It’s so important to have a good reason to get out of bed in the morning and mine is I’m really excited to look at my blog. This is a little embarrassing but true. This morning I found a brisk discussion going on in Ravelry about whether yarnbombing is good or bad, whether yarnbombers should ask permission before they install and if people should yarnbomb statues, specifically sculpture at museums. I was very interested.
Another remark I read was that yarnbombing is not going to go away. I felt a surge of happiness when I read this. As yarnbombing sweeps into our culture we talk and think about it more and more deeply. What does it mean?
I believe in yarnbombing public space and common public objects like street poles, parking meters, bike racks, telephone poles, bus shelters, telephone booths and public transit. We are all in this public space which exists to benefit us all but is sort of invisible to us and we wander through it feeling detached. It’s our space but is created by local government. To decorate it with yarnbombing makes it personal again, domestic, playful, colorful and a space for art. I don’t ask permission because then it would never happen. Any one can take it down- I ask everyone’s permission for it to be there. It’ very democratic.
I love the big permitted installation that Magda Sayeg does-thrilling, beautiful-that’s another aspect of this sphere of yarnbombing.
I love to yarnbomb near museums to create discussion but I don’t yarnbomb their collections. That’s private space and property. I do love how it looks though.
So here’s my personal code-
1. Yarnbomb public space and objects.
2. Accept that everyone gets to decide if it stays up.
3. I don’t yarnbomb on private property, on museum’s collections and on other people art work.
Continue contemplating!
Some great pictures of yarnbombs in a Dublin paper here
A yarnbomb I put up in Asheville, N.C. near but not on The Flat Iron sculpture.
Streetcolor 
I am still hoping to see a dedicated yarnbomber show up in our area. Since I found your blog, I have become more conscious of poles and bike racks, thinking about which ones would be best and most visible so that they could be appreciated. Down with naked bike racks! Up with yarnbombing!
IF artists had to ask permission for everything they do nothing would ever get done, because taste and beauty, what is good or bad are subjective. Yarnbombing doesn’t HURT anybody, doesn’t hurt nature, the poles, and it isn’t damaging property.
considering the joy and fun it adds to people’s lives, the good outweighs the arguments it is bad by a very wide margin.
Which Ravelry forum was this discussion on?
hereit is video knitter http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/needlework-on-the-net/1624621/26-50
Wow, who knew there were so many uptight fiber people.
hey there!
I like your statements on yarnbombing.
Would you mind if I quoted you on my blog?
I will be doing a post about International Yarn bombing day.
cheers,
Denise,
a yarnbomber from Australia
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I found this blog today thanks to someone’s Twitter post, and it has absolutely made my day! I hope to see yardbombing in action some day soon. With the number of knitters here in Cambridge, UK, it shouldn’t take long! Thanks for spreading the colour 🙂