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Crochet

Knit the Bridge Pittsburgh: The Final Project

View of the yarn-bombed Andy Warhol bridge, as taken from the North Shore walkway
View of the yarn-bombed Andy Warhol bridge, as taken from the North Shore walkway

If you live in the tri-state area or have read one of my old posts, you probably know about “Knit the Bridge”–the largest yarn bombing in the US.  The community project got lots of coverage, a write-up by the Huffington Post along with local news coverage.

Nothing brings a community together quite like a yarn-covered bridge.

I was part of the “knit-in” two Sundays ago when the installation was first taking place. The Knit the Bridge group made a Facebook plea for more black railings and the hookers answered. About 20 people gathered in a tent at the base of the bridge to knit and crochet a couple more feet of fabric in the last hours before the installation.

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Finishing black railings in the Knitting & Crocheting tent at Knit the Bridge, Sunday, August 11th

This past Sunday, August 25th, was the official “Knit the Bridge Community Celebration“. The bridge was closed to vehicles as booths with artists, crafters, free yoga and food vendors filled the center lanes. People of the community were invited to come downtown to check out the bridge first-hand and celebrate the history-making yarn installation. It was great to be part of such a positive event made me proud to live in the city of Pittsburgh.

Here are some close-up pics of the panels–some of them being installed a few weeks ago–as well as the finished project. The aptly covered bridge is the Andy Warhol or 7th street bridge on the North Shore of Pittsburgh – right by the Pirate’s home of PNC Park.  The installation will be up until early September (the 4th?) so if you’re heading to a game or walking through the Cultural District in the next couple days, be sure to check it out. To learn more about Knit the Bridge, check them out here.

Volunteers installing hand-made knit and crochet panels
Volunteers installing hand-made knit and crochet panels
One of my favorite panels. Crocheters, are you not impressed by this cool design?!
One of my favorite panels. Crocheters, are you not impressed by this cool design?!
Shot of the installed panels during the Community Celebration.
Shot of the installed panels during the Community Celebration.
Crochet, Projects

Knit the Bridge Pittsburgh

KnittheBridge

Two of my good friends sent me info on Knit the Bridge – Pittsburgh while I was in Cleveland (thanks, Hannah and Amanda!). I thought it was the coolest concept and wanted to participate, but I wasn’t in Pittsburgh. Until 3 weeks ago.  Now living within the city limits of the ‘Burgh (and being a library card holder in Allegheny County – yay!), I finally felt I could show some crochet love for my hometown.

You might be asking yourself, what is “Knit the Bridge?”  Stop and think what it might be about. It is literally knitting a cover for a bridge. More specifically, the Andy Warhol Bridge in Pittsburgh.  A project like this is called “yarn bombing” and it’s where crocheters and knitters cover public items–statues, parking meters, trees, a bridge– in crocheted/knitted panels.

Here’s a definition from KTB’s website:

What is Knit the Bridge, Pittsburgh?

Knit the Bridge is a vision for a grassroots, community-led arts project that would bring the many diverse communities of Pittsburgh and Southwestern Pennsylvania together to create a large-scale, aesthetically stunning, fiberarts installation on a bridge in downtown Pittsburgh.

Two years ago, I came across a yarn bombing of Fred Rodgers in Pittsburgh sporting his classic red sweater. Yarn bombing is a quirky way to introduce more people to fiberarts and sometimes raise awareness for specific projects or foundations.

One of the reasons I really like this Knit the Bridge project is because they recycle the panels once the installation is over. They’ll wash and donate the yarn panels (which can be sewn into blankets) to local shelters, nursing homes, and other organizations.  Very cool!

I signed up to crochet a railing which is 105 inches x 9 inches.  I got out my I hook and some bright pink, orange, and yellow acrylic yarn until I read this requirement for panels: “Yarn: Please use black acrylic yarn only.”  Not as fun as I originally planned, ha, but I guess all black railing covers are fine, too. Everyone’s got to play her part.

No picture of my WIP, but it’s just a black strip of crochet, so I’ve taken the liberty of recreating it in Microsoft Paint:

My work in progress panel for Knit the Bridge. **Digital representation created in Paint.
**Not actual photo – Digital representation

You can read more about KTB – Pittsburgh here.  If you’d like to be part of the project, it’s not too late!  Panels are due Saturday, June 1st and range in size from 17″ x 17″ (partial panel) to 34″ x 72″ (full panel).  You can register to make a panel here at the Knit the Bridge website.