A small independent business in South Bank is holding a unique event for charity.
Lapin, of 75 Balmoral Terrace, is a sustainable floristry and coffee house that opened last Summer.
In a bid to raise money for the British Heart Foundation, they’re auctioning off and selling hand-knitted vital organ figures.
A local yarn bomber, Yarnsy, gifted the business two sets of the hand-knitted organs.
The larger set of knitted figures are to be sold, from Lapin, at £15 each.
The smaller display are undergoing an auction, and bids can be placed either in-store or silently through Instagram.
Lapin are also selling professionally photographed postcards, taken by Bec Hudson Smith.
The postcards are being sold at £1.50 each, or four for £5 with a free mini knitted heart.
With heart and circulatory problems being the world’s number one cause of death, The British Heart Foundation was the chosen charity. Lapin are also trying to raise awareness for organ donation through the sale/auction.
The textile artist who created the pieces, ‘Yarnsy’, is a mysterious knitter within the city.
YorkMix spoke to Lapin owner, Sarah, who said, “She’s a local customer, but she won’t be revealed. She’s the anonymous knitter.
“I said to her, you have to give yourself some kind of name to identify yourself, so she came up with Yarnsy.”
Sara and Yarnsy initially met when she gifted the shop a knitted wreath for the front door.
“She’s done the post box yarn figures as well. They’re called yarn bombers because they just do little little bits here and there, and that’s what she does.
“She does it all for charity. She doesn’t take any money from any of it.” Sara revealed.
Yarnsy wanted to raise money for the British Heart Foundation as they have lost family members to heart problems.
Yarnsy and a good friend of theirs, who also wishes to remain anonymous, have previously raised money together at Lapin for Calm and St. Leonard’s hospice. These, again, are charities personally attached to them both.
Sara hopes to complete further work together to raise funds for more charities. She is also raising money personally for Kyra and IDAS and intends to do a project going forward in relation to this.
Sara is no stranger to homing weird-and-wonderful things within her business. On the wall amongst the flower arrangement, hangs a deceased rabbit named Francis.
Sara admitted Francis can sometimes cause a slight stir, but argues it shoudn’t be seen as abnormal.
“He’s the one character that has caused a little bit of controversy. I found him online when I was looking for a vintage taxidermy, because I don’t have problems with that.
“I just think it’s part of history. I don’t see a problem in retaining historical elements. It’s like, you see taxidermy in museums, everyone’s comfortable with that.
“The people who have complained about that would never go into Sainsbury’s and complain about the chicken breasts and they’ve been inhumanely farmed, they get thrown out at the end of the day, when they could feed homeless people. I’m like, whole system makes no sense.”
Lapin is open everyday from 9:30am – 5:30pm. Make sure to head down soon if you’d like to claim your own hand-knitted organ in aid of charity, or to enjoy a hot drink with Francis.