Yule-tide Yarn Bombing Tips from Vickie Howell

by Vickie Howell for Bernat

Yarn bombing simply means covering a public item with knit, crochet or woven yarn fabric. It’s a form of artistic expression and frankly, just good ol’ fashioned fun. The holiday season offers ample opportunity for playing with yarn -- and even more surfaces to cover with it. Here are my tips for successful yule tide yarn bombing!

• Be bold. Whether you opt for traditional, holiday red and green or go for a funkier (but equally festive) hot pink and chartreuse, big stripes of bold colors give yarn bombed pieces that extra pop!

• Go crazy...but don’t make yourself nuts. The holidays offer all kinds of uniquely shaped, fun things to yarn bomb. From lawn deer like you see here, to toy sleds and over-sized star ornaments, the possibilities of what to cover are endless. Don’t be scared off by oddly shaped items, though. Remember, your cozies don’t have to be perfectly tailored. I suggest working with small pieces or long strips and sewing them together as you go, to fit whatever you’re covering. Knit and crochet pieces are pliable, so you can pull, wrap, tuck and sew them into place. Perfection isn’t the point here; making Christmas (or Hanukkah, or Kwanza) more colorful is!

• Think big; start small. We’ve all been inspired by photos on the web of completely knit-covered apartments, stairways and automobiles, but it’s best to begin your yarn-bombing follies with a more attainable goal. A tree branch, street sign pole or park bench legs all offer great canvases for spreading a little yarn love, without making a huge time commitment. From there though, the sky’s the limit! Literally; you can’t yarn bomb the sky.

Basic Yarn Bombing Sleeve
Stretch it, wrap it, seam it up.

Materials
Vickie Howell Sheep(ish) (167 yds/153 m; 30% wool/70 % acrylic) in colors: 1 ball Red(ish) #00015, 1 ball #00021 Lime(ish), 1 ball #00004 White(ish) Size U.S. 9 (5.5 mm) needles OR Ultimate Sweater Machine & Plate #3 Tapestry Needle

Finished Measurements
17” x 25”/43 x 63.5 cm or desired length/width

Gauge is not important for this project

Abbreviations
BO = bind off
CO = cast on
RS = right side
Sts = stitches
WS = wrong side

Instructions
WIth Red(ish), CO 64 sts.

1st row (and all RS rows): Knit.

2nd row (and all WS rows): Purl.
These two rows make stockinette stitch pattern. For entire piece, repeat these two rows, in the stripe sequence that follows (or desired stripe pattern):

3rd-38th rows: Red(ish)
39th-54th rows: Lime(ish)
55th-64th rows: White(ish)
65th-74th rows: Red(ish)
75th-84th rows: White(ish)
85th-94th rows: Red(ish)
95th-108th rows: Lime(ish)
109th-128th rows: Red(ish)

BO.

Finishing
Weave in ends. Wrap piece around a tree stump, telephone pole, bike post, or anything else that needs cozying up to!