Nearly 100 people in Portimão worked together for several months to hand-knit three full-size Christmas trees and one nativity scene – using around 1,000 yarn balls to do so.
Knitters attend day care and community centres in Portimão and joined the initiative to “fight isolation during pandemic times”.
The project, entitled ‘Natal com Arte’ (Christmas with Art), started last March and was initially meant to create just one Christmas tree. However, it became so popular and attracted so many participants that the outcome surpassed all expectations, organisers explain.
One of the crochet Christmas trees as well as the nativity scene and a series of Christmas presents also created using the same techniques were used to decorate the town hall during the online streaming of the town’s special municipal holiday event on Saturday.
The trees are also being added to the Christmas decorations of some local landmarks, such as the municipal market and the council’s division of housing, social development and health.
