A GROUP of eco-minded knitters were out and about on Saturday staging a knit-out for climate change to raise awareness ahead of the COP26 conference being held in Glasgow later this year.

The crafty environmental activists, known as craftivists, were knitting, crocheting and stitching outside Troon Town Hall.

The event, which lasted around two hours, is part of the national ‘stitches for survival’ project, which sees Ayrshire knitters join others around the UK in making part of a 1.5-mile-long knitted scarf, a message for the negotiators at COP 26 to urge them to take bold and binding action together.

The length of the scarf represents the goal of limiting global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius from the Paris Climate Agreement.

This has been calculated to be the maximum temperature rise the planet can tolerate before the effects of climate change become catastrophic.

Craftivists brought their work along for some communal stitching and eventually their section will be

stitched together with those of other groups into a giant scarf for campaigning during COP26 in Glasgow in November.

Organiser Jessica Warf, said: “We want to let the leaders of the world know that our planet isn’t for sale!”

Finished panels will be on display and there will be an opportunity for passers-by to add some stitches of their own.

Look out for a Stitches for Survival sign and an XR knitted banner on the grassy area in front of Troon town hall.

After COP26 the scarf will be repurposed into blankets for refugee communities.

Some of the more creative sections will be kept for an exhibition, and be used for ongoing campaigning.

The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, is the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference. It is scheduled to be held in Glasgow from October 31 to November 12.

In the run up to COP26 the UK is working with every nation to reach agreement on how to tackle climate change.

More than 190 world leaders will arrive in Scotland. Joining them will be tens of thousands of negotiators, government representatives, businesses and citizens for twelve days of talks.