, more specifically, for each bike to represent the town and community that will be creating it.”

She visited York Designer Outlet this week, decorating the bike to represent York’s Viking heritage.

The bike will be on display in Sheffield Cathedral for the Tour de France Grand Départ, before returning to the Designer Outlet.

The Yorkshire Festival 2014 will run from March 27 to July 6 across the county. It is the first ever arts festival to precede the Tour de France.