Yarn Bombing a Bridge

The Broadway Bridge in Portland will turn 100 next month and volunteers have come up with a creative way to honor it: YARN BOMBING!

The bridge is the longest rail-type Bascule bridge still in existence.  It spans 1,742 feet (571 meters) over the Willamette River, in Portland, Oregon.  Organizers hope to cover one whole side with their knit and crochet handiwork.  So far, 150 volunteers have helped create a yarn banner shown above;  it’s already the city’s largest knitted art installation in history.

The project will end with a block party on August 10, to celebrate the 100th Birthday of the Broadway Bridge.

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Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

What a beautiful day in the neighborhood…

The latest victim of a yarn bombing is this Mr Rogers statue in Pittsburgh.  Anyone who grew up watching this children’s television icon knows that each afternoon he came in the door and swapped his suit jacket for a lovely cardigan, so this couldn’t be more perfect.

Additional info and photo available HERE

It’s Park Season

 

Flipping through my WordPress reader this morning, I came across this lovely example of  guerrilla knitting.  Since it is a combination of many of my favorite things (yarn, sunshine, and geekery), I had to share it with you.

“Park It” was done by yarn artist Knits For Life over 4th of July weekend.  Inspired by Hottea’s Minneapolis fence work, she set out to bring some new life into her sister’s town of Foster City.  Simply wonderful!

A Sweater for the Woolly Mammoth

The life-size sculptures of ice age mammals at Whitehorse’s Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre are now wearing colorful knits. The woolly mammoth is sporting a stylish sweater, while the beaver rocks some sweet pajamas, all thanks to Yarn Bomb Yukon.

“The whole process, including the mammoth and the beaver, took about three hours,” said Jessica Vellenga of Yarn Bomb Yukon.  “We had to use some ladders and draped it and sort of form-fit it around with spare pieces . . .  We took darning needles and lots of yarn and stitched it all into one big piece.”

Yarn Bomb Yukon says it had permission from the museum for the bombing, and it was timed to coincide with the Canadian Museums Association Conference which starts in Whitehorse next Monday.

To see more photos and read about this project, you can check out Yarn Bomb Yukon’s blog here:  http://yarnbombyukon.wordpress.com/2013/05/22/knitting-for-pre-history-yarn-bombing-ice-age-mammals/

World Wide Knit in Public Day

 

World Wide Knit in Public Day was started in 2005. It began as a way for knitters to come together and enjoy each other’s company. Because knitting is such a solitary act, it’s easy to knit alone somewhere and sink into your work without thinking about all the other knitters out there. Neighbors could spend all their lives never knowing that the person next door is doing the same.

To get people out knitting, volunteers organize events in their communities.  In 2005, there were about 25 local events around the world; in 2006, there were about 70 local events; in 2007, almost 200; in 2008, there were 800 events; and the number continues to climb.  As the name suggests, these events happen all over the world:  Australia, China, England, Finland, France, Ireland, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, United States and so many more countries.

WWKiP Day takes place from the second Saturday to the third Sunday of June each year.  This year’s week-long celebration of knitting begins on June 8.  To learn more, you can visit their website:  http://www.wwkipday.com/about

Are any of you YARN-A-HOLICS participating?  Tell us about it!  or even better, send pictures!

Marathon Knitting

Susie Hewer, 55-year-old dubbed the “extreme knitting redhead,’ holds two records at the London Marathon: knitting the longest scarf (2008), and stitching the longest crochet chain (2010). On April 21, she will run it again, attempting to best her own scarf record.

According to BBC News, Hewer ran her first marathon for Alzheimers Research UK in 2005, two weeks after her mother died of vascular dimentia.  According to Parminder Summon, the charity’s community fundraising manager, she’s raised nearly £25,000 during the past seven years.

When asked about the upcoming event, Susie said that she plans to train by running at least 9 km per day.  Her biggest challenge?  “I’ll have neck ache by the end of it, looking down to ensure I don’t drop any stitches, but it will be worth it to help Alzheimer’s Research UK progress with its ground breaking research.”

Best of luck to another amazing YARN-A-HOLIC.

One Yarn

The Fate of the Pay Phone

In a time where cell phones and smart phones dominate, the traditional pay phone is nearly extinct. When you do cross paths with this endangered species, it’s often in a horrible state of disrepair.

California artist Lorna Watt, a.k.a. Knits for Life, comments on the fate of the pay phone in this yarn bomb.  Completed in February 2013, her installation breathes new life into a tired remnant.  You can read more about it here.

On another note, Lorna’s also looking for people to help her with the next San Mateo yarn bomb.  Additional details available here.

National Pig Day

Suwee.  Suwee.  Suwee.

March 1 is National Pig Day.  According to HolidayInsights.com, this day recognizes and gives thanks to domesticated pigs.  For today’s post, I thought it would be nice to display some pigs created by our own YARN-A-HOLICS.  We’ve got you covered from Babe, to Porky, to Angry Birds, and more.

 

Pink Pig – Knit Pig Toy… ToyBoxflameOfs… $79.99	Pig Art, Henna Design, … CottageGardenS… $20	Pink Pig – Amigurumi MalonB $10	Babe the yo-yo pig MarysDollcloth… $5
1976 Vintage Porky Pig,… jerseypinepick… $5	Reversible Messenger Ba… SpartickesDyes $28	Happy Pig Beanie LittleLidsForK… $18	This Little Piggy Hat karenswimmer $28
Pig Jackthemanabou… $35	porky pig coasters MarysDollcloth… $15	Tiny Pink Pig in Pink P… KatesCache $7	Perler Bead Coasters – … MostFavoriteAu… $12.95

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

Stop Sign Flowers

A mysterious yarn bomber known as “Knitting Guy” decided to beautify his neighborhood by turning stop signs into flowers. On April 22, 2012, one hundred of these were “planted” around San Diego (flower location map). While most people enjoyed the yarn creations, the city said they needed to come down, sparking controversy and media attention.

Sadly, a campaign by council member Lorie Zapf, a petition on change.org, and many Facebook supporters were not enough to prevail.  By May 25, the city had removed most of the flowers.

To keep the movement alive, Knitting Guy has posted the pattern on his website.  Additionally, he hosts a photo gallery to showcase other people’s creations.   A great idea as you plan for International Yarn Bombing Day in June…