Knit the planet!
August 25, 2013 5:36 PM Subscribe
In June 2013, the Allegheny County Council approved the yarn bombing of the Andy Warhol Bridge in Pittsburgh, in celebration of Warhol's 85th birthday [previously mentioned on MeFi]. On 11 August, 1800 volunteers blanketed (heh) the bridge in 3000 feet of hand-knitted panels. More photos and behind the scenes.
More about the project at the Knit the Bridge blog. The yarn will come down on 6 September 2013, and the various resulting blankets will be donated to local homeless shelters, senior citizen centers and animal rescue groups.
Yarn bombing previously on MeFi.
More about the project at the Knit the Bridge blog. The yarn will come down on 6 September 2013, and the various resulting blankets will be donated to local homeless shelters, senior citizen centers and animal rescue groups.
Yarn bombing previously on MeFi.
Embarrassed to admit that I haven't walked over to check this out yet (it's about a mile away).
posted by octothorpe at 6:00 PM on August 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by octothorpe at 6:00 PM on August 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
I walk past the bridge every week on my way to/from allergy shots. It is delightful and I am so glad to see such great photographs.
My only regret is that it will not be up long enough to see the happy convergence of giant rubber duck and knit bomb bridge.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 6:35 PM on August 25, 2013 [4 favorites]
My only regret is that it will not be up long enough to see the happy convergence of giant rubber duck and knit bomb bridge.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 6:35 PM on August 25, 2013 [4 favorites]
I prefer to think that there is in fact a Yarn Council that approves this sort of thing, and to date I haven't seen any evidence to the contrary.
posted by figurant at 7:01 PM on August 25, 2013
posted by figurant at 7:01 PM on August 25, 2013
That's awesome! I drove over that bridge recently and wondered what cool thing was going on.
posted by Margalo Epps at 7:44 PM on August 25, 2013
posted by Margalo Epps at 7:44 PM on August 25, 2013
Whats the weather like in Pittsburgh? Cos this stuff is less attractive once it gets damp and starts to rot.
posted by fingerbang at 8:01 PM on August 25, 2013
posted by fingerbang at 8:01 PM on August 25, 2013
It's usually pretty damp here but this summer has been mostly sunny.
posted by octothorpe at 8:05 PM on August 25, 2013
posted by octothorpe at 8:05 PM on August 25, 2013
I'm glad to know that the Warhol bridge will be warm and comfy when winter comes.
posted by happyroach at 8:05 PM on August 25, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by happyroach at 8:05 PM on August 25, 2013 [3 favorites]
I guess it is yarn bombing, but tbh I've always thought of yarn bombing as more... unsanctioned.
The bridge adornment is very cool, but I also have always liked finding knitted surprises that are totally not approved of by "the man"
posted by edgeways at 8:13 PM on August 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
The bridge adornment is very cool, but I also have always liked finding knitted surprises that are totally not approved of by "the man"
posted by edgeways at 8:13 PM on August 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
*disdainful sniff*
There's a heck of a lot of crochet on that bridge.
< /knittingsnob
Seriously, that's an amazing project, and really lovely.
posted by SLC Mom at 8:14 PM on August 25, 2013 [5 favorites]
There's a heck of a lot of crochet on that bridge.
< /knittingsnob
Seriously, that's an amazing project, and really lovely.
posted by SLC Mom at 8:14 PM on August 25, 2013 [5 favorites]
Whats the weather like in Pittsburgh? Cos this stuff is less attractive once it gets damp and starts to rot.
It's only up for month, volunteers are maintaining it, wool is naturally water resistant, and it's all getting cleaned before it gets donated.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 8:19 PM on August 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
It's only up for month, volunteers are maintaining it, wool is naturally water resistant, and it's all getting cleaned before it gets donated.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 8:19 PM on August 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
I guess it is yarn bombing, but tbh I've always thought of yarn bombing as more... unsanctioned.
The bridge adornment is very cool, but I also have always liked finding knitted surprises that are totally not approved of by "the man"
Yeah, I get that, but if you want to have monster cranes shutting down a major bridge to hang up knitting, you kinda need the man on board. There's not a lot of rebel crane operators around.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 8:21 PM on August 25, 2013 [3 favorites]
The bridge adornment is very cool, but I also have always liked finding knitted surprises that are totally not approved of by "the man"
Yeah, I get that, but if you want to have monster cranes shutting down a major bridge to hang up knitting, you kinda need the man on board. There's not a lot of rebel crane operators around.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 8:21 PM on August 25, 2013 [3 favorites]
I can totally see the Cathedral of Learning wearing a Steelers sweater next.
posted by Camofrog at 8:29 PM on August 25, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Camofrog at 8:29 PM on August 25, 2013 [2 favorites]
Well I suppose that's one way to deal with crumbling infrastructure.
