London's graffiti knitters (original) (raw)

Hubbub of Hearts, Piccadilly Circus (February 2011) Knit the City’s highest yarnstorm. A string of handmade hearts hooked onto the end the bow of the Anteros statue, which is seven metres above Piccadilly Circus. Yarnstormed around midday the day before Valentine’s Day to spread a little woolly love in the city. A crowd of passers by broke out in applause when the piece was finally installed. The installation also included a handmade Wills and Kate by Shorn-a the Dead to celebrate the upcoming Royal Wedding, and a flurry of knitted ‘Woolly Website’ hearts by Lady Loop showcasing the weirdest ‘WillsnKate’ finds on the internet.

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Referring to its members as a group of "friendly neighbourhood graffiti knitters", London-based collective Knit The City has garlanded the streets of London with knitted figures and covers since 2009. They've named the process 'yarnstorming'. Here, one of its founders, 'Deadly Knitshade', shares the stories behind some of their most memorable operations. Knit the City's book Knit the City: A Whodunnknit shows many more. Hubbub of Hearts; Piccadilly Circus (February 2011) Showing a string of handmade hearts hooked onto the end the bow of the Anteros statue, seven metres above Piccadilly Circus, this is Knit the City's highest yarnstorm. The piece was installed at around midday the day before Valentine's Day; a crowd of passersby broke out in applause when the piece was unveiled. The installation also included handmade figures of Prince William and Kate Middleton to celebrate the upcoming Royal Wedding.

Credit:Lauren O'Farrell

Covent Garden Cosy, Covent Garden (June 2009) Knit the City’s first public yarnstorm on Worldwide Knit in Public Day. Yarnstorm target chosen for the amusement of milling Covent Garden visitors. Filmed by BBC News who used KTC’s term ‘yarnstorm’ as a more creative and fluffier alternative to the US term ‘yarnbomb’.

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Covent Garden Cosy; Covent Garden (June 2009) This was Knit the City's first public yarnstorm and it was timed to coincide with Worldwide Knit in Public Day. The target was chosen due to the density of visitors who congregate in Covent Garden and the event was filmed by the BBC. Their report used the term 'yarnstorm', which saw it gain popularity over the US alternative 'yarnbomb'.

Credit:Lauren O'Farrell

Deadly Knitshade’s Banksy Rat, Unexpected Artworks, Tate Britain (September 2011) Tate Britain invited Knit the City to create graffiti yarnstorms at the Tate Late event, which has a ‘make do and mend’ theme. Deadly Knitshade created several ’stitched spray can’ tributes to her street art heroes. The pieces were removed at the end of the evening to be released into the wild another time.

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Deadly Knitshade's Banksy Rat; Tate Britain (September 2011) Tate Britain invited Knit the City to create graffiti yarnstorms at the September 2011 Tate Late event, which had a 'make do and mend' theme. Group memeber Deadly Knitshade created several 'stitched spray can' tributes to her street art heroes. The pieces were removed at the end of the evening but will appearances elsewhere in the future.

Credit:Lauren O'Farrell

Nutcracker Knitmare Before Christmas, Royal Opera House (December 2009) Plazzotta's Young Dancer statue was besieged by hand knit and crocheted characters for The Nutcracker Suite clambering all over her in a Gulliver’s Travels-style yarnstorm. The piece was yarnstormed at several degrees below zero with frozen fingers. The entire yarnstorm took about an hour to install, with much of the structure decided on site. It lasted less than 24 hours. The installation was filmed by documentary makers Alt Artist.

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Nutcracker Knitmare Before Christmas; Royal Opera House (December 2009) Plazzotta's Young Dancer statue was besieged by hand-knit and crocheted characters from The Nutcracker Suite clambering all over her in a Gulliver's Travels-style yarnstorm. The piece was applied at several degrees below zero with frozen fingers. The entire yarnstorm took about an hour to install, with much of the structure decided on site. It lasted less than 24 hours.

Credit:Lauren O'Farrell

Stitched Street Art, Deptford Market (November 2011) Deadly Knitshade’s ‘Stitched Street Art’ knitted nods to her graffiti heroes were yarnstormed in Deptford Market for the BBC’s Britain in a Day project, along with items by The Fastener. The pieces stayed up an unusually long time for KTC artworks, lasting about two weeks. Deptford Market was chosen as a target as Knitshade’s ‘Fleece Station’ studio is based in the area. KTC’s first yarnstorm outside central London. During the yarnstorm a Deptford resident approached to tell Knitshade and The Fastener to ‘keep up the good work’.

