Knitting cast off its rocking-chair image when the likes of Kate Moss and Julia Roberts jumped the bandwagon and began clacking their needles.

The revolution started by guerrilla knitting groups such as Cast Off, who staged knit-ins on the London Underground and Brighton beach, has given the old needles and yarn a much-needed second wind.

While the trendy group knits hand grenades, willy warmers and lipsticks, hundreds of creative knitters have whipped up an equally useless but just as impressive life-sized garden at the Brighton Centre.

The creation - a 14ft by 10ft garden made up of four million stitches and more than 50 miles of wool - is on display at the Creative Stitches and Hobbycrafts show.

The woolly green space is the world's first life-size knitted garden and comes complete with blooming flowers and a vegetable patch that Peter Rabbit would risk the wrath of Ewan McGregor's rake for.

There's also a picnic complete with squidgy ring doughnuts and oozing jam sandwiches.

Knitters, or those who just want to have a bash, can also make their own addition to the ever-expanding garden in the Knit 'n' Natter area.

There, experts will be on hand with advice, balls of wool and needles, so visitors can purl out some more wildlife for the garden.

As well as the knitting, there's a dazzling collection of costumes from ice skating extravaganza Holiday on Ice.

Outfits from the Evolution show, which featured more than 750 costumes, include an elaborate bird number and a costume of flames. Woolly gardens and rhinestone-clad costumes aside, there's also a display of weathered quilts from the Quilters Guild and the chance to dust down your craft box.

The three-day show is home to 120 trade stands selling everything from fabrics, wool and books to stencilling, embossing and bead-weaving supplies.

Those who want to get crafty can drop in to a series of mini workshops where the pros will be showing off their skills.

  • Open 9.30am- 5.30pm, tickets cost £5.90/£4.90. Call 01425 277988.