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Tag Archives: Stealth knitting
Berkeley library not thrilled about yarnbombing
One creative contribution to the newly reopened North Branch Library was not seen by the crowds of supporters who turned up on Saturday to celebrate the library’s return to service. Local “yarnbomber” Streetcolor had made some custom knitted coverings for the new circular bike racks outside the library — but they barely saw the light of day as they were quickly removed by librarians displeased with the rogue artistic action.
Streetcolor, who likes to remain anonymous and has created many stealth knitting installations around the Bay Area and beyond, said she spent a couple of months spinning and knitting the covers for the curvy bike racks. She put them up on Friday night. “Lots of locals stopped to take pictures and thank us,” she said. But, on the morning of the reopening on Saturday, when she drove by to take pictures, the yarn had been taken down, she said.
Yarnbombing, like any unauthorized street art in public spaces, is illegal, but the Berkeley community has generally welcomed installations in the city in the past — at least as expressed in the many hundreds of comments our stories on the subject have garnered. Not everyone loves it, however, and some have expressed concern about how the yarn fares long term, exposed as it is to the elements. Most installations are taken down after a few weeks. … Continue reading »
Where in Berkeley? Valentine’s Special
Update: 4:58 pm: Ta da! We have a winner! Alan Aki correctly guessed four of the photos above at 10:42 am this morning. He will be the lucky recipient of a box of bon-bon chocolates from Casa Des Chocolates. Congratulations Alan.
Thanks to all those who played today.
And here are the answers:
1. Tennis courts at on Hopkins and Carlotta
2. Crowden School Sacramento
3. Chain links fence near Jimmy Beans on 6th Street
4. Sawtooth building at Dwight and 8th Street
5. Safeway construction on Shattuck Avenue
6. Children’s playground near King’s Middle School
Update, 3:50 pm: We’ve had a number of guesses for our special Valentine’s Where in Berkeley? contest, and we will announce the winner at 4:45 pm here, and alert the winner directly by email. Anyone else want to play? Send us an email with your answers!
Original story: Today, for this special day where matters of the heart reign supreme, we bring you a special-edition “Where in Berkeley? competition — with a suitably romantic prize for the winner.
The large felted wool hearts that have been appearing all over Berkeley in recent days are the work of Streetcolor, known to many of our readers as our local yarn bomber extraordinaire.
Streetcolor tells us she made the Valentine’s heart from handmade wool because she wanted them to look like paper but be durable to the weather. The other reason for the new medium, she says, is because she feels people in Berkeley may have been yarnbombed enough.
“They need something new to be surprised,” she says, adding: “I have been wanting to bomb chainlink fences — they offer a large open surface to do flat textile graffiti. They also can look so industrial and harsh. They make a good contrast for the felted hearts.” … Continue reading »
A squiggly bike rack gets a woolly makeover in Berkeley
On Saturday afternoon, another of Berkeley’s permanent structures was given a woolly makeover — as yarn-bombing artist Streetcolor and her assistant went to work on the bike rack in front of the former Black Oak Books store on Shattuck Avenue.
A crowd gathered to watch the creation come to life, and Streetcolor tells us many of them made a point of thanking her for what she did for Berkeley. “We were touched. A lot of people stopped and watched. And talked to us. We came out at two in the afternoon on Saturday so we could have a lot of interaction,” she says. … Continue reading »
Stealth knitting on public sculpture deemed illegal
A stealth knitting project which involved creating a cozy cover for a piece of public sculpture on the Berkeley-Oakland border has come to the attention of the authorities who have asked that it be taken down.
We reported last week on the covert night-time “yarn bombing” operation which led to the “Here and There” sculpture on Adeline Street becoming, effectively, “Here and Here” after the letter “T” was given a knitted covering.
Berkeley City’s Civic Arts Coordinator … Continue reading »
