Yarn Bombing

A strange phenomenon began appearing around town several years ago in Berkeley. Knitted or crocheted "cosies" began appearing wrapped around poles, bike racks and civic outdoor art. They were colorful, handmade, fanciful, and served no practical purpose--which I believe was the point. Nobody was ever seen putting them up--which I also believe was the point (if there could be said to be a point to any of it, other than to bemuse and entertain).

This morning I ventured down to the Arts District in search of a blip and hit the jackpot. A woman with a folding chair and a bag of yarn was applying a cosy to a pole, (designed to keep people from backing onto the sidewalk, or driving headlong through the front windows of the restaurant?) in front of The Spinster Sisters. She was reluctant to have her picture taken since her work is meant to be anonymous, though she said, "everybody knows it's me". She offered to take my picture with her latest creation, a "seasonal" one and her third in this location.

She said this activity is called "yarn bombing" because of the stealth nature of the "attacks" on otherwise utilitarian objects. It occurs to me that a cosy over the much hated parking meters downtown would be applauded by many, if not the city fathers, but it no doubt goes against some unwritten code about not interfering with anything with an obvious purpose. She pointed out several other examples of her work in the neighborhood*, and told me about a communal effort to "bomb the Civic Center last year. Knitted balls were hung from the trees, statues sported warm scarves and shawls, and poles and benches were upholstered.

It is a sad comment that my yarn bomber was using zip ties to secure her cosy because it decreases the likelihood of someone stealing it. I thought that if someone felt the need to steal it, perhaps that should just be considered part of the charm of the project. After all, who would want to steal it unless they appreciated the intent of the whole effort?. I don't think she saw it that way....