Crafters Yarn Bomb a Plane in the Yukon

In one of the biggest yarn bombings I’ve ever seen that covered a single thing, knitters and crocheters from around the world have taken part in a project to cover a DC-3 with yarn in the Yukon Territory.

The project was conceived by Yarn Bomb Yukon, and you can see lots of great details and more information at their website. The project was more than six months in the making and involved squares (and full-sized blankets) from people all over North America. In all the 70-year-old plane was covered in nearly 2,500 square feet of stitching (though it looks like a lot of it was crocheted, I’m sure there’s some knitting in there, too).

The plane can be viewed in all its yarny splendor between now and Aug. 21. The pieces, which took two weeks to assemble (you can see a quick time-lapse of the process here) will be taken apart in blanket sizes and given to charity. (Ignore the fact that the story linked there starts with a joke about angry sheep and goes on to say the yarn used was all acrylic. Some people clearly have no clue what they’re talking about.)

[Photo by Yarn Bomb Yukon.]

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There’s always room for more stitch dictionaries on your shelf, but Andrea Rangel’s Knitovation Stitch Dictionary is unlike those stitch pattern books you might already own. That’s because this one is full of colorwork stitch patterns rather than textured stitches, lace or cables, so the designs are ripe for adding to hats, sweaters and other projects with a stockinette stitch background.

The book starts with a quick introduction to knitting colorwork that’s also unlike what you’ve probably seen before, because it’s less about the colors themselves and more about the kinds of fibers you choose, how the yarn is prepared and the gauge you’re working at and how those things all change the look of a design.

Most of the book is filled with motif designs and swatches. The motifs were designed and named by Andrea’s husband Sean, who is an artist and brings a bit of whimsy to the designs.

You’ll find some classic looking leaves and flowers, mosaics and waves, but also rubber ducks, penguins, puzzle pieces, cherries and cows, snails and teapots, eyeballs and chess pieces, to name a few. Many of the designs also have funny names, like a fish named toilet bound, or cats in suits called corporate fat cat.

Of course you can use the designs in any way you want on any project you like, but there are also three patterns in the book — for a hat, a sweater and a pair of fingerless gloves — plus discussion of how the motifs were added, adjusting patterns for a different size or gauge, and adding your own motifs.

If you like adding a bit of colorwork to otherwise plain projects that other people have designed, or you’re ready to start making your own designs with fun motifs, this book is a great place to start. The fun and funny motifs are sure to inspire you to want to pick up your needles and add a little more color to your projects.

About the book: 160 pages, hardcover, 150+ motifs and three knitting patterns. Published 2023 by Interweave, suggested retail $28.

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