Yarn bombing commemorates library anniversary

Image credit: Manchester Community Library on Facebook

In Manchester, Vermont: Artist Trish Weill and Youth Services Librarian Janet Kleinberg spearheaded a yarn-bombing by community members of the Manchester Community Library (MCL).
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Yarn Bombing at Your Library: Centereach, N.Y.

Credit: MCPL on Facebook

At Middle Country Public Library in Centereach, N.Y., volunteers are yarn-bombing trees with thousands of crocheted circles created earlier in the year through the “Crochet It!” community project.
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Yarn Bombing: ‘Maker Day’ at Bill Library

Artisans, crafters and hobbyists demostrated their skills during a Maker Day event at the Bill Library, Saturday, July 22, in Ledyard, Conn. The library started its maker program about two years ago and holds monthly hands-on classes.
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Yarn-storm commemorates ‘Friends’ group anniversary

In Orange, Conn.: Case Memorial Library was “yarn stormed” with a colorful, hands-on, knitted and crocheted exhibit depicting the four seasons, in the library’s second-floor rotunda.

As reported and photographed by Pam McLoughlin for the New Haven Register, the exhibit — created by Friends of the Case Memorial Library — “has visitors talking, touching, teaching and marveling at the uniqueness and detail.”

The Friends group installed the exhibit in May, to celebrate the group’s 25th anniversary. “The exhibit was originally slated to stay up through June, but Library Director Meryl Farber loved it so much she requested to keep it up at least until November. Farber said, in her book, it can stay up forever.”

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Measure Y on ballot for Sonoma County Library

Circa Jan. 2012: ‘Support Libraries’ installation
at downtown Santa Rosa library

With a special use tax to benefit Sonoma County Library appearing on the Nov. 8, 2016 ballot, it seems a good time to re-highlight (from January 2012) this “Support Libraries” tag that had been installed outside its central library in downtown Santa Rosa, Calif. If Measure Y is approved by two-thirds of voters, it will create a one-eighth of one percent (0.125%) “transactions and use” tax for 10 years on retail sales in the County of Sonoma beginning April 1, 2017. Access more details on the “Funding” page, Sonoma County Library website.

Hand-crafted ‘Pokémon’ hidden at ‘Pokéstops’

Source of image: Nichole’s Nerdy Knots on Facebook

Via the MarySue: “[F]inding digital Pokémon in our surroundings wasn’t enough for Nichole’s Nerdy Knots. The nerdy knitter has been stitching up some Pokémon and hiding them around Pokéstops (and other appropriate areas) in the real world for random people to find.” Libraries are often designated Pokéstops and Gyms in this augmented-reality game. If any crafters would like to tag their local library, Nichole’s patterns are free for download on Ravelry.

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Yarn-bombing project at Beaconsfield Public Library

As reported Aug. 9 by the Montreal Gazette: In Beaconsfield Public Library, Beaconsfield, Quebec, chief librarian Elizabeth Lemyre has organized a summer yarn-bombing project that welcomes both youngsters and adults. The knitting circle will create squares to cover a "nondescript public bench." On a recent afternoon, three young ballplayers used knitting looms to create pieces.

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Yarn bombing at Dover Public Library

Image credit:Dover Public Library

In Dover, Ohio: Crafters of all ages and creative ideas are invited, beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, to celebrate International Yarn Bombing Day by decorating the front entrance of the Dover Public Library. In a news release submitted to the (New Philadelphia) Times Reporter, writer Jim Gill advised that people attending are asked to bring at least one full skein or several partial skeins of acrylic yarn to participate in a yarn swap. Crafters are welcome to knit, crochet, wrap yarn or make pom poms for the project.

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Timaru Library, NZ: Yarn bombing planned

At the Timaru Library in New Zealand, crafters are creating artwork for International Yarn Bombing Day on Saturday, June 11. Via a news account published by the Timaru Herald: the exhibition is part of a “Now we’re talking” project to raise awareness of family domestic violence. It will be on display from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

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‘101 Socks’

I love making socks and even as I explore other knitting techniques, I have a feeling that socks are a project I’ll return to again and again. For this reason, 101 Socks (Schiffer Publishing, 2015) was a natural addition to my wish list.

This book is full of ideas and designs for a variety of socks, created through various techniques: double-pointed and circular knitting needles, crochet and the addi® Express mini-knitting machine.

