If you were at Jericho Beach on Friday evening, you may have seen five teenaged girls, dressed all in black, giggling their way along the beach. Further inspection would have revealed that they were carrying, what appeared to be brightly coloured knitted rocks. “What the heck?” you may have muttered.
Inspired by the book Yarn Bombing, by local authors Leanne Prain and Mandy Moore, five local teenagers met everyday last week at Christianneʼs Lyceum of Literature and Art to create a knitted installation for Vancouverʼs Folk Festival. Under the direction of Dr. Christianne Hayward, they created knitted covers for 25 large rocks as part of a summer camp called Urban Knit and Lit. Each rock was given its own personality and name. Some rocks even sported their own accessories; Bubbles had a bright red toque, The Big Cheese was topped by a tiny knitted mouse.
On Friday, the group (dressed as ninjas) snuck down to the beach to add their handiwork to the already bustling folk festival. Darting along the beach, they deposited their rocks on the weather logs that line the ocean. The teenagers, who in the tradition of graffiti artists choose to be known only as The Knot Knitters, had a hard time letting go of the work they spent so long making. “I wanted to take Harold, home with me,” said one. “But watching others fall in love with him was almost as good.” As the weekend progressed, the group was delighted by how the public interacted with their art. “It was great to see how people chose to play with the rocks,” explained Dr. Hayward. “People stacked them, and moved them around. It was a privilege sharing in the girlsʼ energy and witnessing this display of whimsy in such a beautiful part of Vancouver.”
Laura Farina is the program coordinator at Christianne’s Lyceum on the corner of West 8th and Alma. You can read more about this centre for literature and art at www.christiannehayward.com.
Last modified: July 21, 2010
