A KNITTING business is encouraging cycling enthusiasts and knitters alike to knit one, purl one to mark the arrival of the Tour de France on its doorstep.

Baa ram ewe, based in Cold Bath Road, Harrogate, is celebrating the Grand Départ in Yorkshire with Bespoke - a book of knitting and crochet inspiration for cyclists released this month.

Among the patterns in the book will be a basket, a saddle cover, brightly coloured streamers – and a yellow jersey.

Verity Britton, who founded Baa ram ewe in 2009, said: “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.”

There will be numerous events and celebrations taking place across North Yorkshire to mark the arrival of the Grand Départ on July 5 and 6, with millions of people expected to watch the riders from the pavements and a global audience of billions.

Ms Britton added: “The Grand Départ in Yorkshire is a once-in-a-lifetime event and we want to play a big part in making it truly memorable."