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Knitting public art
I don't knit. I've tried, but even when I've attempted a scarf, it ends up weird shaped. Anna knits. She's waxed poetic about it in a post about the pleasures of knitting and travel. Here's another reason to grab some knitting needles and yarn.
While leafing through a back copy of Reader's Digest at my in-laws this weekend, I saw a snippet on women in Houston, Texas who are turning their scraps of unfinished scarves and other knitted items into public art. They are wrapping park benches, fire hydrants, bike racks--anything that can use a bit of color and dressing up. The group is called Knitta and has been doing their thing since 2005.
They aren't the only ones. Knitters in the Midwest are also prettying up the world with their craft. There's a woman in Yellow Springs, Ohio, one of those incredibly artsy, literary towns that I adore, who has dressed a tree with help from others. With as gloomy as Ohio can look in the winter, what a great idea for making folks smile.
If you happen to pass by some knitted art, and you might--the women in Houston have knitted art in El Salvador, Paris and at the Great Wall of China-- maybe you'll get some inspiration to knit some art yourself.
Filed under: Activism, Arts and Culture, Stories, China, France, El Salvador, United States, News
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
CJ Apr 15th 2008 5:35PM
How dumb. What a waste of yarn. They could be making blankets for premature babies or children in hospitals instead.
jafabrit Apr 15th 2008 9:20PM
Several people have stated that about yarn CJ, but you see like many multi media artists, yarn is one of the many materials (we recycle a lot of things to make art) we use for our various artworks. It could be argued that all the materials we use could be put to better use, and yarn is no different. You may think it dumb but our knitting project has brought a lot of joy to the public, most especially the children, and that is never a waste.
To see the history of the knit knot tree please visit: www.jafagirlart.com
We answer some of the concerns people bring up about our art.
My question to you is how do you know we don't donate our time and art materials/art to various causes?
sgoralnick Apr 16th 2008 6:20PM
by that logic, wouldn't using the yarn up on one measley baby be a waste? this way, it's benefitting tens or hundreds more people: those that see it and smile, those who read about it online, those who are suprred to discuss it one way or another. would [insert famous painter's name here]'s supplies be put to better use for painting lines on roads or the outsides of gas stations? :)