No your eyes do not deceive you – that is a tank covered in yarn – pink yarn, to be more specific. It’s a great craze that’s running rampant through the knitting community called “yarn bombing”. It’s a new form of graffiti where knitters will knit or crochet adornments for common (and not so common) objects in the outside world. I’m not sure exactly when yarn bombing first appeared, but it has grown in popularity quite quickly. As a matter of fact, knitters are forming groups or crews, and transforming the urban landscape in their neighborhoods. The crews give themselves names similar to those of hip hop groups, and the knitters themselves have names along the same trend. My favorite name so far is Knitorious M.E.G. – kinda wish I had thought of that one!If you think that yarn bombing is just for rebels however, think again. Knitters from all demographics are taking a little time from their serious pursuits to create a little happiness in their area. You can bomb just about anything as the picture of the tank shows. Trees, fire hydrants, mailboxes, and even buses have been bombed all over the world. Yes, all over the world. This craze hasn’t been kept in just one area. There is a website with lots of information here.
There is also a book out that goes through just about everything about bombing. It takes you through the design, knitting, and implementation of your bombs. It even tells you how to pick and form your crew, what kinds of objects to bomb, and designs for some of them. You can find the book in most bookstores and/or your local l ibrary. It is called Yarn Bombing – The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti by Mandy Moore and Leanne Prain. It is a definite great read – included are 20 patterns (including some sneakers hanging from telephone wire), interviews with international bombers, and tons of pictures.
Now if you know me you know that I definitely want to get in on this phenomenon – not to mention, brighten things up a little bit. So here’s my proposal – I would like to organize an international YB crew. We can get past the obvious geography issues quite simply – we will plan and knit projects separately, but plan periodic events where we simultaneously go out and bomb our areas. You can leave a comment on here if you want to participate, and I will work out a way to organize us. Maybe a group on Yahoo or Ravelry. Also, if you have ideas of things to bomb and have any patterns to share, we’ll use the group to exchange ideas and plan events. I’ll let this go for about 2 weeks to get replies so if you know anybody that may be interested in doing this, let them know about this post. I’ll work out the logistics and keep everybody updated.