posted by srboisvert at 8:48 PM on August 25, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by srboisvert at 8:48 PM on August 25, 2013 [3 favorites]
Those overhanging panels seem destined to fall and kill people. When that shit gets soggy, it'll weigh an absolute fuckton.
posted by Sys Rq at 9:25 PM on August 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Sys Rq at 9:25 PM on August 25, 2013 [1 favorite]
I posted about this project on my knitting blog the day after it was installed.
wool is naturally water resistant
The yarn used for this project is all acrylic. Acrylic worsted is very, very tough stuff.
posted by orange swan at 9:59 PM on August 25, 2013 [2 favorites]
wool is naturally water resistant
The yarn used for this project is all acrylic. Acrylic worsted is very, very tough stuff.
posted by orange swan at 9:59 PM on August 25, 2013 [2 favorites]
The historic Main St bridge in Cambridge, Ontario was similarly yarn-bombed a few years ago. It was eclectic and quite neat.
posted by parudox at 10:06 PM on August 25, 2013
posted by parudox at 10:06 PM on August 25, 2013
The bridge looks quite jolly, but it's an odd way to celebrate Warhol - seems safe to say that he'd find this project, and the sort of people who do projects like this, utterly awful.
posted by jack_mo at 12:37 AM on August 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by jack_mo at 12:37 AM on August 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
I saw a photo of this bridge on someone's instagram the other day, with no mention of the knit-stuff part, and thought it was a very pretty bridge - funny to learn that exactly what I thought was nice about it was part of the yarn bombing!
posted by urbanlenny at 5:16 AM on August 26, 2013
posted by urbanlenny at 5:16 AM on August 26, 2013
I don't think that the project is specifically meant to celebrate Warhol, it just happens to be the bridge that worked the best for the project.
posted by octothorpe at 6:19 AM on August 26, 2013
posted by octothorpe at 6:19 AM on August 26, 2013
The bridge looks quite jolly, but it's an odd way to celebrate Warhol - seems safe to say that he'd find this project, and the sort of people who do projects like this, utterly awful.
Warhol was a master of taking ordinary things like soup cans, Coca-Cola bottles, and gauche celebrity faces and turning them into art. There is nothing more prosaic than grandma's crocheted blanket, but taking it into a whole new context is very much in the Warhol spirit. At the very least, I think he would have liked the scale.
posted by Alison at 6:29 AM on August 26, 2013 [2 favorites]
Warhol was a master of taking ordinary things like soup cans, Coca-Cola bottles, and gauche celebrity faces and turning them into art. There is nothing more prosaic than grandma's crocheted blanket, but taking it into a whole new context is very much in the Warhol spirit. At the very least, I think he would have liked the scale.
posted by Alison at 6:29 AM on August 26, 2013 [2 favorites]
Whats the weather like in Pittsburgh? Cos this stuff is less attractive once it gets damp and starts to rot.
I have been dutifully informed by a number of friends who have worked on this project that the yarn is acrylic (so while it may sag, decay is not an issue) ... and as mentioned, it comes down in September.
posted by buffalo at 6:31 AM on August 26, 2013
I have been dutifully informed by a number of friends who have worked on this project that the yarn is acrylic (so while it may sag, decay is not an issue) ... and as mentioned, it comes down in September.
posted by buffalo at 6:31 AM on August 26, 2013
So awesome!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:37 AM on August 26, 2013
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:37 AM on August 26, 2013
< /knittingsnob
It's yarn bombing, not knit bombing and crochet is just as lovely an art as knitting!
</crochet apologist
posted by Sophie1 at 7:21 AM on August 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
It's yarn bombing, not knit bombing and crochet is just as lovely an art as knitting!
</crochet apologist
posted by Sophie1 at 7:21 AM on August 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
This makes me happy. What a great thing to do. That Saltburn-by-Sea yarn bombing has the same effect.
posted by theora55 at 11:28 AM on August 26, 2013
posted by theora55 at 11:28 AM on August 26, 2013
jack_mo: "The bridge looks quite jolly, but it's an odd way to celebrate Warhol - seems safe to say that he'd find this project, and the sort of people who do projects like this, utterly awful."
Huh, this doesn't strike me as an odd way to celebrate Warhol at all.
He may or may not have liked it or "the sort of people" who do projects "like this," but I think it's safe to say that Warhol would laugh at you for thinking it safe to say that you could predict his opinion.
posted by desuetude at 7:24 PM on August 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
Huh, this doesn't strike me as an odd way to celebrate Warhol at all.
He may or may not have liked it or "the sort of people" who do projects "like this," but I think it's safe to say that Warhol would laugh at you for thinking it safe to say that you could predict his opinion.
posted by desuetude at 7:24 PM on August 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
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