The life-size fairy tale house made of millions of stitches
Last updated at 13:10 08 June 2007
A unique knitted wonder-house will go on show for
the first time with the aim of raising thousands of pounds for charity.
The millions of stitches in the multi-coloured woollen 140 square foot dwelling have been knitted by hundreds of women across the world over thousands of hours.
The Gingerbread House is the brainchild of 45-year-old knitting enthusiast Alison Murray from Bideford, north Devon.
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The single storey house is knitted from top to bottom - apart from the wooden door and windows -and is made from 10 inch squares of wool sewn together in a complex jigsaw.
The bed, dresser, chairs, pictures, table and even the stove are also hand knitted, as well as household goodies like sweets, cakes and biscuits.
The house will even be surrounded by a knitted garden, with knitted flowers and knitted 12 foot high trees.
The knitted dwelling - supported by a metal frame
- will be unveiled to the public in the mall of the Atlantic Village shopping complex in Bideford
on June 28, where it will remain on show until September 20.
In the region of 500 women from across the UK, USA, Canada and even Spain sent knitted contributions to the house.
Ms Murray hopes the house will raise thousands of
pounds for Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital and North Devon Hospice.
"We have probably raised around £3,000 already from donations from the knitters," she said.
It is hoped to take the house and garden on a UK tour to raise even more cash for the charities.
"It would be lovely to find a permanent home for it - it is too big to store," said Ms Murray.
Cash will also be raised from the sale of a cookery book with recipes featuring ginger.
Ms Murray hoped celebrities would be signing labels for gingerbread men which would be auctioned by Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Her first big knitting project was a 30 foot Christmas tree which raised £13,000 for charity when it went on show at Atlantic Village last Christmas.
Before that she knitted items on commission - including a full English breakfast.
"I want to show people that knitting is not something that granny does," she said.
Her latest project has been a family affair, with
mother Ann Murray, brother John Murray and uncle
John Garrod all lending a hand.
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