Yarn Bombs Away!

At first, when yarn art appeared on a few small trees in downtown Iowa City along with late autumn chills, it warmed my heart. I was familiar yarn graffiti known as "yarn bombing" and felt special for catching a glimpse of this stealth art. Then, as more and more trees became swathed in intricate and beautiful knitted and crocheted pieces, I became concerned. Clearly, a large group of organized knitters must be sending some kind of message. Are their intentions pure or nefarious? Is the threat contained? My paranoia quickly dissipated after a couple people commented, "Oh, yeah. The trees have on their winter sweaters." What? This operation is City-sanctioned?

Apparently, the Iowa City Downtown District helps organize the installation. The unique and beautiful tree "sweaters" are the most elaborate yarn bombs I've ever seen, which is saying something considering my previous residence is known for Webs, America's largest yarn store!

If you'd like to know more about Iowa City's downtown tree yarn bombing project, check out this article from The Gazette or this one from KCRG News.