Yarn bomber in Corner Brook prettying up city parking meters
Local knitter brightening up city streets, one strand of wool at a time
A new underground movement hit the streets of Corner Brook this week, bringing a splash of colour and warmth to the downtown core: yarn bombing.
It's not as scary as it sounds — it's actually a knitter's version of graffiti.
The culprit's goal? To beautify public spaces with random colours of wool, and get a little crafty at the same time.
Subtle stitches
As the owner of Mala, a knitting boutique on Broadway, Niki Hollahan is normally found with needles and wool in her hands. So it's no surprise that she was the first one to yarn bomb Corner Brook.
Hollahan wanted to be subtle and start small, so it wouldn't take people off guard too much.
"[A] conversation piece, something to kind of bring people in to explore a little further what might be inside the mini-mall here where I'm located," she said.
Sticking with that plan, she custom-wrapped the poles of four parking meters in front of her shop with some of her work.
Starting from scraps
Hollahan started the project by using yarn bits from bigger projects.
She said it's a good way to use up the copious amounts of scraps she has left over while at the same time sprucing up the city.
The crocheted, customized sleeves have been a welcomed addition to Broadway.
"I'm thrilled that there's been a warm response, I certainly didn't want to start something that would irritate anybody. It's colourful, it's playful and again, it's removable."
When time permits, Hollahan might expand her work throughout the city. But for now, she's going to stick with her initial plan to keep things small.