Purl diving is the latest extreme sport


09 February 2007 09:09

Laura Apps-Green got wet and woolly at the bottom of the Red Sea on a recent family trip to Egypt’s Sharm El Sheikh resort where her family caught her on camera making her extreme knitting debut.

Knitting is hardly a hobby for thrill seekers but this deep sea jumper has proved it is a pursuit worth going overboard for.

Laura Apps-Green got wet and woolly at the bottom of the Red Sea on a recent family trip to Egypt's Sharm El Sheikh resort where her family caught her on camera making her extreme knitting debut.

“I was just lying on the beach and thought I would do a dive and take my knitting with me,” she said.

“All my family were swimming above me when I was doing it - I was just under water for a few minutes to say I had done it. I didn't take down my good wool because I thought it would mess it up, so I took an odd bit.”

Mrs Apps-Green, 28, a community development officer for Breckland Council, said she decided to take the plunge a couple of weeks ago a year after taking up knitting while she was poorly.

But it was only after visiting the Norfolk Yarn knitting shop in Aylsham Road that Mrs Apps-Green, who lives with her husband Roy in Temple Road, Norwich, got the idea of taking it to extremes.

“I heard about someone knitting at the top of the Inca trail and I thought I could do something,” she said. “It did make an interesting holiday - it was the talk of the resort.”

Following her nautical knitting adventures at the bottom of the Red Sea, Mrs Apps-Green said she is looking to take her extreme sport elsewhere.

Her underwater masterpiece has not yet been finished although it is unlikely she will be taking to the water to finish off the scarf.

But following her nautical knitting adventures at the bottom of the Red Sea, Mrs Apps-Green said she is looking to take her extreme sport elsewhere.

“I would like to do it in other places, although I'm not sure where though,” she said.

“I looked on the internet and someone was doing a sky dive while knitting, but I don't know if I will go that far.”

Rebecca Bone, who runs Norfolk Yarn has knitted at the top of Machu Picchu, Peru, and was delighted to hear about Mrs Apps-Green's exploits in Egypt.

“I taught her to knit and got her started on her first project,” she said. “I'm glad she's gone out and done it, I think it's brilliant. People who like to knit like a bit of fun with it as well and that's what it comes down to.

“I got the idea to knit at the top of Machu Picchu because you hear about these extreme ironers and I thought if they can take their ironing boards I can take my knitting.”

Last year the Evening News highlighted another extreme sport which caught the imagination of youngsters across the city who were spotted hurriedly leaping from one surface to the next.

Invented in Paris 20 years ago, parkour comes from the French expression parcours d'obstacles which means obstacle course.

Have you got an extreme obsession or a quirky hobby? Call Evening News reporter Peter Walsh on 01603 772439.

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