Knitting 'graffiti' hits Philadelphia
Monday, April 5th, 2010
In random parts of downtown Philadelphia, a new kind of subversive street art is bright and fuzzy. Guerilla knitters sew custom-tailored socks and wraps onto street signs, parking meters, and even trees.
It's called yarn-bombing, when rogue crafters surreptitiously knit cozies for street furniture.
Jessie Hemmonds knitted a 15-foot cozy for a tree in Rittenhouse Square. It lasted about three days. She hopes her new creation will remain unmolested: a multi-colored sock for a bike rack at Reading Terminal.
Does she consider what she does graffiti?
"I would say yes. I love the idea of putting an image outside in public. But I was worried about saying it, because I never knew whether the word itself would get me in trouble. So I avoid it. But if I were to answer it I would say, yeah."
Fortunately for Hemmonds, the director of the city's Anti-Graffiti Network disagrees. Thomas Conway says sewing a scarf onto a bike rack is not considered graffiti.
Sue Nelson, a tourist from Santa Monica, California, says it brightens up the street.
"I had a painting teacher who said, "if one color is good, two is better," Nelson said. "The more color the merrier."
There have been other sightings of knitted flowers and wraps on street signs around town, but the vulnerable nature of yarn makes them short-lived.
If you are sooooo concerned about brightening up the urban environment by "humanizing it" please read on
Not to be a party pooper yet again, but I really question how healthy it is for a tree to be wrapped in yarn.
I mean, if you leave it on there for years, it will start cutting into the branches. [there was a girl who left hers on the tree for several years.]
Also, people have commented that it allows pests and insects to hide from birds, which can let them damage the trees. Which also makes it harder for birds to find food.
I also question how safe it is for birds who are living in those trees, to have to deal with.
It also really freaks me out that people are stringing yarn lines between the trees and hanging things. Do they not have a clue that birds can and will get wrapped up on those lines and could be hung to death? I know someone who accidentally killed a bird because their kite line was strung in that manner, and a bird flew into it at night, got tangled, and died.
I know it's supposed to be this fun cool thing, but I just really can't get behind something when it's covering up a living thing such as a tree *that is already beautiful* and possibly endangering the lives of birds. Why do we have to make everything cartoonish? Can't the trees just be art by themselves?
I'm not saying anyone on here is going to do what others have done, and cover a whole tree with knitting, and obviously there are worse things to do. But surely I cannot be the ONLY person who is asking this? and Im positive that trees do not want to be humanized……at all.
I don't think it's a bad idea if it's an ugly chain link fence, a parking meter, a telephone booth, a car, etc etc. Those aren't living things and it's not endangering the lives of other creatures for the sake of "art" that could easily be done on other objects instead.
(and I'm not trying to be a jerk to people who are considering trees, I just honestly am wondering if I'm the ONLY person who has looked into this and is worried)
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Love it….would love to join the fun!
Just saw it outside the RTM yesterday; still looks great!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/j_bussmann/4522436968/in/photostream/
You're knitting is making Philadelphia a more colorful and beautiful place to live! Keep up your great work! We are so proud of you!
We published the book on yarn bombing by Leanne Prain and Mandy Moore.
Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti.
http://www.arsenalpulp.com/bookinfo.php?index=294
Cheers
Janice at Arsenal Pulp Press
You misspelled her name!!
bio-degradable creativity. WOW
Yay! Keep up the good work & keep an eye on Maine!