Yarn on and dust off those ninja slippers; yarnbombing has taken over

Yarnbombing, guerrilla knitting, whatever you choose to call it, is hitting a city near you. To put it simply, it is the act of covering outdoor objects with knitted or crocheted happiness while employing a stealth-like manner. From signposts to statues, nothing is safe from yarnbombers, as Guardian.co.uk journalist, Maddy Costa found out after spending an afternoon with Knit in the City, a London-based outfit with the aim of covering the city in yarn.

Yarnbombing is quite a new concept, born out of Texas by a crafty lady named Magda Sayeg. She started wrapping small objects in her life with her knitting and eventually, Knitta Please was born. She has travelled abroad, encasing the world in yarn, including our own National Gallery in Canberra during the Soft Sculpture exhibition in April 2009. The movement has taken off and items the world over are being covered in wool over night by crafty ninjas.

Craft — including crochet — has experienced a rebirth in the last few years. It has acquired a reputation with an indie appeal, with many web sites dedicated to creative ideas ranging from the quirky to the extremely bizarre. Craft has taken much from popular culture, adopting styles and inspiration from music, movies and cartoons. Arts & crafts class has been given more than just a face-lift. It has been stripped down, reshaped, and repackaged into a global phenomenon. Maddy Costa quotes Sayeg on yarnbombing and the effect it has on crafty types, ‘It has inspired them to do something beyond the functional.’

Yarnbombers are one group among many who are revolutionising craft, bringing it into the global spotlight for all to enjoy (and take part in). Crochet is as much a part of the yarnbombing movement as is knitting. As long as you have a ball of yarn and some inspiration, you are good to go.

Read Maddy Costa’s full article at Guardian.co.uk.

So you wanna crochet or what?

If I had a nickel for every time I heard someone say they wish they knew how to crochet, I would not be rich. This is because the nickel is not a currency recognised in Australia. But, I would have a big bag of nickels that, if taken on a trip to Canada, would probably take up my entire baggage allowance and annoy the poor barista at the nearest café who would have to count them. So keep your nickels and instead, visit one of the awesome links in my new section, Wanna learn?

Lion brand yarn – The LBY website has plenty of video and illustrated step-by-step instructional material to aid you in the most basic of crochet stitches. A good place to begin.

Crochet-mania – this site is a gold mine of instructional video. Starting with the basics, it’s a good introduction to the language and symbols used in crochet.

Meet me at Mikes – Granny squares 101 Pip Lincoln writes a ripping blog to complement her amazing shop. This is how I learned to granny square. Pip takes out all the confusing jargon, strips away all the nonsensical supposed-to-know-how, and leaves you with clear, concise instruction even my 2 year old niece could follow. Hurrah indeed!

Hook & Needles – amigurumi tutorials – This site is a good place to start if you want to learn the art of amigurumi. One of the basic techniques for this kind of crochet is the adjustable or magic ring . Master this simple step and you are on the road to creating something special.

A word of advice – don't give up! It can be frustrating when first starting out but you’ll get it eventually. By then you'll be addicted and your house will be full of yarn.

Oh, and to prevent confusion, US terminology differs from UK/AUS a thusly:

US = UK/AUS

Single crochet = double crochet

Double crochet = treble crochet

Yoshi's story

I put together this Yoshi for my nephew Lukas. Needless to say, he loved it. So did I and nearly didnt hand it over to him. I have decided to make myself a purple one because, as everyone knows, purple Yoshis are better because they can fly.

you must crochet

I know what you’re thinking – Crochet is so lame. Your nanna does it. Your Great Aunt Sally does it. So why should a super-cool, awesome individual such as yourself give it the time of day?

Here are 5 fine reasons why:

Video game Amigurumi – Japanese art is amazing, and amigurumi is no exception. Ami – meaning yarn, and nuigurumi – meaning stuffed doll. Video games are ultra-cool and when Mario meets yarn, only good things can happen. Check out this amazing Legend of Zelda play set from Nerdigurumi, or this incredible Bowser by Janama at Cute Amigurumi! if you need more convincing.

Jack Rabbit's Knitted Atari Goodness courtesy of kotaku.com

Crochetdermy – What do you get when you cross the disgusting with the extraordinary? Crochetdermy, that’s what. Shauna Richardson has taken crochet to a new level with her awe-inspiring life-size yarned animals and you need to see them. Crochet is fast becoming a well respected fine art; artist Joana Vasconcelos has created some of the most intricate sculptures using traditional crochet patterns, while Jo Hamilton uses yarn to render realistic portraits of friends and family.

Its good enough to eat – another fantastic form of amigurumi is food. Everything edible has a woolly counterpart, a fact that CraftyAnna and Skymagenta prove beyond a doubt. If you can eat it, you can double-treble crochet it.

T.V. dinner by Nicole gastonguay ©2009

Guerrillas on the move – ever been walking down the street and noticed that boring streetlamp is now covered in a colourful assortment of yarn? No doubt your municipality has fallen victim to a yarn-bombing, or an act of guerrilla crochet. Gals and guys the world over are uniting in an effort to cover the most dull objects about town in a variety of yarny-goodness. Just ask the gals at Yarnarchy in the UK or check out the work of Yarnbombing from Vancouver, Canada, they’ll show you what’s what.

Photo courtesy of yarnbombing.com

There’s no place like home – unless you belong to a craft group. Home takes a temporary back seat once you join an online craft community like Ravelry or the Crochet Liberation Front. As you succumb to the addictive nature of crochet, share your new affliction with the many people you will meet online. Exchange ideas, patterns, trends and more with yarn-addicts the world over.

So there you have it, proof that crochet is not lame. From a humble beginning as your Grandma's fireside hobby, crochet has evolved into a modern pastime with a cult status. So why not pick up a hook at your local craft store and get started on that crocheted iPad cosy you never knew you wanted.