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Stitched Street Art; Deptford Market (November 2011) Deadly Knitshade's 'Stitched Street Art' pays homage to some of her graffiti heroes and was yarnstormed in Deptford Market for the BBC's Britain in a Day project. Work by Knit the City member The Fastener were also included and the pieces stayed up an unusually long time for KTC artworks, lasting about two weeks. Deptford Market was chosen as a target because Knitshade's 'Fleece Station' studio is based in the area; this was KTC's first yarnstorm outside central London. During the yarnstorm a Deptford resident approached to tell Knitshade and The Fastener to 'keep up the good work'.

Credit:Lauren O'Farrell

Gate of Ghouls, Aldwych Station, The Strand (October 2009) A bit of handmade Halloween horror made in tribute to the ghost stories set around London’s disused Aldwych station. The yarnstorm included LED lights to add to the spookiness. The piece lasted a little while, being stolen in bits and pieces over the next few days until only a skeleton hand remained.

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Gate of Ghouls; Aldwych Station, The Strand (October 2009) These ghoulish handmade figures were made as a tribute to the ghost stories set around London's disused Aldwych station. The yarnstorm included LED lights to add to the spookiness. The piece lasted a little while, being stolen in bits and pieces over the next few days until only a skeleton hand remained.

Credit:Lauren O'Farrell

“When I grow rich”, Oranges and Lemons Odyssey, St Leonard's Church, Shoreditch (August 2009) The Oranges and Lemons Odyssey was a six-hour yarnstorm taking in all six of London’s churches from the Oranges and Lemon’s Nursery Rhyme, in order. This piece was Lady Loops “When I grow rich” featuring coins and fruit on a handmade vine. The yarnstorm was also the first graffiti knit to be publicised in real time live on Twitter @knitthecity, so followers could watch worldwide.

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"When I grow rich", Oranges and Lemons Odyssey; St Leonard's Church, Shoreditch (August 2009) The Oranges and Lemons Odyssey was a six-hour yarnstorm taking in all six of London's churches from the Oranges and Lemon's Nursery Rhyme, in order. This piece was Lady Loops "When I grow rich" featuring coins and fruit on a handmade vine. The yarnstorm was also the first graffiti knit to be publicised in real time live through Twitter, so followers could watch worldwide.

Credit:Lauren O'Farrell

Phone Box Cosy, Parliament Square (August 2009) Knit the City’s most infamous piece, the Parliament Square Phone Box Cosy was yarnstormed in the late afternoon and took approximately an hour to install. The team measured and created the piece over six weeks before the installation, having to work at the National Theatre and the Royal Festival Hall to find spaces large enough to create the cosy. The collective were issued with a ‘Stop and Search’ notice by police during installation which said ‘Seen decorating telephone box for craft project’ but were allowed to complete the piece, providing it was removed after photography. The iconic image has been published in press all over the world. KTC’s Deadly Knitshade is currently producing a phone box cosy of her own for BT’s ArtBox project to raise funds for the NSPCC. Due to go on show in London in June.

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Phone Box Cosy; Parliament Square (August 2009) Knit the City's most infamous piece, the Parliament Square Phone Box Cosy was yarnstormed in the late afternoon and took approximately an hour to install. The team measured and created the piece over six weeks before the installation, having to work at the National Theatre and the Royal Festival Hall to find spaces large enough to create the cosy. The collective were issued with a 'Stop and Search' notice by police during installation which said 'Seen decorating telephone box for craft project' but were allowed to complete the piece, providing it was removed after being photographed. The iconic image has been published in press all over the world. KTC's Deadly Knitshade is currently producing a phone box cosy of her own for the ArtBox project to raise funds for the NSPCC. It's scheduled to go on show in London in June 2012.

Credit:Lauren O'Farrell

Handmade Herd, London Bridge (October 2010) Knit the City’s reminder that free men (and ladies) can by law herd sheep across London Bridge. Yarnstormed early afternoon on a lazy Sunday during ‘Wool Week’ (an initiative to support the production and use of British wool). Each of the sheep had its own name and back story. One of the sheep may well have been a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The piece took approximately 3 days to make. It was stolen in less than 24 hours.

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Handmade Herd; London Bridge (October 2010) This installation functioned as Knit the City's reminder that free men (and ladies) are legally entitled to herd sheep across London Bridge. It was put in place during 'Wool Week' (an initiative to support the production and use of British wool). Each of the sheep had its own name and back story. The piece took approximately three days to make. It was stolen in less than 24 hours.

