Yarn Bombing

Yarn Bombing in a form of graffiti that uses yarn to decorate public spaces.  Magda Sayeg, in Houston, actually started this craziness in 2005 and it has now grown into to an international  source of silliness.  Check out this article from Seattle to get more background and this book for kick starting your own yarn bombing adventures.


International Yarn Bombing Day has been designated by a crafty Canadian as Saturday June 11, 2011 and I am gearing up to do some yarn loving in my neighborhood.   


But I decided I needed some practice first.


First decision - What to yarn bomb?   I looked around my neighborhood and decided that I needed to do something that was public, on public property and visible to many folk.  My front yard provides many opportunities... the mailbox, many trees, yard art.... but that seemed too easy.  I ended up choosing the light pole across the street from my house.


Second decision - How to yarn bomb?  I decided to keep it simple and knit up some old wool into a horizontal striped light pole cozy.


Third decision - When to install it?  Too keep in the spirit I decided I needed to install my piece after the sun went down so that it would just magically appear the next morning.  My first attempt to install my piece was thwarted when I encountered police cars silently patrolling my street.  The idea is not to get caught and I thought being arrested for wrapping  knitting around a light pole was not a good idea.


Last night turned out to be perfect.. little traffic, no rain and the dogs were fast asleep in their bed so they couldn't lend a hand, er, a paw, in the process or cheer me on with lots of barking and dancing at my feet.


This morning I took a picture of my first yarn bomb,,,,,

Okay, so it's not that dramatic and the horizontal stripes ended up being installed vertically due to a gauge miscalculation but its done!  I've already spied some early morning dog walkers checking it out.  And yes, I put it high enough up that most boy dogs will not have a chance to leave their mark on it.


For the official day, some friends and I intend to yarn bomb the local Starbucks where we meet on Fridays.  Little garlands of crocheted and knitted loveliness are already in the works and a friend just completed a wonderful scarf, in Starbucks green no less, for the garbage bin outside the store.


I have lots of scrap yarn so I busy in this stash busting activity to have something ready in time.


I wonder if the other light poles on my street could use some yarn loving?