To Help Create Community through Warm and Fuzzy Public Art
You’re walking through town when you notice a bus stop or tree (or other public structure) wearing… A sweater?
Yarn bomb discovered at the Shirlington Branch Library
Welcome to the world of Yarn Bombing – the stealth installation of colorful, hand-knit, temporary public art!
This is art that makes you smile, that makes you look at your surroundings more closely, and wakes you up to public spaces.
And you can help to create it!
- Drop in on stitch session with the Guerrilla Stitch Brigade on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the Arlington Artisphere (no meetings Nov. 21, Dec, 12, 16).
- Help to develop a collaborative installation that will bring color and art to Rosslyn!
Beginners are welcome, and experienced stitchers are invited to bring their own needles and hooks. We are also accepting donations of extra knitting needles, crochet hooks and/or yarn.
The artwork will feature “mosaics” of geometric units (circles, webs, hexagons, triangles, diamonds, paisleys, squares and rectangles) in a bright palette inspired by Art Deco ceramics — orange, red, blue, yellow turquoise and hot pink — overlaid with knitted and crocheted replicas of Virginia native flora and fauna (magnolias, dogwood, echinacea, trumpet vine, butterflies, beetles, spiders, moths, snakes, skinks, mudpuppies, etc).
Techniques can include traditional and free-form knitting and crochet. We ask that you use acrylic or synthetic fibers or blends, including novelty yarns, in a similar palette to what we have selected so the artwork will hold up well outdoors. Feel free use scraps and leftovers. Use any fibers and colors you like, including natural fibers, for the flowers and other ornaments, since they will not be load-bearing.
Get Involved Online
- Search for and connect with the “Artisphere Yarn Bomb” groups on Ravelry (membership is free)
- Visit Pinterest for examples of our visual inspiration and color palette.
- Share your own Artisphere Yarn Bomb pieces on Pinterest.
Questions? Contact Project Manager Jennifer Lindsay at artisphereknitting@gmail.com. Want to see more? Check out photos of the Guerrilla Stitch Brigade’s visit to the County Board Room last month, and the coverage on Arlington TV.
This project is a collaboration between Arlington Public Art, the Rosslyn BID and the Library.
