Something has been going on in London. First, I see a short BBC piece about women dressing Covent Garden in yarn. Then I see photos of a colourful knitted phone booth near the London Eye. Suddenly I find myself looking at a twitpic and falling in love with the cutest and creepiest looking creatures left around London…then I’m looking at photo upon photo of knitted lemons and oranges hanging from trees…
What is this all about? Who is doing this? A group of crafty and clever ladies who go by the group moniker Knit the City. We asked these unusual suspects the usual questions and received some very unique answers:
Tell us about yourselves…..
We’re Knit the City. The Knit the City Yarn Corps consists of six lone woolly wolves who banded together to knit their city and beyond. We’re Londoners at heart but we grew up all over. Like some kind of itchy rash.
Deadly Knitshade: If I told you all about me I’d have to kill you. I generally don’t like killing. It gets the yarn all bloody.
The Purple Purler: I am a distant relation of the Scarlet Pimpernel. I grew up in the arse-end of nowhere, and moved to the Metropolis over 2 years ago. I’ve now become quite a face (behind a mask) at a lot of society’s key events. If I get to do the Viennese Waltz with some vampire then I consider it a bloody good night! I’m too old to be the child I think I am, but too young to retire!
Bluestocking Stitcher: I grew up in the grey suburbs and escaped to London. By day, I am a frustrated academic. It’s rude to ask a lady her age.
Shorn-a the Dead: I’m a mutant hybrid of Wales and New Zealand, land of the ovine zombies. In sheep years I am 112.
Knitting Ninja: Avenger of crimes committed against non-knitted landscapes. Language teacher by day.
Lady Loop: A writer of words, a knitter of yarn and, above all, a Lady.
How did you get into textile graffiti?
Deadly Knitshade: After a near-tragic accident on the London Underground, involving the dreaded ‘tube sanitiser’ I very nearly met my death. Fate smiled in the furry form of some very helpful tube mice. Since that day I’ve been cursed to walk the earth blighted by ‘knitblasts’ I can’t control. Terribly embarrassing at parties.
The Purple Purler – Having discovered exactly what my distant cousin, the Scarlet Pimpernel used to get up to, I thought it only right to release the knit, my true love, from the acrylic-hoarding clutches of grannies up and down the country! I moved into releasing crochet when I realised it’s fate was just as perilous!
Bluestocking Stitcher: I was sitting in the library one day, reading an old manuscript of the Canterbury Tales. I found a scribbled out section of prologue. The nun’s priest was complaining about how drab and boring Southwark was, and was wanting to get away as soon as possible. As I left the library, I looked around me and saw that the streets were still drab, there was still no colour. At that point I decided to add touches of colour to make it a bit prettier.
Shorn-a the Dead: I was high on sheep dip one winter’s night and it seemed like a good idea. Originally the plan was to mummify the entire city in a cocoon of possum-merino blend, Sheepra style – but logistics got in the way so yarnstorming it is.
Knitting Ninja: I first learnt the importance of the needle at Assassin School, where we had to make our own clothes.
Lady Loop: Twas those blasted underground knitting bars. Gah, how they lure you in with their colourful yarns and sweet, sweet smiles.
How long has your crew been together? How did the members meet each other?
Deadly Knitshade: Officially February 2009 on the South Bank in the company of the infamous PolyCotN of Knitta Please. Though we’ve been insulting each other and fighting over cake for far longer. Unofficially and closer to the truth we were lured into the London sewers by a mysterious giant knitting rat. He said simply “I tire of teaching turtles. Sit with me and I will show you the way of the yarnstorm”. We followed him into the darkness and we’ve never looked back.
What sort of materials do you work with?
Purple Purler: Anything I can get my hands on…actually considering spinning (naturally shedded) cat hair…it’d be free!
Bluestocking stitcher: My tools of choice are brightly coloured acrylic, a 4mm crochet hook and a Dymo junior embosser.
Shorn-a the Dead: My weapon of choice is a shuriken-like Thread Cutter Pendant with concealed teeth for snipping effortlessly through yarn when on the move. Anything that is portable and can be worn around the neck or over the shoulder is the way to go.
Lady Loop: I have a penchant for blues, pinks and greens. It’s the colours of the family shield, don’t y’know.
Deadly Knitshade: I’m ever so fond of eyelash yarn. Really. It’s lovely to work with. And so elegant. Honestly. No really. Why are you looking at me like that?
Tell us how you go about the act of bombing. Do you knit or crochet, or do both?
Purple Purler: I’m a jack of all trades…at the moment I favour crochet because it’s so much quicker!
Deadly Knitshade: I knit. It isn’t because I can’t crochet. I just don’t want to crochet. Yes, that’s it.
Bluestocking stitcher: I mostly crochet. But sometimes use other crafts such as daisy looms or knotwork.
Shorn-a the Dead: I am a knitting fundamentalist.
Knitting Ninja: Knitting is my first name.
Lady Loop: One has just discovered the joys of the crochet. But those knitting needles aren’t gathering dust (like Daddy’s collection of stuffed geese) just yet.
Do you use other materials?
The Purple Purler: Pipe cleaners and felt are the order of the day at the moment. I also like to use shredded t-shirts…
Lady Loop: I might throw the odd diamond or two in for good measure.
Knitting Ninja: I’m a purist, sticking to just needles and yarn. Just as my masters taught me.
Deadly Knitshade: I’m quite liking buttons at the moment. They’re just so…buttony, y’know?
What are your favorite objects to tag?
Knitting Ninja: Anything that looks like it needs a piece of skilfully constructed knitting on it.
