Monster “knit off” part of this year’s Gothic Manchester

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HE IS H.P.Lovecraft’s most terrifying creation.

But thanks to the Gothic Manchester festival, Cthulhu is looking decidedly… cuddly.

This year’s festival theme is “H.P.Lovecraft and the Weird”, and as a celebration of the cosmic terror, festival organisers are hosting a Cthulhu-themed “knit off”.

The knitted Cthulhus, which took a trip to the John Rylands Library for a special photoshoot, will be used as prizes for a range of fundraising events in aid of the Sophie Lancaster Foundation.

Fun, friendship and celebration

Festival coordinator Helen Darby said: “We’ve decided to have a Chthuhu themed ‘knit-off’ this year, with different people contributing their knitted and crochet visions of H P Lovecraft’s most infamous monster-god. All the knitted things are going to be raffled or given as quiz prizes, with profits in aid of the Sophie Lancaster Foundation.

“It’s a cause we’ve supported every year and I think we’re showing that the weird, gothic and alternative cultures are very much about fun, friendship and celebration rather than just being dark and gloomy.”

The Festival takes place from October 22 to 31 and includes an art exhibition, readings, film screenings, a one day conference and a Cthulhu themed pub quiz. Full details are on-line here: https://www.hssr.mmu.ac.uk/gothicmmu/gothic-manchester-festival-2015/.

The Gothic Manchester Festival is organised by Manchester Metropolitan University as part of the annual Humanities in Public engagement festival.