Knitta

Knitta is a tag crew of anonymous 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.cite web
last=Duncan
first=Savannah
title=Off the hook street art
work=VOX Magazine
date=2007-06-21
url=http://www.voxmagazine.com/stories/2007/06/21/hook-street-art/
accessdate=2007-12-22 ] The crew's mission is to make street art "a little more warm and fuzzy", according to member AKrylik.cite web
title = Houston, Texas Cries Out 'Knitta Please'
date = 2006-01-06
publisher = Wireless Flash News
url = http://www.flashnews.com/news/wfn1060112J14341.html
accessdate = 2007-12-23 ]

Started in 2005 by two women tagging the Houston metropolitan area, Knitta grew to eleven members, though currently has only three. 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; China and elsewhere.

History

Knitta members AKrylik and PolyCotN founded the group in October 2005 as a way to deal with frustration over unfinished projects such as half-knitted sweaters. [cite news
last = Bjortomt
first = Olav
title = Knit Wits
work = Times Newspapers, Ltd.
date = 2006-03-11
url = http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/whats_on/listings/article738388.ece
accessdate = 2007-12-20 ] It started with a doorknob cozy for the front door of PolyCotN's boutique in Houston, Texas. She loved it and, unexpectedly, so did those who passed by the store. That is when they thought, "Let's do more."

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". 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". Some former member names include Knotorious N.I.T., SonOfaStitch and P-Knitty.

As of January 2008, the group has two female members and one male, ages 30 to 73, who wish to remain anonymous. Current members' are PolyCotN, MascuKnitity, and Granny SQ. [cite web
url = http://www.knittaplease.com/CREW.html
title = Crew
publisher = KnittaPlease.com
accessdate = 2007-12-21 ] An estimated five to twelve copycat groups exist around the world.

Art

Usually tagging on Friday nights and Sunday mornings, Knitta taggers leave a paper tag on each work, bearing the slogan "knitta please" or "whaddup knitta?"cite news
last = Plocek
first = Keith
title = Knitta, Please! Hitting the streets with Montrose's craftiest taggers
work = HoustonPress
date = 2005-12-15
url = http://www.houstonpress.com/2005-12-15/news/knitta-please/
accessdate = 2007-12-20 ] They tag trees, lamp posts, railings, fire hydrants, monuments and other urban targets,cite news
last = Miles
first = Amber
title = Guerrilla knitters tag Houston with yarn
work = San Antonio Express-News
date = 2006-08-09
url = http://web.archive.org/web/20070225023617/http://www.mysanantonio.com/salife/stories/MYSA081006.01P.Knitta.4f24589.html
accessdate = 2007-12-20 Retrieved from Internet Archive.] and even get a little "hardcore" with ideas like hanging knitted-bagged sneakers over aerial telephone cable. The crew marks holidays by doing themed 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.cite web
last = Maltby
first = Anna
title = Knitta, please!
publisher = VenusZine
date = 2006-06-14
url = http://www.venuszine.com/articles/diy/272/knitta_please
accessdate = 2007-12-23 ]

The group and their followers consider their graffiti "a method of beautifying public space". Although their work is considered vandalism in some states, they have gone unreprimanded for the most part, most likely because the knitted cozies are easily removed.cite web
last = Myint
first = Jacky
title = Knitta, please: Tag like grandma
work = New Port Daily News
date = 2006-11-10
url = http://asap.ap.org/stories/1007607.s
accessdate = 2007-12-23] 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. [Reighley, Kurt B (2006-08-01). " [http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=45208 Daylight Broads] ". "The Stranger". Retrieved on 2007-12-28.] [Martinez, Mario (2007-05-14). " [http://www.subvertmagazine.com/blog/2007/05/14/grafitti-knitting-its-warm-fuzzy-colourful-and-illegal/ Grafitti knitting it’s warm, fuzzy, colourful and illegal] ". "SUBvert Magazine". Retrieved on 2007-12-28.] Using more than convert|50|ft|m 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.

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. 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. Following that, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Bergère de France, the first manufacturer of French yarn,cite web
title = Who is Bergère de France?
publisher = Bergeredefrance.fr
url = http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.bergeredefrance.fr/&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3DBergere%2Bde%2BFrance%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26hs%3DG2H
format = French (translated by Google)
accessdate = 2007-12-23 ] the company invited Knitta to Paris to "revitalize urban landscapes with knitted pieces".cite web
last = Matroka
first = Bernadette
title = Knitta, The All-Girl Knitting Graffiti Tag Crew, Hits up Paris Turning Urban Detritus into a Fiber Enthusiasts Dreamscape
work = Label Networks - Arts & Events
date = December 2007
url = http://69.93.14.237/entertainment/knitta_07.cfm
accessdate = 2007-12-23 ] While there, they also tagged the Notre Dame de Paris. [cite news
title = KNITTA PLEASE: Graffiti You Can Cuddle Up To
publisher = inhabitat
date = 2007-01-11
url = http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/01/11/knitta-please-graffiti-you-can-cuddle-up-to/
accessdate = 2007-12-22 ] Knitta's work has also been seen in El Salvador, Montreal, and atop the Great Wall of China.

References

External links

* [http://www.knittaplease.com/KNITTA_PLEASE.html Knitta homepage]
* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/knittaplease Knitta photo gallery]