Call it “knitted graffiti” – an unusual art installation in Madison. On a busy State Street intersection, staff and students from the UW School of Human Ecology were busy “yarn bombing” all day Thursday – covering a Metro bus shelter in knitting. Lisa Frank, interim director of the school’s Design Gallery, said the installation has been in the planning stages for months, but the actual knitting has taken place over the last three weeks or so, by members of the Madison Knitters’ Guild.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2CKfl8Sox4
How many knitter hours went into the “Cozy Shelter” installation? UW student Emelia Haglund said that’s tough to say. “It takes me a long time to do a foot, and it take some of the knitters’ guild women a few minutes. It’s really the needles, the yarn and the experience.” Frank said Metro riders and everyone else on State Street will be able to experience the knitted installation for as long as it looks good. “It will depend a lot on the weather and the degree of drunkenness,” she said. “How generous people are, in terms of leaving it alone.” Once the installation is taken down, the scarves which comprise much of it will be donated to homeless shelters.