Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

Bear’s Knit Sweater Stolen in North Vancouver

by

vancouver yarn bombingThe North Vancouver yarn bombing has been controversial since before it began. A public art project of the North Vancouver Community Arts Council, the plan was to place knit graffiti in various places around the city to attract attention and interest and get people excited about art.

Sounds good, right? It probably would have been fine until the council asked for $7,500 from the city to fund the project, which originally was turned down and then approved a week later when one of the dissenters was absent.

The yarn pieces were made by more than 120 knitters of all ages and skill levels, the council reports, but what should have been a heartwarming story about the power of art to bring people together turned sour when someone stole the knit covering off a bear statue in a corner park. The council says it will take the sweater back no questions asked if the thief has a change of heart.

I wonder what compel someone to want to steal knitting? Thoughts? Spill it!

[Photo by Paul McCrath/ Vancouver Sun.]

Next Pattern:

Comments

  1. I would be fine seeing the random knitted projects on trees and such but to have it on a statue of a bear that is someone else’s art, would be an eye sore. I personally would be mad if that was a statue that I created or even someone I knew, I would take it off if that was the case.

  2. Maybe the thief’s own pet bear was cold and s/he knew s/he would never be able to knit as nice of a cover for it?!??

  3. Maybe they found themselves locked out of their house without a key and without a coat and were so thankful to be able to use the Bear’s sweater. What the heck would you do with it afterwards. Hopefully return it or give it to someone else who needs it! :o)

  4. Just thought of this…have you checked the homeless in your city? Maybe one of them has it. I guess I’m just hoping the person who took it really needed it! :p BTW that would be a neat project ….hang knit sweaters on statues all over the city for people to use if they need one. :o)

  5. Maybe someone didn’t like the sort of back handed way of getting funding (although it certainly doesn’t make it ok to steal!) or maybe they didn’t like seeing one form of art covered by another. Although, I imagine it is probably just some thoughtless act of meanness.

  6. They can’t knit and have no one to knit for them, if so, we should pity them. They don’t think that the bear needed a sweater as he has fur. They think yarn bombing to attract attention to the arts is a poor choice of publicity. They hate art. Perhaps all of these, whatever it is, they leave us poorer for their meanspiritedness.

  7. Not sure if I agree with the $7,500…I think I would be upset even though I’m a crafter, too. What was the money used for? Yarn? I was also under the impression that Yarn Bombing was supposed to be a covert, annonymous act, not a highly publisized political statement backed by government funds. As to the bear, I do agree with the opinion that covering one piece of art with another was not as an effective use of Yarn Bombing as would be covering trees, lamp posts, benches, etc. Create art, don’t cover it.

  8. I don’t agree with the city funding the project even as an avid knitter and a lover of yarn bombing. I also don’t think covering one person’s art with your own is appropriate. Sorry the knitter lost her sweater, but wrong way to fund it and wrong to put graffiti on someone else’s art. Do you think it would have been OK to spray paint it, and ask the city to pay for the paint just because you happen to think the bear looks like it ‘just needs some thing else.’

Have you read?

Book Review: No Fear Sock Knitting

I feel like when it comes to things that people are afraid to knit, socks probably top the list. I’ve heard people say they would never knit socks because they look too hard, but really you just need to know a few basic things (and trust the pattern even though it sounds wrong the first time you do it) to master socks. 

Denise DeSantis aims to take the worry out of knitting socks with No Fear Sock Knitting. Based on a class on her YouTube channel, it includes all the basic information you need to make sock knitting feel easier, along with eight patterns for both top down and toe up socks. 

The book generally covers types of needles and yarn you might use to knit socks, as well as other supplies you will need. It looks at the parts of the sock, different knitting needle configurations used to knit socks, how to read a pattern (including abbreviations and terms you might find in sock patterns), discussion of ease, how to measure your foot and choosing the correct size to knit.

It includes two options each for casting on cuff down and toe up socks, as well as four options for cuff treatment. It explores the heel flap and turn method for top down and toe up socks, as well as short row heels using a shadow wrap (worked with a leg from the stitch below) and a square heel. There’s a discussion of avoiding holes and fixing other problems in heels.

Likewise with toes there are several options, including a wedge toe, round toe and anatomical toe (different on each foot) for both cuff down and toe up socks. There are also tutorials for grafting and Jeny’s surprisingly stretchy bind off, depending on which direction you’re going. There’s also a tips section that covers things like avoiding ladders, changing colors. matching stripes and more. 

After all that preparation, there are eight patterns to choose from: short socks worked from the top down that are a perfect first-sock sock, a basic ankle-length toe-up sock, a DK weight sock worked from the top down with different length options, a “vanilla” sock with a short row heel worked top down, an ankle sock with a garter stitch cuff, one with a leg worked in alternating colors with a contrasting heel and toe, a sock worked in a helical stripe pattern and a striped sock with a garter stitch heel. 

Three of the patterns are rated at skill level two on a scale of three, while the rest are level one. They’re all pretty straightforward, they just use different techniques you might not have tried before. Since only one is made to be toe up, there are also tips for converting the other patterns to toe up if you’d rather work that way. Each pattern includes three size options. 

This book is a nice introduction to sock knitting, with lots of techniques to reference and simple patterns to take the fear out of the process. I’m not sure these are patterns you’ll come back to time and again but they are a good place to start if you’ve never knit socks before. 

About the book: 128 pages, paperback, 8 patterns. Published 2025 by David & Charles. Suggested retail price $24.99.