I stared at my old project proposal and I was ready to re-write the little essay. Something should just…happen, right? I shortened the essay to a few key bullet points: Apply Asian knitting and history into the essay, 21st century modern knitting revival, textiles and techniques, what knitting represents to the modern knitter than the past, does affordability affect modern crafting culture?

Enter the brick wall. I was running up against it, and bouncing off. I stared it down and chipped at it with a nail.

Knitting as protest, knitting as stress relief, knitting as family connection, creation of 90’s Stitch N’ Bitch?

Okay. Now there’s some ideas. Now let’s do some research. What is yarn bombing? The Oxford Dictionary defines it as: the action or activity of covering objects or structures in public places with decorative knitted or crocheted material, as a form of street art. I wanted to compare this definition with the Urban Dictionary, but the definition is largely the same. However, there is a mention that instead of regular graffiti which may be decorative or territorial, yarn bombing is about reclaiming the sterile parts of town. I wonder if the reclamation is only restricted to sterile or cold places. Could it also represent reclaiming the parts of town which are forgotten about? Also, what is the claiming for? What is the goal?

In 2009, a yarn bombing group in London was established called “Knit the City.” They say their intention is to, “bring the art of the sneaky stitch to a world without wool.” Alright, now we have an idea of what  yarn bombing is. I have looked at their website and they say they have no political or “gritty underside” of their actions. They just want to bring character to their communities. My essay has changed a little since yarn bombing isn’t a form of political protest. It can still be protest but only of how boring the surroundings are.

There is an article by the guardian all about different types of modern knitting protests.  The act is described as gentle activism. A person who wants to protest against hunting can make a taxidermy head out of yarn and mount that on a wall. It starts up a conversation and strikes the eye.

In Panipat, India there is the movement named the Raj Art Initiative. The initiative was created to celebrate the lives of Panipat’s factory carpet weavers. Members of the initiative used yarn from their town and yarn bombed any town on the popular weaver’s migration route. The effect of random bits of yarn drew attention to their factories. Now they have been commissioned art and are changing locations to Delhi.

In San Francisco, there is an Asian Art Museum which uses yarn bombing or “tree wrapping” to advertise their building. I learned from reading their government proposal that tree wrapping using yarn actually benefits the tree and prevents sun damage. I thought it was the other way around.