Only One Purpose For Crocheting?
By A Guest Writer – 10 CommentsA Guest Post by Jolanta Gustafsson.
Traditionally we knit or crochet things for our everyday use. It can be things to wear, or it can be something for our home. However, there is a new trend in knitting/crochet that has a totally different aim. And that is to cheer up public places by displaying knitted/crocheted fabrics or motifs usually around trees or lamp-posts.
The trend has many names: yarnbombing, yarnstorming, graffiti knitting, or knit graffiti, to mention a few. As some of the names indicate, this trend is a combination of knitting/crochet and graffiti. But since knitted/crocheted displays do not harm or destroy the environment, knit graffiti is usually more welcome.
During the last 7-8 years, knit graffiti became more and more popular and there are lots of knit graffiti projects being run. One of them is Knit’n’Tag in Finland. The World Design Capital this year is Helsinki, and Knit’n’Tag is a part of the official WDC program. It is a family-friendly event where everyone could decorate trees with knitwear in the Old Church Park in the center of Helsinki. The event took place on August 25 and the yarn installations will be in the park until September 27.
Last week I took a walk in the park and I must say that all these colorful knitwears created a really joyful atmosphere. Here are some photos for Crochet Spot visitors to enjoy:
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Jolanta is a teacher, a knitter, a crocheter, and an eager Crochet Spot visitor from Finland.
I have to be honest. This is not something I would ever do.I would never crochet items and put it around any Tree.
It doesn’t hurt the tree. The yarn rots – or gets removed by people who don’t appreciate fine art [grin] – long before the tree grows appreciably.
I know it doesn’t hurt the tree it’s just not pretty art to me. I love crocheting but not this.
What a festive display of yarnbombing! I have a wish to do something similar in my community, but have yet to get organized with my scraps. These give me lots of ideas – thanks for posting :D.
Thanks so much for sharing…how wonderful to have such human creativity adorning such a beautiful natural space.
this looks like fun
when i lived in colorado there was a small town (which is now large) which had a tree kindly titled ‘the boot tree’. people would throw boots and shoes up into the tree. looked like fun but i never did toss any shoe wear up the tree. the fence line near the tree had a worn boot on each post also. ah love the imagination of fun !!
Love it, love it! It’s a live artwork display in the park, a gallery without the confines of walls. Look at all of the personalities displayed in the works! It’s colorful and happy, it doesn’t permanently damage the trees, and it brings fiber artists together to have fun with yarn. Awesome!
I would probably never do this, but I think it looks terrific.
I always enjoy pictures of Yarn Bombing. Thanks for sharing!
Those are all so creative! I love the variety of styles and themes. Thanks for sharing your photos!