Yarn Bomb

by Nicole
Manteo, North Carolina

Do you know what yarn-bombing is?  If not, let me tell you.  Yarn-bombing, also known as yarn storming or guerrilla knitting, is when a group or an individual makes graffiti or street art by using crocheted or knitted yarn and fibers, rather than chalk or spray paint.  Sometimes it's anonymous, and sometimes it's publicized.  Yarn bombing originated in Texas in 2005, where it was a way to use up leftover knitting projects.  Now, though, it's been spread all around the world.  Well, I was lucky enough to help out with a yarn bombing.


My mom and I were walking around in Manteo, NC, and saw some people putting up yarn decorations around trees and on the front of the courthouse, so I offered to help.  This particular bombing was sponsored by the Outer Banks Fiber Guild, and they coordinated with the Outer Banks schools.  The school kids made long braided strands or wove yarn into mesh pieces.  They welcomed me to help, so my mom left me there with them and headed back to the boat.  I wrapped a tree in different colors of yarn all around the trunk, covered a railing with the braided strands, and wrapped yarn in a pattern around the armrests of a bench.  I had lunch the the ladies doing the yarn bombing; their names are Cole, Keith, and Sandy.    They're all very  nice, and fun to work and talk with.  After lunch we went back to working, but the high school kids who were helping in the morning had to return to school.  I decorated a trash can by winding yarn in between the grating spaces and making a pattern.

All this decorating was for a celebration called First Friday, where lots of people from the town come to listen to music and visit local shops and restaurants.  All my family and many others got to see what I did; it was really cool.  I also met up with some of the people that I decorated with that day.  Keith gave me a loom and all the yarn they didn't use. It was really fun, and I loved meeting such friendly people.  I plan to yarn bomb again, because I love it.  Who knows, maybe one morning my dad will wake up to find the boat covered in yarn!