Yarn Bombing Day is annually observed on June 11. Yarn bombing, also known as yarn storming, is a form of street art that entails attaching crocheted or knitted patterns to a public structure or object, such as benches or trees. Because yarn does not damage property like spray paint does, yarn bombing is considered a method for reclaiming and beautifying public spaces. This innovative art movement began in 2011, expanding knitting and crochet beyond caps and apparel to add colour and significance to urban environments.
HISTORY OF YARN BOMBING DAY
Yarn bombing is believed to have originated in the United States with Texas knitters seeking a creative outlet for their leftover and unfinished knitting projects, but it has since expanded around the globe. According to the Houston Press, Bill Davenport was the grand old man of Houston crocheted sculpture in the 1990s, when he created and exhibited crochet-covered objects in Houston. Shanon Schollian created stump cosies for clear cuttings in Oregon in 2002. In 2005, Magda Sayeg of Houston is credited with initiating the yarn bombing craze by wrapping the door handle of her boutique with a custom-made, cosy yarn.
With the invention of the embroidered story, the “cosies” subgenre evolved. The concept is ascribed to Lauren O’Farrell of London, who founded the city’s first graffiti knitting collective, Knit the City. The ‘Stitched story’ concept uses handcrafted amigurumi creatures and characters to convey a story. The Knit the City collective was also the first to use O’Farrell’s term yarn storming to characterise their graffiti knitting, as opposed to yarnbombing.
Globally, yarn bombing has become increasingly prevalent. In September 2011, to celebrate its third anniversary, the Oklahoma City enterprise Collected Thread yarn bombed the Plaza District. The first Yarnbombing Day was observed on June 11, 2011 in Lethbridge, Alberta, by Joann Matvichuk.
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Five Interesting Facts About Yarn
Knitting relieves tension
Cotton yarn knitting or crocheting helps alleviate stress and burn calories.
The earliest samples of yarn
The earliest known samples of fabric and yarn were discovered in Switzerland and are estimated to be about 7,000 years old.
The yarn explosive is a thousand years old
Yarn bombing is a hyper-local activity with origins in a craft that dates back a millennium.
The earliest known textile graffiti artist
Grace Brett, a 104-year-old great-grandmother, was one of the most renowned textile bombers.
History of knitting is ambiguous
Because knitting fibres degrade over time, it is difficult for archaeologists to determine the age of this art form.
YARN BOMBING DAY DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | June 11 | Sunday |
| 2024 | June 11 | Tuesday |
| 2025 | June 11 | Wednesday |
| 2026 | June 11 | Thursday |
| 2027 | June 11 | Friday |
