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| This was their favorite of all the yarn bombs! |
I have been following Stephen Duneier on Instagram and watched as people from all over the WORLD sent in items to be used in a collaborative yarn bomb. People sent in complete blankets, squares, wips, ufos, even projects gone wrong. Even a child sent in finger knitting, which made my almost eight year old boy get so excited to take up crochet again! Even though I saw many of these pieces separately on his feed I was not prepared for the sights I saw when I walked up the mountain.
First I saw it said it was a MINI hike..... I am from Long Beach CA, and the last time I went on anything remotely like this was 5th grade camp! I thought maybe it was a few rocks on trails....
So we drove for about 3 hours to get to Lizard's Mouth in Santa Barbara ( could have made better time but I have two little boys who seemed to half to go at separate time despite being warned it would be a long trip.) When we parked where the gps told us the only sign we saw was this... There were many tiny little paths on giant and small rocks..... uh oh... this was real hiking and my boys are in flip flops......
We made it and all of us had a blast. ( I may have freaked a few times because my older son must have an inner monkey because he wanted to climb anywhere and everywhere! We found the installation and the artist very quickly! There were so many people and pets there enjoying the lovely art!
These were not small rocks most of them were over 5 feet if not taller than me!
They looked great from afar and up close. These were the best yarn bombs I have ever seen. i love how Stephen didn't use anchors or anything that wouldn't be fully removed when they took away the yarn bombs. All the boulders seemed to be hugged perfect by the yarn creations.
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| I had to talk a Selfie, forgive my appearance it was a windy but muggy day! Did I mention we were higher than the clouds??? |
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| The heart and Mario in this rock!!! Did you know all you need to be able to make these designs is graph paper and the ability to make a granny square? |
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| My little ones had to touch all of the boulders they could. They are used to yarn but this really amazes them! My oldest said that he wants to get better at crochet so that he could learn to do a minecraft themed rock! |
Do you have any other tips for those that want to encourage beauty around them?
Be ready for hurdles. They are part of the process. Millions of people have great vision, ideas, and intentions. Only a few have the tenacity and courage to make them a reality. So my advice is to dream big and then make it happen, no matter the obstacles.
After the trouble you ran into with this installation, will you let that detour you from future endeavors or do you think it's broken ground to let others see the beauty in what you do?
Trouble is part of the territory for those who do things outside the box. If you let difficulties stand in the way of achieving your goals, you will never achieve very much. The troubles you are referring to are only the most recent and most public of the hurdles I have faced since I began yarnbombing. It was a learning process and learning is synonymous with growing. Ultimately, growth is what I most desire, so honestly, in hindsight, I am somewhat thankful for the group that complained. They helped me grow.
In 2012, I set a resolution to learn 12 new things. My wife suggested knitting and taught me the basics. (A decision she now regrets.) I was 44 years old.
I like Red Heart Super Saver for several reasons. It's easy to work with, it stands up to the elements, and its inexpensive. The fact that they stepped up and offered to supply me with the yarn I needed to set a world record for the largest granny square has earned them a special place in my heart too.
As for hook size, I don't even know what size it is, but I like using a cool looking, glow-in-the-dark custom made hook that I received from Stel Valles (Stitch Before Knit Custom Crochet) with her contribution. It just fits my hand well and I can hook really quickly with it.
IF I do another collaborative project, the contribution phase will likely begin around December.
What is your favorite part about a collaborative yarn bomb like this?
Quite simply, it's the community that develops as a result. I'm an idealist. I truly think if you treat people kindly and with respect, other than the rare exceptions, people will treat you the same in return. What I've learned in my business career is that small organizations tend to embody the personality of their leaders. His or her actions set the tone for how others in the organization treat each other. I work hard to set a tone that values camaraderie, kindness, respect and positivity with my collaborators and volunteers. What I enjoy most is seeing that kind of behavior spread, to see collaborators develop relationships with each other that are based on the same tenets. With 388 contributors, plus local volunteers, bureaucratic organizations, the media, and lots of opponents, each with their own perspectives and set of needs, its not always possible to keep everyone happy. In fact, it's impossible and we are naturally cynical creatures, so if given the opportunity to see the worst in people, we will do so. However, if you are always cognizant of the feelings of others, ultimately, the community that develops will be one that you want to be a part of, and that is what I have found has developed as a result of my collaborative projects. From my perspective, at least. :)
You can Find the Yarn bomber on
Tell us what you think, I know I am inspired to something more how about you?
Thank you for sharing this, it was amazing watching all the pieces come in from around the world and watch how the installation went up (both times)! My sister in law, Rachel and I both contributed pieces for this yarnbomb...and I know I speak for both of us, it was fun watching it all come together. Thanks for your blog and pics, and thank you to the Yarnbomber!
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