In a jumbo knitting effort Chester’s elephant statue has been decorated in dozens of multi-coloured woolen squares.
A group of fanatical knitters descended on the bronze beast opposite the town hall in memory of a friend who recently died from cancer.
In February Helen Probert, 55, owner of Stash Fine Yarns in the city, a married mother-of-two succumbed to the disease.
Helen’s friend and work colleague Donna Clerkin decided to raise funds to beat cancer by rallying the troops to knit squares to cover the creature.
Donna, 46 of Upton, who still works in the shop said: “I think Helen would have found the whole thing quite amusing.
"She was a very positive person who had gone through a lot in her life including a kidney transplant.
"Helen went through so much but was the sort of person who would always ask you about you rather than talk about herself.
"We all really miss her and wanted to do something in her memory."
The elephant sculpture was donated to Chester by Chester Zoo and the council has responsibility for it.
Donna said: "I got in touch with the council and they kindly agreed that we could decorate the elephant for a couple of weeks.
"The knitting group made squares and we sewed them together to make larger pieces in order to “yarn-bomb” the elephant.
"Not everyone might have heard of yarn bombing but a lot of it went on in Yorkshire when the Tour de France went through.
"It’s usually done anonymously, under cover of darkness but we wanted to do it as a tribute to Helen so thought we ought to get permission first."
Helen, of Colwyn Bay fought a long battle against ill health that lasted 15 years. Following a subarachnoid haemorhage in 2000 she had a kidney transplant two years later. She had a liver and kidney transplant in 2008 and was diagnosed with cancer in 2012.
Money raised from Donna and the group’s efforts will be donated to the MacMillan charity through a JustGiving page.
To donate text 70070 then type COVE48 before £2.
