IT'S the Knit-ivity!

Biblical stories have been given a new lease of life thanks to a group of religious knitters.

From the Garden of Eden to the Last Supper, 33 stories from both the Old and New Testaments are featured in the Knitted Bible event, staged by a team from the Barnard Castle Methodist Church.

The nine-day exhibition started on July 14 and hundreds of people from all over the world have been to see it.

The group borrowed the exhibits from its creators at the Hartlepool United Reformed Church who only set out to create one story but got such a good reaction they carried on knitting.

It is now on tour around the county.

Main organiser, Anne Knox, said: “It is the first time we have put on the exhibition – I heard about it from a Methodist friend in Evesham who was enthused about it so we decided that we would like to have it here.

“They [Hartlepool URC Church members] started with the Last Supper intending only to do that but they were so enthused by doing it by people’s reactions that they just carried on.”

She added: “The reaction of the public has been amazing. We have had people from France, Denmark, Spain, Luxembourg and Australia coming to see it.

“I think it’s amazing especially with all the detail – one lady stayed for two-and-a-half hours.”

The church, in conjunction with St Mary’s Church, in Staindrop, have been organising the event for more than a year and it took the team nearly five hours to set up.

Team member, Brenda Hunter, said: “We chose this time of year so that there would be an opportunity for the schoolchildren to come see it.

“Some of the older people have said it has been nice to see the old bible stories brought back to life.”

The exhibition will run until Wednesday, July 22, and will be open each day from 10am until 4pm and then again from 6pm until 8pm.

Entrance is free, although donations are welcome, and every child will get a knitted angel from the team on their way out.

All donations will be split between Christian Aid, the Barnard Castle Methodist Church Spire Fund and the Hartlepool URC.