Folklore: Yarn Bombing

Subject: Folklore: Yarn Bombing
From: GUEST,CS
Date: 19 Oct 14 - 10:23 AM

A new (to me at least) quirky form of folk art originating in Texas - Yarn Bombing involves groups of knitters and crocheters, secretly donning public 'fine art' sculptures, and other available objects, with woolly hats and colourful knits.

I thought this summation on Urban Dictionary described it interestingly: "While other forms of graffiti may be expressive, decorative, territorial, socio-political commentary, advertising or vandalism, yarn bombing is almost exclusively about reclaiming and personalizing sterile or cold public places."

See here for a selection of Google Images: Yarn Bombing

Subject: RE: Folklore: Yarn Bombing
From: GUEST,Fred McCormick
Date: 19 Oct 14 - 10:31 AM

It's not that new. Over here there are groups of what are called Guerrilla Knitters. They are generally left wing, ecological, direct action types. Whenever they see an affront to humanity or the environment, it's a case of knit one, pearl two, and said affront gets turned into a statement opposing fracking, world slavery, starvation wages or whatever.

A splendid idea.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Yarn Bombing
From: Betsy
Date: 19 Oct 14 - 08:15 PM

Extremely prevalent in Saltburn , North Yorkshire, UK.
Bless 'em

Subject: RE: Folklore: Yarn Bombing
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 20 Oct 14 - 08:47 AM

A group of Catters have also discussed it here

Subject: RE: Folklore: Yarn Bombing
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 20 Oct 14 - 12:01 PM

I know Middlesbrough doesn't get very good press but bombing the surrounding towns seems a little excessive ...... What .... it's not Yarm ..... Oops sorry


............I'll get me coat ..........

Subject: RE: Folklore: Yarn Bombing
From: Mr Red
Date: 20 Oct 14 - 04:08 PM

Yarn Bombing in my area right outside a wool shop. There is more in villages further South and one effort in a town next down.
In our case the local neighbourhood warden had it removed.
The video is mine and I am responsible for the text. (:-}}

Subject: RE: Folklore: Yarn Bombing
From: Mr Red
Date: 14 Apr 18 - 02:56 AM

stroudvoices.co.uk/yarn/ Breast Cancer Awareness day - Stonehuse, Stroud UK (regular each year now)

video & Interview recorded in 2012 Cainscross, Stroud UK. Owner of wool shop knew who did it, but wouldn't say because the local warden deemed it a distraction. In YouTube fashion it follows with similar videos.

part of the art seen in Stonehouse 2017 which includes graffiti/tagging which I hate but I didn't set out to record the pretty, just the minutia that others may well have ignored (photo project involving a group).

Subject: RE: Folklore: Yarn Bombing
From: Johnny J
Date: 14 Apr 18 - 04:12 AM

Getting back to the original subject, like everything else even something apparently innocuous as "Yarn Bombing" can get a little bit over the top.

We have a lot of it happening where we are. I think it's fine for special projects and occasions but when it's every single lampost, bench or whatever it gets a bit much. Only my opinion.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Yarn Bombing
From: JennieG
Date: 14 Apr 18 - 05:47 AM

Popular here too......trees in the main drag are bombed regularly according to the current good cause. I think it's a good idea.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Yarn Bombing
From: CupOfTea
Date: 14 Apr 18 - 10:20 AM

There was a wave of this in my area a few years back. As a trained textile artist (MFA), I refrained from critical comments on it because folks were SO delighted with themselves forcovering all the poles holding parking meters in one lot, and random small tree trunk & branches with knit and crochet coverings in the same retail area. This was done with indestructible acrylic yarn in a few bright colors, in bands of color, put together in seemingly random ways, with some dreadful juxtapositions of colors.

I thought it was a sort of cool idea, but poorly executed. The point seemed to be inclusive and not requiring any particular talent. For public art, some modicum of oversight by a person with decent aesthetic judgement to direct and plan seems like it ought to be part of this, to make it attractive. But like poor singers in a group sing, the point seemed to be open participation rather than product.

When I first saw it, I thought of a number of other textile techniques that would make more handsome coverings, including lace techniques, braids made around an object, and I remembered some large-scale beadwork I'd seen Joyce Scott do in a sculptural park. Would love to see some where people took it to heart as an art installation.

Joanne in Cleveland (being a curmudgeon on Mudcat)

Subject: RE: Folklore: Yarn Bombing
From: keberoxu
Date: 14 Apr 18 - 06:24 PM

This subject is in a Mudcat thread from five years ago.

ThreadId=147938
I'm lousy at clicky links to other Mudcat threads