Lady Loop: Things that look dull.
Deadly Knitshade: Anything that screams London in your face. Places tourists pronounce wrong when they ask for directions. Museum signs. I like my knitblasts to have something to look at when I leave them. They get bored so easily.
Do you have a signature style?
Deadly Knitshade: I stripe everything. There was a major overdose of Dr Seuss when I was a tiny Knitshade. I’m also a fan of beady eyed creatures. They’re hard to leave behind though. My Whodunnknit tag is essential too.
Purple Purler: you can tell it’s one of mine by the purple flower I’ve tagged it with. I like to tag areas of touristy importance…the more sights I can get in the photos at once the better! I also like garish eyelash yarns which are awful to work with and look bloody hideous! I like to be able to moan a lot when I create…
Bluestocking stitcher: My normal style is small scale and designed to blend in to make people do a double take. My current favourite is to find railings with bushes poking through and attach small flowers to the railing so they nestle among the leaves. I tend to attach a little dymo tape label to each piece I do.
Knitting Ninja: Mine often involves knitted ladybirds.
Lady Loop: One is all about uneven striped pinks, blues and greens. It’s a tag, just like those dastardly graffiti kids.
How do you attach your tags?
The Purple Purler: It’s really a closely guarded secret, but we know you won’t tell anyone…we use cable ties of many colours! Mine are purple (SHOCK!).
Lady Loop: With the fine art of whip stitch.
Deadly Knitshade: With the power of my mind. And cable ties of green.
What time of day do you tag?
Purple Purler: Whenever I get round to it…
Bluestocking stitcher: All day and all of the night (as Ray Davies said).
Deadly Knitshade: I am considering asking Knitting Ninja to do me a chart of the most auspicious time to tag.
Lady Loop: Under the cloak of darkness. The daylight hours are spent hitchhiking back up to the English countryside and siphoning wool from the rare-breed sheep of private estates.
How do you get your inspiration for tags?
Deadly Knitshade: We’re inspired by our city and its dark and twisty history. By the kooky and spooky (huge fans of Tim Burton’s bulgy eyed beasts and Neil Gaiman’s spooky stuff). By cake and the promise of pear cider.
Does your family know you do this? Do your co-workers know?
Bluestocking stitcher: They know nothing. I am able to retain anonymity even when in full view. I may have perfected mind control – “You will forget you ever saw this”.
Knitting Ninja: I am a ninja. Stealth is my middle name.
Lady Loop: Daddy would never approve…
Deadly Knitshade: I can’t seem to resist the urge to announce my graffiti knitting at gatherings of more than three people. On a bus, queueing to use the ATM, dentist’s waiting room. I’m considering sending a memo around the office.
The Purple Purler: My excitable nature means I have yarnstorm tourettes and I end up blurting it out. Thankfully I wear a mask to work, so no-one knows who I am…
Have you ever been caught in the act yarn-bombing? What did you do?
Shorn-a the Dead: explained sweetly to the police that it was a ‘craft project’. Ahhh craft, it’s so snuggly and innocent-sounding.
Lady Loop: One scallywag once said I was a “knitting vandal”. A swift blow to the knees sorted that one out. Then there was this policeman. He was rather taken with our knitted phone cosy – he even took a photograph for his wife. But then he got silly. The gastly man gave me a Stop and Search slip! Criminal? Me? Pah.
Deadly Knitshade: We got served. I was so proud I nearly wept.
How did the idea for the telephone booth come about?
Deadly Knitshade: We’re London lovers and we’re lucky because London has so many objects that are just so…Londony. We decided a phonebox would ring that Londony bell in people. Especially one in the Parliament Square shadow of Big Ben. You couldn’t get more London if you tried. Unless we threw some roast beef and a picture of the Queen in there.
We’re not just about the Phonebox cosy. We’re equally proud of our Web of Woe. A 13-foot spider web of 44 horrified insects and one hungry arachnid. It dominated London’s Leake Street graffiti tunnel for all of 24 hours before it got pinched. Yarnstorm stealing swines!
What is Yarn-storming? What’s wrong with a little bombing?
Deadly Knitshade: Knit the City ‘yarnstorm’ rather than ‘yarnbomb’ as a move away from terrorist associations, being of a gentler disposition. The Yarn Corps feel a bit sheepish about being labelled as dastardly yarn terrorists. We live in a city where ‘bomb’ is possibly not the best word to bandy about, even if it is woolly. But everyone likes a storm. Yarnstorm is a little bit steampunk too. Gotta love a bit of steampunk, eh?
Shorn-a the Dead: ‘Storm’ is more London-centric – people are obsessed with talking about the weather so meteorlogical metaphors are, uh, the bomb.
Deadly Knitshade: I can’t believe you just said that. *shakes head*
Do you have any other words of wisdom for Yarn-Bombing readers?
Deadly Knitshade: If a yarnstormer yarnstorms in the forest and there’s only a family of rabid squirrels and an angry badger to see it, does that still count as a yarn storm?
Bluestocking stitcher: Put a full glass of water beside the bed before you go out on a night of heavy drinking to avoid dehydration. (Is that the right sort of wisdom?)
Shorn-a the Dead: Don’t eat the yellow snow.
Lady Loop: Don’t visit the Needle and Craft to the left of the tunnel in the East End. Of course, you’ll have to find the pub first …
Knitting Ninja: If you find something you like, buy a lifetime supply, because they will stop making it.
All photographs courtesy of Lauren O’Farrell
The mermaid in Vancouver’s Stanley Park keeps warm. Photo courtesy of Mary Alice Elcock.
