Knitting is not just an activity for boring old grannies anymore; hundreds of knitters around the world have begun wrapping their huge woolly creations around public property like trees, park benches and run down buildings. The phenomenon, called yarn bombing, is thought to have originated in the US and can also be known as knitted graffiti. The mission is to make street art “a little more warm and fuzzy.” Quite often dozens of balls of coloured wool are used to make huge sleeves or cosies which are then stitched onto a fixed object, sometimes done under the cover of darkness.

Yarn bombers go beyond what can be accomplished with painted graffiti to create a 3D style that is unique to their medium alone. Sometimes yarn bombing is even combined with paint, by painting over top of knitted swatches of fabric. These artists also draw observers to think about spaces in a different way and look at old objects in a new light.  Regardless of what targets these artists choose, yarn bombers are dedicated to making their mark on the everyday and making the world a more colourful place. They often then take photos of their colourful “art” and post them on internet sites for fellow knitters to view and comment on.

Here are some examples I thought were great -

This  must have taken some time!

Genius! Dr Who will never find the Tardis this time

Loving this one

I want a hat like this! But smaller, obviously!

Wonder how tall this statue

Don’t think this bike will get very far

This is a gorgeous addition to nature

And meanwhile in Berlin

I want to live here! How cool…

Funny take on “traditional” graffiti

Jo can usually be found blogging about fashion and makeup tips, her next few posts will be on  natural eye makeup and how to make it at home.