You may hanker for all things British and be stuck on the other side of the world during this most Anglophile of summers.

But there is one surefire way to put that right.

You can knit a British celebration all your own.

Fiona Noble is a Brit knits designer who hit on a best seller: the chance to knit all the characters in the Royal Wedding.

The project, which was planned by publishers Ivy Press to be a print run of just a few thousands, took off and knitters all around the world have been knitting for England, Harry and St George.

And this year the Diamond Jubilee celebrations saw a new addition to the Royal clan: a Queen in tiara and evening dress and stole, clearly in celebratory mood.

The fad for figures has taken off, with Collins and Brown bringing out the chance to knit the Olympics to a pattern by Carol Meldrum: Knitlympics.

Today we headed for Jackson’s department store of Reading – Berkshire’s county town.

Around seven of their staff worked to earn their traditional store a gold award in the town’s jubilee celebrations, knitting the entire Royal Family, complete with corgis and a footman, before going on to do Olympic and Paralympic teams: and, naturally, a knitted official torchbearer.

“Everyone else in the town was doing displays of silver, and so on, ” said a member of staff,” and we wanted to do something different. Something which took a bit of effort. And of course, everyone loves them!”

Now figures are forming the centre of daring displays of ‘yarnbombing’ – the mysterious appearance of figures in public places in Britain.

Saltburn-on-sea, Teeside, woke up one morning in March to find its pier covered in Olympic figures.

So the Brits are getting busy with their knitting needles.

You?