Extreme Yarn-bombing

(A bicycle stays warm in Lidkoping, Sweden)

You would have to have had your eyes shut for the past twenty years not to have noticed the odd lamp-post sporting a 'leg-warmer', or a statue muffled in a jaunty scarf.

Welcome to the zany world of what has now become known as 'yarn-bombing', sometimes also called yarn storming, guerrilla knitting, kniffiti, urban knitting or graffiti knitting. It is unclear why someone would spend the time and effort to knit or crochet a cover for a bicycle (or a car, or even - yes, really – a bus!) but they do it.

Houston artist Bill Davenport was creating and exhibiting crochet-covered objects in Houston in the 1990s, and artist Shanon Schollian was knitting stump 'cosies' in 2002 for clear cuts in Oregon. Magda Sayeg, also from Houston, first got the idea in 2005 when she covered the door handle of her boutique with a custom-made cozy.

(Helsinki Town Hall steps covered in afghan squares)

The innovation of the 'stitched story' has been attributed to Lauren O'Farrell (who creates her street art under the graffiti knitting name Deadly Knitshade), from London, UK, who founded the city's first graffiti knitting collective Knit the City.

(A cosied-up Mexican bus)

As all quirky ideas do, yarn-bombing has spread worldwide. Watch out for it, as there may be some busy knitters working on warming up and brightening your own town or city right now!

But it's not always soft and cosy in yarn-bombing world, as one Mexican knit one-purl one fan discovered.....

Add comment

Www.Foodandtravel.Com.Au - Australia

Best Food Travel Website 2021

foodandtravel.com.au has been awarded

Best Antipodean Culinary Travel Expert, 2019

by the prestigious UK-based magazine...

Everybody LOVES a bargain!!

Especially when it's with food, travel and fun!!

Now your plans for fun and entertainment are right at your fingertips.

The Entertainment Group is a leading provider of exclusive offers and experiences - ready and waiting to make your dreams come true.

CLICK HERE for details..

Ready for a taste treat?

Embark on an unforgettable culinary adventure through the vibrant tapestry of Malaysia.

Led by the charismatic Malaysian ex-pat Chef Wanitha Tanasingam, this intimate journey promises to tantalize your taste buds and ignite your senses, sending you home with memories to last a lifetime.

Find out more....

LISTEN TO SALLY'S PODCASTS...

...from all around the world