Graffiti knitting, also called yarn bombing and yarn storming, is a loose international movement that blends graffiti and fiber arts, primarily knitting and crochet. Graffiti knitters make their pieces in private, often in groups, and then install them in public spaces. The yarn bombs are temporary, as they are easily removed by cutting the yarn with scissors, and the yarn itself deteriorates after a few weeks of being exposed to the elements. Just as paint graffiti is known to straddle the lines between art and politics, graffiti knitting groups engage with issues relevant to their local communities and spaces though in an artistic, often humorous, way. Although graffiti knitting is technically just as illegal as graffiti painting, it is very rarely prosecuted.
Key Issues
Graffiti knitting is a tactic that can be used to comment on a wide variety of issues. By its nature, it is often concerned with the use and appearance of public space. Many groups also comment on issues related to gender, as knitting is often associated with women and graffiti with men, and environmentalism, via sustainable practices like re-using yarn and highlighting nature (or the lack thereof) in urban environments.
Key Organizations
Yarnbombing Los Angeles
Knit the City
Knit the Bridge
Knitta Please
Contributed by Samantha Close
