Natter and knitting is a perfect pattern

Forget jumpers and tea cosies – one group of knitters are wowing crowds with their woollen mermaids, cakes, trees and sheep.

Sisters Janet Cook and Mavis Downton organise a Knit and Natter club at Woodhouse Flats in Caldmore, Walsall.

Surrounded by balls of wool of every colour, and knitting needles of various sizes, the group, which has been going for almost four years, has created many unusual items.

Around a dozen members meet every Thursday afternoon and occasionally put their knitting needles down to enjoy tea and biscuits while catching up on the gossip.

Janet and Mavis then travel the country attending shows with their creations while demonstrating to the public how easy it is to knit. "The main objective of going to the shows is to teach people how to knit," says Janet as her needles click away frantically.

"However, we take part in various unusual projects, which helps to grab people's interest."

In the past, the group has made a knitted garden, which included an 8ft tree and a dry stone wall. Janet, aged 67, spent weeks knitting a 5ft woolly Shaun the Sheep inspired by the Aardman Animations TV series Wallace & Gromit. She and Mavis went to Regents Park for a "picnit" where they were guests of the UK Hand Knitters Association.

Money raised was donated to the Wallace & Gromit Children's Foundation, which supports children's hospices nationwide.

Now they are working towards a project called Above and Below the Waves which will go on display at the Hobbycrafts and Sewing for Pleasure show at the NEC in March.

Janet, who lives in West Bromwich Street, Walsall, has been busy knitting a large mermaid for the show, and money raised will be donated to the RNLI.

"The first time we went to the NEC we got on well with the people at the knit and natter stand," she said.

"We were asked if we wanted to help with the next show, so we put our names forward, and we were asked if we wanted to help with the garden."

Janet and Mavis are now working with pupils at Lyndon School in Sutton Coldfield where they are knitting a rainforest. Mavis, who lives in the same block of flats as her sister, said: "We are working with the WI group, and the children are working really hard making the trees and animals. We go there every Friday afternoon, and so far we have knitted a few parrots and monkeys."

Knitting has been labelled the "new yoga" after research proves that it slows the pulse rate and lowers blood pressure.

Josie Collins, 72, who lives in Delves, has knitted a smaller mermaid for the show.

She says: "I prefer knitting items like toys rather than clothes. My 12-year-old grandson Lewis likes them, and I get most of my ideas from magazines.

"At the moment, I'm making a gnome, and I like knitting because it is relaxing and something you can do while watching the TV."

The youngest member of the group is Karen Williams, 44, of King Street, who has made cushions and dolls in the past two years.

She says: "When my husband Garry heard about the group, he thought it would be good for me to join. It allows me to be creative, and it is good to come along and meet friends while having a gossip."

The oldest member is 91-year-old Hetty McDonald who spotted a newspaper advert for the group.

"The thing I like about knitting is you can do things quite quickly – I made a child's cardigan in a week," she says.

"It is a handy skill to have for when the weather gets cold."

Janet says knitting and sewing has been in their family for a few generations.

"Our mother knitted us swimming costumes which used to sag down to the knees," she said.

"Our grandmother used to make the footballs that they used in the FA cup. That was in the days when they were leather and properly stitched. When Coventry won the FA Cup I was overjoyed because I had stitched every one of their tops – I think I must have stitched in a bit of luck."