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Yarn Bombing!

By Rose Stricker ( Contact ) March 11, 2010

I am absolutely tickled pink by this story out of New Jersey. Apparently, they've got a different kind of graffiti in their town. The "Midnight Knitter" has been knitting sweater sleeves on tree limbs and light posts around town.

Believe it or not, this isn't the first time I've heard of this kind of thing. In fact, the act of needleworking onto public property is popular enough to have several formal names. It's called graffiti knitting, yarn bombing, or yarnstorming!

Considering my very public obsession with yarn, and considering how yarnstorming "technically is against the law because it is being done on public property without permission", I wish to firmly deny any recent visits to West Cape May.

However, I might be getting ideas....

(View photo album from West Cape May here!)

proartist
Mar 12, 2010 at 6:06 p.m.
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Knitting graffiti and related guerrilla knitting events date back at least 3 years in larger cities throughout the world. Some think it began when one woman saw a broken tree branch outside her urban apartment in the dead of winter and she thought a limb-sweater might warm the broken branch. Ultimately, the reason why both young and old people have picked up knitting in recent years — and adopted new and incredibly creative activities — are as varied as the stitches they do, the charities they donate to, the new fibers available, and the projects they undertake. Watch guerrilla knitting activities on YouTube.com or for more information read the book: "Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti"... or join local stitchers for fun, upcoming summer knitting events in Janesville including our 3rd annual celebration of Worldwide Knit in Public Day at the Farmer's Market (www.stitchingcreationsandcommunity.blogs...)

rstricker
Mar 12, 2010 at 8:29 a.m.
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Very nifty, anne1234! It appears the Swedish yarnstormers autograph their graffiti with business cards.

wjbecky
Mar 12, 2010 at 8:26 a.m.
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I saw this a while ago - cracked me up!!! instead of a "tag" should it be called a "rag"??

anne1234
Mar 12, 2010 at 7:34 a.m.
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I've followed the blog of some guerrilla knitters out of Sweden for a few years: http://stickkontakt.blogspot.com/

I love it!

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