Yarnbomb IV

According to my own rules on yarn-bombing, I recently refreshed my rainbow pole outside the local school.

• the first installation was 1st November 2011, as part of a 21 days to yarn bomb movement
• the second installation was 1st November 2012
• the third was September 2013.

The crochet version lasts so much longer than a knitted version, and so I left it to replace until just before school starts again.

Above: old one and new one … see how I once again put the colours upside-down … tricky!

If you’re ever in the ‘hood, I hope it makes you smile as you pass by.

Yarnbomb III

According to my own rules on yarn-bombing, I recently refreshed my rainbow pole outside the local school.

My first installation was 1st November 2011, as part of a 21 days to yarn bomb movement. And my second installation was 1st November 2012.

For this third installment I considered reinstalling on the same date, but I decided instead to bring it forward a little – somewhere around the spring equinox and school holidays (so I’m not spotted by the kiddies).

   

Above: old one and new one … see how I put the colours upside-down this time … tricky!

I crocheted this version, as I did the second; it seemed to be more robust and wear so much better than the knitted version, requiring no repairs at all over the year (even though it was clearly mauled during the election, as the school was a voting centre).

I’ve chosen the rainbow colouring again (I had so much leftover yarn from last time). I recognise the rainbow has been adopted by the LGBTI community as their own, and while acknowledging that connection my intention is not for this yarnbomb to be any kind of statement but simply a colourful addition to the streetscape.

If you’re ever in the ‘hood, I hope it makes you smile as you pass by.

Yarn bombing

Yarn bombing has been getting a little bit of (positive) press in Melbourne in the last week or so – mainly because yesterday (9th June) was International Yarn Bombing Day (as an aside, is there an “international day” for everything!?). I’ve especially noticed one project in the news is the Royal Parade project by Yarn Corner (see this video).

I’m quite fond of most yarn-bombing, having done a little myself.

However, being a resident in a suburb with its fair share of yarn-bombing, I wish to make a plea to the yarn-bombing community. As I’ve written before, I personally don’t think it’s right to impose craft on the public space without being responsible for its aging. Therefore I implore makers to please:

• regularly check-in on the crafty wonders you put in place
• repair them when the seams split or yarn breaks (weathering can do this, so can excessive manual appreciation(!))
• and, perhaps hardest of all, remove them when it’s time to let go (eg. when the colouring has gone)

I have seen yarn-bombs in place more than two years after they were installed, and they’re ugly and dirty and tattered and just awful; all of which makes me sad and makes me want to take to them with scissors …. I haven’t yet, but one day I just may not be able to withstand the urge.

The whole point of yarn-bombing, in my view, is to liven up the urban environment with handmade colour. Aged and decrepid yarn-bombs, which are beyond their lovely-date, are almost the exact antithesis of this and therefore really do need to be removed … and hopefully replaced with more coloured wonder.

Get your craft on people! Responsibly, of course.

New yarn-bomb

My first rainbow yarn-bomb was installed exactly one year ago today.
It was so vibrant when first put up.

first image of first yarn-bomb; 1st Nov 2011

Time and weather have not been kind to it; it has required a few repairs over the year, mine and others.

Thus, I decided to replace it – I personally don’t think it’s right to impose craft on the public space without being responsible for its aging.

I pulled the first one down yesterday (before the rain). It was so dirty and had a spidery kind of resident; and the colour was so faded.

first yarn-bomb, removed and sad

The new yarn-bomb has been crocheted instead of knitted – it took at the most a quarter of the time!

before putting up

This time I didn’t get all stealth about the installation: instead of getting up at dawn, I just did it around lunch time, knowing that the local council actually support this activity (within reason).

second yarn-bomb … Yarn-bomb II; 31st October 2012

And it’s vibrant again!

I hope the school-kidsters like it.