Knit one, purl one, pedal one: Take up knitting to mark the Tour de France in Yorkshire

Celebrate the Grand Départ of the Tour de France in Yorkshire in (hand-knitted) style with a Yorkshire knitting shop which is encouraging riders and fans alike to take up their needles and create their own cycling garb.

Baa ram ewe, with shops in Headingly and Harrogate will be at the epicentre of all things cycle racing come the summer, and now staff are preparing a book entitled Bespoke, featuring patterns including a basket, a saddle cover, brightly coloured streamers – and a yellow jersey.

Verity Britton, who founded Baa ram ewe in 2009, told the Darlington and Stockton Times: “The Tour de France comes within a few hundred metres of our Harrogate shop, so we wanted to do something to show our support for the event and for Yorkshire as its host.

"We've got all sorts of ideas to celebrate the Tour de France coming to our shops – we decided to go for something adventurous to celebrate all things bicycle related.

“With this book, you’ll be able to create some gorgeous hand warmers for cycling in colder weather, some amazing bicycle-patterned jumpers and a fantastic hat.”

For those looking for a more community-minded project, Harrogate Borough Council is working with the local community to create knitted bunting in a simple yellow jersey shapes to be displayed across the Harrogate district.

Click here to access a free knitting pattern, designed for DK weight yarn.

You can drop your finished jerseys in or post them to Baa ram ewe stores in both Harrogate and Headingley, with a deadline of next March.