All images courtesy of Tricot Pirate.
It has been a while since we’ve interviewed a yarn bomber on our blog. Karine, aka the Tricot Pirate, hails from Montreal, Quebec. She’s a full time artist who works in stylish stripes and has a lot to say about the practice of knit graffiti.
How did you get into knit graffiti?
I was involved in the Montreal Church of Craft back in 2002, where I learned how to knit, and later on was very unpopular at school with my textile art doing my bachelor’s degree in 2003-2005. I used to make artist books with fabric and knitted pages. I was completely psyched about crafting, and how I could bring it into art. So here I am, wrapping yarn around parking meters, happy like never before! I guess you can call it a guilty pleasure
Where do you create your tags? What sort of materials do you work with?
I have very nomadic knitting habits, I do it at home (of course) while watching True Blood or Dexter, on the bus, in the park…I sometimes organize knitting tea parties so I
can call it a social event.
Do you have a signature style?
I plan on learning crochet very soon, my mom is very good at it. I love tagging on trees,and the coming winter makes me wonder if people will actually leave it because of the
cold. My signature is a pink heart with two knitting needles as crossbones. I don’t write my name or anything. I just sew the tag to the edge of the knitting piece.
What time of day do you tag? How often?
At first I tried to go early in the morning because I was shy, but now I do it as soon as I finish a piece, as long as there is enough light so I can take a picture. Sometimes I tag many times a month, sometimes less, it depends.
I get inspired by the yarn itself. I get it for cheap at church bazars. It’s a real treasure chest!
All images courtesy of Tricot Pirate.
What do you say when people ask you what you are knitting?
I tell them I want to make them think about their grandmother.
Have you ever been caught in the act yarn-bombing?
Caught by the authorities? Not yet.
What’ s the best piece of knitting graffiti that you’ ve ever executed?
Actually, it was made of fabric, I called it “Stellar Fruits”. But it didn’t stay overnight. I suspect the student’s initiation week.
All images courtesy of Tricot Pirate.
Do you photograph your work or keep a blog?
Of course. I have a website: http://karinefournier.com
A Livejournal: http://miss-agonie.livejournal.com/
A Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/80461781@N00/
And I’m on Twitter as well: http://twitter.com/tricot_pirate
