Posts Tagged ‘Berkely’

In the Third Dimension

Thursday, November 17th, 2011

In complete contradiction to my last post about yarn-wrapping (great comments by the way – I do think yarn bombing is evolving too!), Margaret from the UK sent us these photos of these sculptural yarn bombs (if I dare say, a bit reminiscent of Patricia Waller):


Cupcakes!


Crabs!


and, books!

And in other news, Occupy Berkeley is having a knit-in and needs your help. Here are the details as we received them:

We are encamped at Occupy Berkeley (San Francisco Bay Area). We planned this knit-in which got rained out, but there was so much excitement that we will do another. People were asking what projects we’re going to do. Some suggested yarnbombing which may well come into Occupy play. Meantime, though, people are planning to knit hats and scarves and mittens for Occupiers in colder places, already in contact with someone who visited us from NYC. The idea is that locals will drop by things they’ve knitted or crocheted, hopefully with a photo and note attached, and those not local will send c/o me and we will then do a media thing to get these solidarity boxes sent off to those braving yet worse conditions than we have with massive winds and pounding rains, and on the receiving end they can do another media thing about solidarity from the rest of us. You know that anything warm we can knit them they will use well, and enjoy.

We also are accepting natural fiber yarns and needles and crochet hooks which can be shared with novice knitters and crocheters to get them going.

If people want to help in this larger solidarity action, they can send things as quickly as possible to:

Occupy Berkeley!
2399 East1 4th St. #24
San Leandro, CA 94577

Ideally we’d have enough to send a first box in mid-December but if not enough by then, we can make them holiday packages.

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Guest Post by Streetcolor

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

International Yarn Bombing Day – Recap 5. A guest post by Streetcolor from Berkeley, California.


All images courtesy of Streetcolor.

When I heard about International Yarnbombing Day, I immediately wanted to do something better than anything I had ever done before. I believe every yarnbomber in the world had this same response exactly. After some thought I decided to yarnbomb the Bart train. I would have liked to do the whole train but settled for yarnbombing a seat . The Bart seats are becoming famous for their decrepitude and I thought it would be an artistic solution to the problem.

I knit with great determination for a month pretty solidly encountering many gaps in my understanding of how to make a slipcover. I enjoyed reading the many discussions going on in newspapers, blogs and Facebook about International Yarnbombing Day. I was delighted that one person – Joann Matvichuk had made this happen. I knit faster and faster. I also had to spin all the yarn.

I finally got the piece done at 10.00 on Sat and rushed over to the Bart to get it installed. It amused me that I was being very dramatic about the deadline – but I was part of something exciting and big!

I slid my slipcover on the seat, took pictures and heretically took the piece off the seat and took it home again. I couldn’t bear to have it thrown away. I’ll use it again in other yarnbombing adventures.

The best part of International Yarnbombing Day was coming home and looking at the pictures and posts from yarnbombers all over the world on Facebook. Having this holiday and deadline was obviously intensely energizing and inpiring for hundreds of people. The group energy really carried us along.

Here are some things I liked:

1 I liked the modest and tender small yarnbombs, the bold, raucous, bright pieces, the large, enthusiastic, collage collective pieces and the explosive feeling of energy

2. I liked the woman who kept posting more and more pieces- ” I did this and this and this and this!”

3. I liked all the new yarn bombers

5. I especially liked the really big ambitious installations, Suzanne Tidwell, Graffiti Grannys, your piece, and the growing theatricality of some of the presentations. Yarnbombing is a very rich art form.

Yarnbombing always makes me feel that I can do anything, it’s very free and freeing. It pulls us out of ourselves into a happier place.

-Streetcolor
(My account of my own entertainment is at www.streetcolor.wordpress.com)

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