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Knitta Please

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Utility pole warmer on New York City street corner.

Knitta is a tag crew of anonymous rogue knitters who leave graffiti on monuments, utility poles, and other public items. Unlike traditional taggers, Knitta uses non-damaging materials, such as yarn and cloth.[1] The crew's mission is to make street art "a little more warm and fuzzy", according to member AKrylik.[2]

Started in 2005 by two women tagging the Houston metropolitan area, Knitta has grown to 11 members. Up to a dozen groups have followed their lead worldwide. The crew has been invited to show their art in Los Angeles, California; Paris, France; and elsewhere.

The beginning

Knitta members AKrylik and PolyCotN founded the group as a way to deal with frustration over unfinished projects such as half-knitted sweaters.[3] It started with a doorknob cozy for the front door of PolyCotN's boutique. She loved it and, unexpectedly, so did those who passed by the store. That is when they thought, "Let's do more."[1]

File:Knitta1.jpg
A Knitta door 'cozy'.

Origin of the name

The name of the group and the nicknames of the members were inspired by a desire to "resemble graffiti, but with knitted items." The group mixed crafting terminology with a hip-hop style, then changed the spelling "to represent traditional street art monikers".[4] PolyCotN and AKrylik came up with their own names, then invented names for other members in a brainstorming session they considered "one of the more hilarious meetings". Current members' names include MascuKnitity, and Granny SQ.[5]

As of January 2008, the group has 2 female members and one male, ages 30 to 73, who wish to remain anonymous.[4] An estimated five to 12 copycat groups exist around the world.[1]

Tagging the streets

Usually tagging on Friday nights and Sunday mornings,[6] Knitta taggers leave a paper tag on each work, bearing the slogan "knitta please" or "whaddup knitta?"[6] They tag trees, lamp posts, railings, fire hydrants, monuments and other urban targets.[4] Knitta even gets a little "hardcore" with ideas like hanging knitted-bagged sneakers over aerial telephone cable.[7] Not limited to mundane objects, Knitta members have left their mark on national monuments such as the Great Wall of China and Notre Dame de Paris.[8]

The crew marks holidays by theming their work, using, for example, pink yarn for their Valentine's Day pieces and sparkly yarn for New Years. When Knitta is not working with a theme, they work on projects, tagging specific targets or specific areas.[9]

The group and their followers consider their graffiti "a method of beautifying public space".[1] Although their work is considered vandalism in some states,[1] they have gone unreprimanded for the most part, most likely because the knitted cozies are easily removed.[10]

International exposure

New York City treehugger.

After gaining national exposure, the group decided to hit bigger cities with bigger targets, starting in New York City. Two weeks later, they were in Seattle, Washington where they did their first large scale piece.[11][12] Using more than 50 feet of knitted material donated by volunteers of the crew's mailing list, they wrapped the top half of a monorail column. Knitta also called on fans in other U.S. states to get tagging and send in their images. The request was met with overwhelming response.[1]

The group tagged all 25 trees in the median of Allen Parkway in Houston for the annual Art Car parade in May 2006, wrapping them in blankets measuring two feet tall by two and a half feet long.[9] A year later, Knitta was invited to the Los Angeles Standard Hotel, which caters to an edgy clientèle, to tag a glass box featuring trendsetters' designs and concepts. The box is kept behind the check-in desk.[1]

In May 2007, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Bergère de France, the first manufacturer of French yarn,[7] the company invited Knitta to Paris to "revitalize urban landscapes with knitted pieces".[13]

Knitta's work has also been seen in El Salvador, Montreal, and atop the Great Wall of China.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Duncan, Savannah (2007-06-21). "Off the hook street art". VOX Magazine. Retrieved 2007-12-22.
  2. ^ "Houston, Texas Cries Out 'Knitta Please'". Wireless Flash News. 2006-01-06. Retrieved 2007-12-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ Bjortomt, Olav (2006-03-11). "Knit Wits". Times Newspapers, Ltd. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
  4. ^ a b c Miles, Amber (2006-08-09). "Guerrilla knitters tag Houston with yarn". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
  5. ^ "Crew". KnittaPlease.com. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
  6. ^ a b Plocek, Keith (2005-12-15). "Knitta, Please! Hitting the streets with Montrose's craftiest taggers". HoustonPress. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
  7. ^ a b "Who is Bergère de France?" (French (translated by Google)). Bergeredefrance.fr. Retrieved 2007-12-23.
  8. ^ "KNITTA PLEASE: Graffiti You Can Cuddle Up To". inhabitat. 2007-01-11. Retrieved 2007-12-22. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ a b Maltby, Anna (2006-06-14). "Knitta, please!". VenusZine. Retrieved 2007-12-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ Myint, Jacky (2006-11-10). "Knitta, please: Tag like grandma". New Port Daily News. Retrieved 2007-12-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ Reighley, Kurt B (2006-08-01). "Daylight Broads". The Stranger. Retrieved on 2007-12-28.
  12. ^ Martinez, Mario (2007-05-14). "Grafitti knitting it’s warm, fuzzy, colourful and illegal". SUBvert Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-12-28.
  13. ^ a b Matroka, Bernadette (December 2007). "Knitta, The All-Girl Knitting Graffiti Tag Crew, Hits up Paris Turning Urban Detritus into a Fiber Enthusiasts Dreamscape". Label Networks - Arts & Events. Retrieved 2007-12-23.
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