"There is something that catches people’s attention when placing
knitting in an urban environment," she says by phone. "It’s like the
perfect counterpoint to what exists already. As we increasingly
become more industrial, we lack that human quality. It makes people
kind of think for a moment. It’s like stopping and smelling the flowers."
Sayeg says yarn bombing doesn’t always have to send a message.
"It just inspires the household knitter to do something different, not so
traditional," she says. "To see grandmas do it is so cool and
renegade. For most it has nothing to do with their opinions on
anything political. It just brings back nostalgic memories in this
nontraditional way."
Knitters also love that yarn bombing is giving the craft some
exposure. "I think it shows the craft in Dallas is gaining momentum,"
says Ceylan Gul, a local knitter who hand-dyes yarn with friend Maria
Renna under the name Two if by Hand. "It brings awareness to the
craft and kind of takes it out of the grandma knitting box, modernizes
it a little bit and makes it fun for young people."
1. Start small: Start with something small like a small pole piece or a
granny square and work with quick, basic patterns. Then move on to
bigger projects.
2. Make your yarn bomb tight: Make your tags smaller than your
object and stretch the piece so it hugs the object tightly and doesn’t
slide off.
3. Colour and contrast: Go for lots of bright colour or contrast with the
structure you are bombing so that it gets noticed. Maybe a white lace
bomb on a tree, or lots of colour on a bland metal light pole.
4. Types of yarn: Don’t buy expensive yarn for these projects. Use
leftover yarns or cheaper yarns. Acrylic yarn typically lasts the longest
against the outdoor elements.
5. To tag or not? Some yarn bombers leave a calling card. Cards and
labels can be found at any stationery store. You might want to
laminate them to protect them from the elements.
6. Take a photo! Be prepared to know that your bomb may not last a
long time. Take several shots with varying angles.
Measurements for Various Park Objects:
Below is a list of objects that can be covered in Ross Street
Park in the heart of Salmon Arm. Measurements are all
circumference measurements with the exception of square
objects, which are noted.
Circumference=width. Height can be whatever your heart
desires.
• Black Light Posts- 21”
• Short Black Pole- 26”
• Small Round Planter -97.25”
• Large Planter- 125.5”
• Square Planter- 26”/side (x4)
• Street Sign- 9”
• Trees- 16”-18”
• Garbage can – 75.25 “
• Bike Rack- 8” and 2.5”
• Clock Base-16” per side (x4)
• Clock post – 25”-22”
• Hand Rail – 5.5”
• Bench Top Rail- 18”
Contact Melissa N. for more details!
