It’s a new competition, for the best knitted beard.

The Ned’s Needles competition, inspired by Ned Kelly’s beard and the winter cold, aims to find the best, most creative and most realistic knitted beard.

Indigo Council’s art and culture development officer Susan Reid said there would be no lack of inspiration about town.

“We seem to have a disproportionate number of bearded men in Beechworth, and always have,” she said.

In fact, the idea for the competition arose from that very observation.

“We were having a conversation with our tour guides, those guys all have very interesting beards, and I offered to knit a woman a beard to keep her warm, and the idea took off,” Ms Reid said.

Entries for Ned’s Needles will be taken until July 12, after which an exhibition of the 30 best beards will be at Beechworth’s Burke Museum from July 19.

“Maybe people will just start wearing them,” Ms Reid said.

“This could be a very big trend — it’s very cold in Beechworth, remember that.”

The display will launch the Ned Kelly Weekend from August 3 to 5.

To download an entry form for Ned’s Needles, go to burkemuseum.com.au.