WE have all heard of, and some of us worn, leg-warmers, body-warmers and, in extreme cases, belly-warmers, but a new craze has hit Lincoln – bicycle-warmers.

People wandering along Clasketgate will not have failed to notice a pedal bike, fully covered in wool, posing as the window dressing in Spins and Needles.

But more than a quirky take on the endless uses of wool, it is part of a much wider underground movement that goes by the name of yarn bombing.

Store owner Sarah Freeman, 32, told the Echo about the Zeitgeist of the yarn world.

She said: "It's an American craze. It's a bit like doing graffiti, but more environmentally friendly.

"It's people doing random knitting and sewing around lampposts and things that like that.

"When I was opening the shop, I thought it would be a good idea to cover the bike in knitting. I wasn't sure whether to put it in the window, but that's what I settled on.

"I found the bike when I was clearing out an old garage."

The knitting shop is a sharp change of pace for Miss Freeman, who used to be in the Queen's Royal Lancers and was part of the Parachute Regiment.

Originally from Essex, she has taken posts all over the world, including in Afghanistan and Northern Ireland.

But she has put her knitting needles down in Lincoln because she owns a house just off High Street, which she bought when posted at RAF Digby.

And the shop has been attracting all ages of knitters because of her top-of-the-range wool and cutting-edge ideas.

"I came to Lincoln because it's such a nice place to live," she said.

Despite her dedication to the yarn bombing cause, Miss Freeman is unsure whether it will take off in the city.

She said: "I'm not sure people will go mad for it. It's probably one of things you see gradually.

"You might see it in London and then it could creep up. It makes places so much brighter."

And those involved in the movement tend to strike at the dead of night.

Victoria Bellandini, senior fashion lecturer at the University of Lincoln, said the shop was a welcome addition to Lincoln.

She said: "I think we are desperate for shops like this in Lincoln. Our students really struggle getting fabrics and things like that so I think the more shops like this, the better."