How This Woman is Spreading Joy on International Yarn Bombing Day

Every year on June 11th ambitious knitters around the world, cover public structures such as walls, ststues, benches, trees, stairs or cars and cycles in knitted or crocheted patterns. The day, since 2011 has been celebrated as International Yarn Bombing Day. A kind of street art, yarn bombing does not damage or alter public property the way graffiti done with spray paints do. Yarn bombers look at their art as a way of beautifying public spaces and spreading joy.

International Yarn Bombing day was started by Alberta-based knitter Joann Matvichuk in a bid to united “guerilla knitters” in cities across the world. In India, Hyderabad-based Himabindu Manchala, the founder of Crochet Now (an organisation that makes and sells all kinds of fibre art while conducting workshops around the country) has for the first times introduced the concept to Indian knitters. In days leading to June 11th, she put out posts on her Instagram handle to encourage knitters to make knitted installations at home, given the current situation, and share it on their social media.

Art by Himabindu 

“I am am trying to create awareness about the unique concept, with the help of which a crocheter or a knitter can bring out their creativity and express their opinion in the form of arts that’s based out of yarn,” says Himabindu. She has urged fellow knitters to work from home and display their artworks online.

Art by Himabindu

As for Himabindu, she has created art works to adorn her car and nearby spaces around her home. “The main motive of this art is to spread joy, something that we really need in these gloomy times,” she adds.

Himabindu Manchala

Crochet Now was founded in 2018 after Himabindu, who want through a phase of stress and depression found the art cathartic and as a means to deal with her condition. “Fiber arts help in relieving stress and anxiety. It makes a person think creatively. The whole process of creating generates happiness,” says Himabindu, who offers online as well as offline training in fibre art. Through these workshops, she has found a lot of people who take up crocheting for the same reasons she did, be it stress, depression or break-ups.

If you are looking for something therapeutic to see you through the tough times or a simple stress buster, pick up a ball of thread or wool and a hook to get started with crocheting.

Here’s a look at some yarn bombing from around the world

 

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