The sew must go on as knitting challenges wow crowds at the Harrogate International Centre. MATT CLARK took his needles along.

IT may be eight months away but Tour de France fever already has North Yorkshire firmly in its grip.

Hotel rooms are selling fast, tourist offices are stocking up for unprecedented demand and we’re even getting new “billiard table” road surfaces.

Knitters aren’t immune from all this Grand Départ zeal either. At Harrogate International Centre, 71-year-old John Freer was on hand to help launch the Tour de France knitted bunting challenge.

Harrogate Borough Council is encouraging local knitters to create more than 3,000 jerseys in riders’ colours, which will be strung as bunting around local landmarks throughout the summer.

And yesterday, as part of the annual Harrogate Knitting & Stitching show, visitors were given patterns to be getting on with.

But cycling wasn’t the only source of inspiration. As needles clicked furiously in the corner, Anne Iles and Alison Spurrell were proudly displaying their life-size “knitivity” scene, featuring Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus and the three wise men.

“A teacher at our local school challenged our Knutty Knitters group to make a miniature of the royal wedding,” said Anne.

“So when one of our members died recently of cancer, we decided to knit a big nativity scene in her memory.”

Harrogate Knitting & Stitching show runs until Sunday with 300 exhibitors and stands, as well as experts from all over the world who are displaying their work in 17 specially created galleries.

Other attractions include workshops, a fashion exhibition featuring the work of local students and a national fashion textile competition for schools.

Organisers say more than 25,000 visitors are expected thorough the doors and Simon Kent, the HIC’s director, says the show is one of the busiest public events in the centre’s calendar.

“This year there is so much going on,” he says.

“So I’m expecting it to be a record-breaker in terms of attendance figures.”

Another first in the show’s 20-year history was a late-night shopping event to coincide with last night’s switching on of the Christmas lights in Harrogate town centre.

Ticket prices on the door are; adults £15, concessions £14, children (aged five to 18) £6.