Credit:Lauren O'Farrell

Plarchie the Giant Knitted Squid, Natural History Museum (August 2010) Plarchie is an 8-metre replica of the Natural History Museum’s own giant squid specimen ‘Archie’. Created by Deadly Knitshade from 160 Sainsbury’s carrier bags, the stitched cephalopod took over 80 hours to create (or four DVD box sets) and has become quite a phenomenon when the image was picked up by the Boing Boing website on Charles Darwin’s birthday. Plarchie is the only KTC yarnstorm to have been kept, and has appeared in the V&A, Tate Britain, Prince Charle’s Start Garden Party, on the banks of the Spree River for the launch of the German edition of the Knit the City book, and as part of Lab Binaer’s ‘Defined By’ art installation in Augsburg, Germany. Plarchie now has his own Twitter account @plarchie.

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Plarchie the Giant Knitted Squid; Natural History Museum (August 2010) Plarchie is an eight-metre replica of the Natural History Museum's own giant squid specimen 'Archie'. Created by Deadly Knitshade from 160 Sainsbury's carrier bags, the stitched cephalopod took over 80 hours to create and became an internet hit after the image was picked up by the Boing Boing website on Charles Darwin's birthday. Plarchie is the only KTC yarnstorm to have been kept, and has appeared in the V&A, Tate Britain, Prince Charle's Start Garden Party and at events in Germany.

Credit:Lauren O'Farrell

Plunder of Pirates, Pirate Castle, Camden (May 2010) Scurvy Captain Skelebones was one of three stitched pirates created as part of the Camden Crawl Festival, where KTC also ran a ‘graffiti yarnstorm’ workshop. The hanged pirates took several days to make and were stolen by the end of the afternoon. Deadly Knitshade (who created the pirate pictured) helped a small boy and his mum steal her skeletal stitching when they had trouble loosening the noose. The Mum promised he’d look after it.

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Plunder of Pirates; Pirate Castle, Camden (May 2010) Scurvy Captain Skelebones was one of three stitched pirates created as part of the Camden Crawl Festival, where KTC also ran a 'graffiti yarnstorm' workshop. The hanged pirates took several days to make and were stolen by the end of the afternoon. Deadly Knitshade (who created the pirate pictured) helped a small boy and his mum steal her skeletal stitching when they had trouble loosening the noose.

Credit:Lauren O'Farrell

Web of Woe, Leake Street (August 2009) The Web of Woe was Knit the City’s first 3D yarnstorm. A full 13-foot from end to end the yarnstorm consisted of 44 horrified handmade creatures at the mercy of a giant knitted spider. The piece took over two hours to install with preliminary work taking place 24 hours before to ensure the glue for the hooks had time to set. Many of the items were stolen within 24 though some survived almost a week. It was KTCs first ‘stitched story’ moving away from the graffiti knitting trend to make ‘cosies’.

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Web of Woe; Leake Street (August 2009) The Web of Woe was Knit the City's first 3D yarnstorm. Measuring13ft from end to end the yarnstorm consisted of 44 horrified handmade creatures at the mercy of a giant knitted spider. The piece took over two hours to install with preliminary work taking place 24 hours beforehand to ensure the glue for the hooks had time to set. Many of the items were stolen within a day although some survived almost a week. It was KTCs first 'stitched story', moving away from the graffiti knitting trend to instead make 'cosies'.

Credit:Lauren O'Farrell

Punk Pole Cover, Trafalgar Square (June 2009) A quick ‘throw up’ tag from Deadly Knitshade’s early solo yarnstorming career. Yarnstormed on Worldwide Knit in Public Day on Stitch London’s ‘Knit Crawl’ event as one of four throughout the day. The piece was removed within a few hours. The lions were impressed though.

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Punk Pole Cover, Trafalgar Square (June 2009) This pole cover was a quick 'throw up' tag from Deadly Knitshade's early solo yarnstorming career. It was put in place on Worldwide Knit in Public Day as part of a 'knit crawl' event organised by Stitch London. The piece was removed within a few hours.

Credit:Lauren O'Farrell

Weekend of the Woolly Wildflowers, Angouleme, France (January 2012) Deadly Knitshade’s solo yarnstorm to celebrate the street art freedom at Angouleme’s Festival International de la Bande Dessinee. Several flowers and the festival Cat mascot were also placed on the statue of the head of Herge’s in the centre of the city. The pieces took about a day to create the knitting and a few hours to create the shapes themselves. The flower inspiration came from the street art of Michael De Feo and a copy cat artist Knitshade emulated as part of the ‘Defined By’ project in Augsburg, Germany.

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Weekend of the Woolly Wildflowers; Angouleme, France (January 2012) As Knit the City's projects become more well-known, opportunities to install works abroad have increased. This piece was part of an individual yarnstorm by Deadly Knitshade, celebrating Angouleme's Festival International de la Bande Dessinee in France. Several flowers and a reproduction of the festival mascot were also placed on the statue of Hergé in the centre of the city. The flower design was partially inspired by the street art of Michael De Feo.

Credit:Lauren O'Farrell