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When you hear the word “yarn bombing”, the first thing that comes to mind is someone who tells fictitious stories all the time causing people to flee in all directions. But no, in yet another example of what people will come up with, yarn bombing is actually when a group of people decorate urban fixtures such as lamp posts, doorknobs, trees and sculptures by taking a ball of wool and knitting a layer onto it.
So now we have a bunch of grannies defacing public buildings?
You’d be surprised as to the variety of ages behind this movement. Everyone from teenagers to elderly people takes part in it. It’s a cute, fun, hobby, and the Houston, Texas yarn bombing group has said all they want to do is make everything “more warm and fuzzy”. Not surprisingly, even though this is considered graffiti or street art, the practice has yet to be prosecuted. A police officer would probably laugh when he or she sees a middle aged bespectacled woman knitting pastel colors onto a stop sign pole.
The first examples of yarn bombs were recorded as early as May 2004 in a town in the Netherlands. From there, the practice spread all over Europe and the UK and soon crossed the Pond to take hold in the USA as well. Now you can see yarn bombing all over the place; from Brooklyn to Melrose Place.
International Yarn Bombing Day
Yes, there really is a festival for this! The first one was observed by Joann Matvichuk in Lethbridge, Alberta on June 11th, 2011.
Now, festivals abound all over the world. From Melbourne, Australia to London and Paris, folks are yarn bombing everything they can find!
Improving the urban landscape one stitch at a time…
There are a great variety of sources on the Internet for yarn bombing ideas that you could implement in your local area. Don’t stop with decorating the lamp posts and stop sign poles, expand your operations to seats in parks, statues, columns on famous buildings and so on. Wouldn’t the Jefferson Memorial look grand in pink angora?
Statues of famous people are an ideal target for yarn bomb. You can give them a cool hat or ski mask, or even just go for a bandana. Eyepatches are all the rage, as are giving them pink sweaters and purple kilts. Do not let anything limit your imagination. When it comes to yarn bombing, nothing is sacred!
Hiking trails
Trails in the forest are usually indicated by putting red, blue, yellow or green lines on trees along the path. What if you went with your friends and knitted the same colors onto the trees instead? This is also another great way to decorate the forest! Even the bears will be able to appreciate the scenery a little bit more.
You’re also helping the trees as well, because when it gets very cold in the winter they will be a little bit warmer. Who said yarn bombing was selfish?
