Knittas: New York Gangsta Graffiti Knitters
Knitta, Please! Started in 2005 by two women tagging the Houston metropolitan area, Knitta is a tag crew of anonymous rogue knitters who leave graffiti on public places. Unlike traditional taggers, Knitta uses non-damaging materials like yarn or cloth. They tag trees, lamp posts, railings, fire hydrants, monuments and other urban targets. Not limited to mundane objects, Knitta members have left their mark on national monuments such as the Great Wall of China and Notre Dame de Paris. Up to a dozen copycat groups have followed their lead worldwide.
Knitta members AKrylik and PolyCotN founded the group as a way to deal with frustration over unfinished projects such as half-knitted sweaters. It started with a doorknob cozy for the front door of PolyCotN's boutique. 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." Current members' names include Purl Nekklas, P-Knitty, The Knotorious N.I.T., MascuKnitity, and Granny SQ.
The crew marks holidays by theming their 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.
This video pretty much sums it all up (except for the last minute and a half, which is about an art car parade?) and you can find more of their work on Knitta flickr page.
via
