Meet the unconventional street artists bringing joy to urban spaces, one stitch at a time
One June morning, at around 4am, Leanne Jones crept outside while the town of Formby, in Merseyside, slept. In the fresh summer dew, she carried with her about 40 hand-knitted items, which she carefully adorned around the town’s public spaces. Then, she waited.
Leanne, previously a local government manager, and her friend Paula, spent a total of nine months preparing their secret ‘yarn bombing’ project – and this otherwise ordinary day was to be the culmination of their hard work. “I was up early putting all the displays out, then sat in a coffee shop for several hours and just watched everyone’s faces, smiles, and laughter as they came across each display.”
What is yarn bombing?
Also called yarn storming, guerrilla knitting, or kniffiti, yarn bombing is the act of covering a public object or structure with decorative knitted material. Considered a form of street art, it’s believed to have originated in 2005 when a Texas real estate agent, Magda Sayeg, decided to use yarn to decorate her shopfront. It has since been adopted by groups globally, and been used to draw attention to charitable causes, as well as brighten up urban spaces.
Hooked on the happiness
Knitting is known to provide multiple mental health benefits, with one 2024 study, published in the Journal of Occupational Science, revealing its ability to help people to unwind, offering a sense of identity, bringing structure to daily life, and improving mental processes. Yarn bombing adds additional layers of wellbeing goodness, thanks to the social aspect and collaborative nature of working together as a team.
Leanne now runs a group of committed knitters, which includes people of all ages, all skill levels, and is open to all genders. “Our weekly get-togethers are filled with chatter, laughter, and chuckles at ideas of what displays to make. A few of our older members, who live on their own, have actually said it’s got them through the dark winter months,” says Leanne. “We’ve had members going through periods of illness – either themselves or a loved one – saying that being part of the group and creating fun knitted items has helped them switch off from what’s going on around them.”
Not merely confined to the four walls in which the knitting takes place, the wellbeing benefits of yarn bombing ripple outwards from individual group members to the wider community. What started as a small craft project has now become a full-blown cultural event that locals look forward to every year, with people choosing to visit their Formby friends and relatives on ‘yarn bombing day’, which, this year, takes place on Saturday 14 June. “It’s lovely seeing grandparents with grandchildren, all walking round together pointing at displays and laughing,” says Leanne. “Many of those grandparents pass on their thanks to us for now creating ‘a family day’ for them.”
Making something meaningful
What starts as a solitary act of self-expression has the potential to become something far more profound. “It gives you a lot of time to reflect on your life, and the people around you,” explains Leanne Prain, creative professional and co-author of Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti. “I don’t think there’s any such thing as a non-emotional fibre project.”
It’s also a lesson in letting go, but one that can lead to an – often unspoken – connection between maker and viewer. “You can spend all this time labouring over something you have put your heart into, but when you put it out in the landscape, you’re giving it away. It becomes something else. Whoever sees it will assign it their own meaning. It’s no longer yours, but it is a gift to other people.”
Responsible yarn bombing
One obstacle that every yarn bomber is forced to overcome is finding the right spot to display their artwork. Yarn bombing involves placing art in public spaces (often without permission), making them technically illegal. Yet academics argue that this form of ‘urban intervention’ is of cultural significance: giving women the opportunity to take up space in the historically male-dominated world of graffiti; challenging the public’s understanding of urban space aesthetics; and offering visual appeal in sometimes forgotten high streets.
The reality is that yarn bombing is often well-received, and rarely attracts legal action, but it’s highly recommended you do get permission beforehand. A spokesperson for the Weymouth Knitoholics says: “Because our installations are temporary, we rarely have difficulty getting permission – especially when they’re part of local events or seasonal celebrations.” Last summer, The Old Rooms Inn pub hosted their ‘Ice Cream Dreams’ display, a sign of the undeniable support for these colourful additions. “They kindly let us chain it to their railings, then wheeled it inside at night and back out again each morning to keep it safe.”
However, the phenomenon has raised environmental concerns, with some tree-based installations posing problems to sap production and constricting growth. Then of course, the knitted material requires removal and cleaning up to avoid littering. In response to this, the Weymouth Knitoholics try to recycle as much as possible: “Yarn can often be unravelled and reused, and many items are repurposed,” says their spokesperson. “For example, one year we turned a reindeer into a donkey! If we can’t reuse something, we store it and lend it out in exchange for donations of yarn to keep us going.”
Beginner’s mind
The beauty of yarn bombing is that you can start small. Leanne Jones did her first project with just one other volunteer, and once locals caught sight of their colourful displays, the group then grew to 14 members.
Leanne Prain loves the anarchical potential of yarn bombing, but also its ability to welcome a wide range of people into the community. “I think it’s a hobby for everyone,” says Leanne Prain “I have made works with a 91-year-old and a 14-year-old. I know young kids who are prolific yarn bombers, and established textile artists who dabble in it as well. You don’t need to be an advanced knitter – I’m certainly not.”
If knitting isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other ways to contribute, whether that’s felting, pom-poms, or crocheted chains – anything goes. “The whole point is to spend some time creating something with your hands, and then putting it out into the world to share with other people,” says Leanne Prain. “I think there’s tremendous power in growing your confidence with your craft, and also being a little bit silly. There are only rules and constraints if you look for them, and I think most people find yarn bombing a very freeing process.”
What began as a whimsical notion has blossomed into a global movement that challenges our perceptions of public spaces, community, and what it really means to be an artist. More than mere textiles, yarn bombing speaks to a deeper human need for connection, creativity, and collective joy. Whether it’s children learning to stitch for the first time, or isolated adults spinning yarn with newfound friends, yarn bombing has the ability to push back on the harsh lines of urban life, and spark universal delight.
Images|First: Weymouth Knitaholics. Second: Formby yarn bombing, Leanne Jones
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