PRESS

Here is some of the coverage for my forthcoming book Knit your own royal wedding

The Sunday Telegraph, 25 April 2011

Watch the movie

Click here to see the video of my Knit your own royal wedding book

The Independent on Sunday

Knit your own nuptials and other souvenirs

The royal wedding market is getting bigger and more bizarre as retailers cash in on kitsch

By Kate Youde

Sunday, 30 January 2011

Their forthcoming nuptials have already spawned an avalanche of kitsch. Now, the latest souvenir off the production line will have Prince William and Kate Middleton immortalised in, er, wool.

The interactive book Knit Your Own Royal Wedding, which goes on sale in March, enables readers to craft the year’s most talked-about marriage in yarn.

It includes patterns for 10 key players involved in the celebrations – from the Queen to a corgi. Aside from the bride and groom, other figures that can be knitted include Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Prince Harry. Crafters can knit themselves into the party by customising a guest pattern, while the set includes a balcony to showcase the work.

The Centre for Retail Research estimates the royal wedding will provide a £515.5m boost to retailers, with souvenirs bringing in £222m.

The book includes clothing designs for the completed eight-inch dolls, based on what author Fiona Goble anticipates the royals will wear on 29 April. Knitted Prince William says “I do” in Royal Air Force attire; Prince Charles and Prince Philip are dressed in Royal Navy regalia, with the latter displaying “lots of bling”.

We can reveal Kate Middleton will walk down the aisle in a simple, short-sleeved, fitted cream dress complete with veil and a tiara made from wired beads. In wool, naturally.

Tom Kitch, an editorial director at publisher Ivy Press, said the book was inspired by Ms Goble’s festive title, Knitivity: Create Your Own Christmas Scene.

But will the woolly figures get the royal seal of approval? “I think they’ll like it,” said Ms Goble. “I don’t think anyone would be offended by them. They are cute looking. They have got a little element of caricature in them but they are not caricature.”

A Clarence House spokesman was not won over, saying only that the royal household did not comment on memorabilia.

Woman’s Own, February 2011