The Lulu Series: Leanne Prain

Leanne Prain
Knitting the Landscape

On city street corners, around telephone posts, through barbed wire fences, and over abandoned cars, a quiet revolution is brewing. "Knit graffiti" is an international guerrilla movement that started underground and is now embraced by crochet and knitting artists of all ages, nationalities, and genders. Its practitioners create stunning works of art out of yarn, then "donate" them to public spaces.

Yarn Bombing has been called a "positive type of global warming." Artists have utilized it to spark public discussion on issues as broad as politics, feminism, mental health, urban planning, sexual identity, personal territory and the environment. From political messages embroidered into chain link fences to questioning the use of public property in self-expression, yarn bombing has proved a valuable movement for raising awareness, changing the status quo and building community.

Upon learning to knit, Leanne Prain co-founded a "stitch and bitch" in order to expand her skills while knitting in a pub. While the group disbanded, she continues to be amazed at what can be created with two needles and a bit of yarn. In 2006, she was introduced to the knit graffiti (aka Yarn Bombing) movement via the internet, and the political and cultural aspects of modern handicrafts have turned into a downright obsession for her. Leanne co-authored Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti (co-authored with Mandy Moore) and authored Hoopla: The Art of Unexpected Embroidery (Arsenal Pulp Press).

More at www.leanneprain.com or www.yarnbombing.com

This talk will be preceded by an easy-to-do yarn-based audience participation activity led by Leanne Prain. Get hands-on, learn a new skill and take home a tangible memento of the evening.