I’d explored various approaches to making socks and came away from this book with ideas for techniques I would still like to try.

Yarn bombing highlights children’s books

Photo by Matthew Parslow

Added to the timeline for Yarn Bombing at Your Library, my ongoing project to showcase yarn-bomb installations at or involving libraries: Outside the Ferntree Gully library and community art center in Melbourne, Australia, this yarn-bombed tree duplicates the covers of classic children’s books including Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat and The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Matthew Parslow posted photos of his wife Kim’s work to Imgur and GoodHousekeeping.com published an article about the project, which was part of a commissioned installation organized by the group Yarn Corner.

‘Hogwarts’ cardigan featured on Ravelry

My “Hogwarts” crocheted cardigan, completed in 2007, is now a featured photo on the Ravelry page for “Oversized Nubby Cardigan,” a pattern by Melissa Leapman.

(For those readers unfamiliar with either Ravelry or “Hogwarts,” Ravelry is a social network for people who knit and crochet, and “Hogwarts” is the name of the school in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, fantasy books for youths or teens that were adapted into films).

Leapman’s pattern was published in Crochet With Style (Taunton Press, 2000), and I crocheted this sweater with Lion Brand “Wool-Ease” worsted-weight yarn.

While Leapman’s pattern was not originally a “Hogwarts” cardigan, I used the colors of House Gryffindor (one of four “houses” within Hogwarts) as a substitute for the dark- and light-gray striped cardigan that was Leapman’s original design. From Lion Brand, these are No. 152: Oxford Grey, No. 138: Cranberry and No. 171: Gold.

Library yarn bombers distribute scarves

Source of image: Fairfield Public Library

In Fairfield, Conn., the Purls of Wisdom Knitting Group and Fairfield Public Library staff knit, crocheted and sewed nearly 100 scarves and attached them to trees and light posts. As related in an essay published by the Fairfield Sun, each scarf had a removable tag that said, “Need a scarf, Please take a scarf. Hand made with love.” The scarves were attached on Sunday and by Monday morning according to the article, only 12 scarves remained.

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‘Truffula Tree Yarnbomb’

I rely on Google alerts tied to “Library” and “yarn bomb” to help me locate many of the links and images that I post to Yarn Bombing at Your Library.

But I really appreciate it when artists contact me to let me know about their projects, as happened with a Lorax-inspired Truffula Tree Yarnbomb created by Jenny Brown.

Blogging at Hi, Jenny Brown, Brown writes that this was the biggest yarnbomb she’d done by herself with opportunities to learn lessons. Her adventure installing the Truffula Tree Yarnbomb makes an entertaining read and as a fellow cyclist (who rides a yarn-bombed bicycle), I also appreciate Brown’s crocheted seat-cover.

Yarn-bombed bicycle

On Facebook, I accepted an artist’s invitation to post photos of my own art (in a sort of art-sharing chain called the “Facebook Art Challenge”). Today I shared an image about “yarn bombing.”

Library yarn-bombing, aided by fire-engine lift

The profile picture at Yarn Bombing @ Your Library features a yarn-storming installation by Common Threads of Richmond Hill.

I had the luxury of knowing about this project ahead of time, thanks to a Google Alert that is tied to the words “Library” and “yarn bomb.” On Jan. 29, Google Alerts sent me a link to an opinion piece written by Maike George, in which she outlined the group’s plans to yarn-bomb a large pine tree in front of the Richmond Hill Public Library.

Crocheted cat ears hat with fabric liner and ties

I spent “Caturday” adding a fabric liner and ties to my fabulous cat ears hat, originally crocheted from Kelley Freeman’s pattern on RamenNeedles.com.

And as there often is with my favorite projects, there’s a story attached.

Library yarn bombing promotes ‘common read’

Image source: Lawrence Public Library on Facebook

An image added to the timeline this week at Yarn Bombing @ Your Library has extra significance for me, as the installation served to draw attention to a community’s “common read.”

Yarn Bombing: ‘Support Libraries’ at library in Israel

“Support Libraries.” My first international yarn-bombing tag was installed by an emissary at a community library in Israel. The image has also been added to the timeline at Yarn Bombing at Your Library.

There will be knitting in the library

Here's a big tub of yarn for use in Bellview library, courtesy of teacher-librarian Lauren Hall. Add assorted crochet hooks, needles and a couple of knitting looms from my personal stash. Ready for some crafty fun in the library this year?

Originally posted to Facebook