YARNBOMBING (original) (raw)

The Jafagirls(Nancy and Corrine aka Jafabrit) have been yarnbombing since 2007 with the first being the Knit Knot Tree on Xenia Avenue which drew international attention..When the knit knot tree covering was removed we recycled some of it and started the Dayton Street Project, covering many of the trees, poles and benches on that street. To date we have done at least 80 yarnbombs mostly in and around Yellow Springs, with a few in Ann Arbor MI, Hershey PA, South Bend IN, and one in Taiwan.

Disclaimer: Not one single tree, pole, or bench has been damaged in the process of craft or yarnbombing nor taxpayers money used to remove them.

Yarnbombing from 2007 -2012

October 2013

August 2013

Yarnbombing and Spray Paint 2009 featured on Oddee:

Snowflake Tree 2010

Knit Knot Tree 11 (Jafaworkz Collective)

and yes that is a REAL cop who is helping us Yarnbomb.

Knit Knot Tree 1 2007

Knit Graffiti in Yellow Springs

Great Video by Susan Gartner

Reusing OLD Knit Graffiti

“They should use yarn for more worthy causes like the homeless.”

Does this rule apply to all the materials an artist/crafter uses, or just yarn?

It’s a noble idea, it really is, BUT unfortunately an antiquated one that not only does a disservice but doesn’t address the real needs, such as one shelter that had toilet paper at the top of their list. While it’s lovely and important to donate knitted items to specific organizations who want knitted items homeless shelters/homeless have much more pressing needs (safe place to sleep, to wash, money, sleeping bags, thermal blankets, diapers, food , clean sock , for example). Most online organizations have a priority needs list. Here is a general list for Homeless Shelters which highlights the priority needs for donations . Professional Clothing and textiles are of particular importance. According to Charity guide“Collectively, Americans discard two quadrillion pounds (that’s a two with fifteen zeroes) of used clothing and textiles into the landfills each year.” The charity guide states they need professional clothes and shoes, wraps for burial, specialty clothing. Here is another list of how to support the homeless in your community (call your local shelter/org first and check out their priority list of needs).

Please don’t ASSume that knit graffiti artists haven’t already found a way to help the homeless in a way that serves THEIR needs best.

Questions That Often Come Up

Worried Knitting Will Damage Tree? To date there is no evidence that any trees have been damaged due to yarnbombing, however there is evidence that burning oil to generate electricty damages some trees, along with fertilizers/pestisides and salty compounds used on sidewalks, roads and highways during the winter.

Perhaps the person who left this comment on youtube “That yarn will kill the tree use your head the bark needs sunlight and O2.” could spend a little time learning about the needs of different trees ahem! and tree bark health, such as this article about trees being exposed to sun and sunburn. “There are quite a few sunburned tree trunks in Oregon forests, even in landscaped yards.” Info about Tree Wrapping

Don’t they have anything better to do?

You mean like hit a ball with a stick for hours on end, or watch a car go round and round and round a track, watch tv all night, play video games, read magazines, or sit in a smoke filled casino for hours on end

What happens when the knitting gets wet? It dries

What happens when the yarnbombing gets old? We take it down, wash and recycle what we can for other yarnbombs or other projects (such as the watering can for a charity auction or the traveling storybox).

What if feels like to be homeless: Unless you have gone through it it’s hard to know. The first priority is to have a safe place to sleep, a safe place to get washed, clean clothes (especially business type clothes for going to job interviews)/decent shoes, and food.