Yarn Bombing

Last week in my textiles class, we had to write a paper on textiles in the news. I wrote mine on denim factory pollution around the world (more on that later) but there were some very interesting stories that I thought I'd share in the next couple weeks. The first one I'm going to talk about is a new art form/phenomenon called Yarn bombing. Wikipedia defines yarn bombing as "a type of graffiti or street art that employs colorful displays of knitted or crocheted cloth rather than paint or chalk." It was started in Texas by a group of knitters who wanted to find a creative way to use up excess yarn. Most yarn bombers are anonymous and do their work in the middle of the night on lamp posts, statues, or any other structure that inspires them. The idea is to reclaim or personalize things that seem cold or mechanical.
I love this whole concept. It's a fun way to add onto something in a creative way without it vandalizing or damaging property. Although most of the artists now do things on a much larger scale, they recommend that if you are interested knit graffiti, trying it out on the handles of you bike or a door knob to get the hang of it. Here are some of my favorites of their work.