A telephone pole has been transformed into a colourful knitted display, ringing in the New Year in the best way local artist Shellabelle O’Connor could think of.

Ms O’Connor said the project was part of a artistic phenomenon called “yarnbombing” in which urban objects are covered in wool.

The design took Ms O’Connor six months to finish and an hour to hang on the pole.

“I didn’t expect it to take so long to make,” she said.

“It has just evolved, I didn’t have any other plan than to decorate a pole.

“I knew it needed something else and it reminded me of a tree so I made it look like a tree.

“Then I thought it needed some flowers and birds and an owl.”

Ms O’Connor said the reactions from passers-by had been better than she expected.

“It’s had some good reactions, people have been videoing it and taking photographs of it,” she said.

Bobbie Andrews, who came across the pole by accident, said she couldn’t get enough of the colourful display and welcomed more of them around the city.

“It was just so colourful and just how big it was, was great. It was eye-catching and it really brightened my New Year,” she said.

Ms O’Connor’s has created other yarnbombing works around the region as well.

   “I’ve done one at Victoria Park on a bench in Winter and another in my street at Enfield,” she said.