Yarn Bombing in the Queen City!

As R.U.E. regulars have likely noticed, a topic that I find endlessly fascinating is graffiti and other forms of urban subversion.  So, I was thrilled to find out that next Thursday (August 19) the Dunlop Art Gallery is having a yarn bombing workshop and yarn bombing party the following week in the RPL Sunken Garden (see below for more details).

For those who are unfamiliar with yarn bombing it is exactly what it sounds like – graffiti that is knit, crocheted, tatted, wrapped, and woven.  It is a great way to change and play with the urban form in a semi-permanent way.  Projects can be big, small, simple, or extremely complex.

I love the contrast of hard surfaces with the warmth and softness of fabric, and as a knitter I also appreciate the challenge that it would present to knit around a fixed object.  Click here for lots of examples of this fibre-subversion.

Here are the details on how you can get in on the Yarn Bomb action, August 19, 2010:

Yarn Bomb!

Thursday August 19 from 6:30 – 8:30pm

Central Library (2311 12^th Avenue)

Everyone welcome – Yarn Provided

Help us Yarn Bomb the Library’s Sunken Garden! Yarn Bombing (or Knit Graffiti) is the newest trend in outsider urban art. Experienced and beginner knitters are welcome to join us at the Dunlop Art Gallery for a workshop led by experts from the Golden Willow Natural Fibre shop. All instruction is provided. Help us bring this ‘secret space’ alive with colourful fibre! Please pre-register by calling Catherine at the Dunlop: 777-6044.

Yarn Bomb Party

Thursday August 26 from 6:30 – 8:30pm

Help us cover the Library’s Sunken Garden with Knit Graffiti! Come to the workshop on August 19, then join us a week later to ‘bomb’ the space with colourful wool. Please pre-register by calling Catherine at the Dunlop: 777-6044.