Yarn Bombing and the Aesthetics of Exceptionalism

Varda, Scott J.

doi:10.1080/14791420.2014.959453

Cited by 24 publications

(18 citation statements)

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“…In promoting the idea that people can use their own creativity to improve the world, craftivism allows those who wish to voice their opinions and support their causes the chance to do just that … but without chanting or banner waving and at their own pace. (p. 401) Yarn bombing, for example, is seen as the graffiti of the yarn world, where knitters adorn urban objects in yarn as a form of civic action and placemaking (Hahner and Varda, 2014). The use of such guerilla tactics 'embodies the spontaneous, the unexpected, and offers a touch of chaos or anarchy in a rather regimented world' (Turney, 2009: 97).…”

Section: Craft-practice Women and The Urban Experiencementioning

confidence: 99%

Crafting place: Women’s everyday creativity in placemaking processes

Platt

2017

European Journal of Cultural Studies

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Amid a resurgence of domestic craft, this article contends that everyday creative practices of women are part of placemaking processes in the creative city. Specifically, the research focuses on Liverpool in the Northwest of England, the so-called (and self-proclaimed) 'centre of the creative universe'. This article utilized in-depth semistructured interviews with members of knitting groups and the city centre Women's Institute to explore how women use craft practice to create a sense of self and attachment to place. The idea of women gathering to craft is enduring, and is examined here to understand affective labour and the role that creativity plays in the urban experience of women. It is argued that the groups demonstrate a lack of engagement with the wider market and official placemaking processes, but instead demonstrate an element of self-valorization. The article challenges thinking around culture-led placemaking in cities like Liverpool, where discourses of creativity have been used as a driver for regeneration by shifting the emphasis onto seemingly banal settings on the edges of the so-called creative city. While urban placemakers have been more recently concerned with developing hubs of creative industries, the role of these groups that are not producing a profitable 'product' should not be underestimated or exploited.

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Section: Craft-practice Women and The Urban Experiencementioning

confidence: 99%

Crafting place: Women’s everyday creativity in placemaking processes

Platt

2017

European Journal of Cultural Studies

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“…This quality is associated with homeliness and hospitality and has been identified as particularly valued by older people (Devine-Wright et al, 2014). The 'snuggly' construction of femininity in knitting cultures criticised by Hahner and Varda (2014) is partly linked to the perception of the tactile properties of yarns and items made from these materials. In a study about old pairs of jeans, Woodward (2016) discusses participants' interactions with fabric.…”

Section: Feminising Spacementioning

confidence: 99%

‘Knit “n” natter’: a feminist methodological assessment of using creative ‘women’s work’ in focus groups

Harrison

Ogden

2020

Qualitative Research

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This article outlines the methodological innovations generated in a study of knitting and femininity in Britain. The study utilised ‘knit “n” natter’ focus groups during which female participants were encouraged to knit and talk. The research design encompassed a traditionally undervalued form of domestic ‘women’s work’ to recognise the creative skills of female practitioners. ‘Knit “n” natter’ is a fruitful feminist research method in relation to its capitalisation on female participants’ creativity, its disruption of expertise and its feminisation of academic space. The method challenges patriarchal conventions of knowledge production and gendered power relations in research, but it also reproduces problematic constructions of gender, which are acknowledged. The study contributes to a growing body of work on creative participatory methods and finds that the ‘knit “n” natter’ format has utility beyond investigations of crafting and may be used productively in other contexts where in-depth research with women is desirable.

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“…Commemorative textiles act as social commentary through application of imagery and text to fabric. Contemporary examples include the concept of 'yarn-bombing' (or 'kniffiti'), where woollen structures are affixed within public spaces as art to reconfigure public ideals and aesthetics (Hahner & Varda, 2014).…”

Section: Textiles As Communicators: Cultural and Social Identitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Textile Connections E-textiles to enhance connectedness for older adults experiencing loneliness

2017

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Staying connected to family, peers and the wider community can be challenging for older adults experiencing life-changing transitions such as bereavement, retirement or illness. Despite advancements in communication technologies, loneliness is a growing endemic social condition that can inherently undermine health and wellbeing, potentially causing greater risk of cognitive decline, onset disability, depression and feelings of loss of self. Low adoption of communication technologies by older people has been accredited to lack of confidence, concerns in terms of navigating complicated screens, small print and the misunderstanding of technical jargon. With research advocating internetenabled objects in improving feelings of social connectedness, which is key to preventing or overcoming loneliness, this paper proposes that e-textiles (inherently electronic materials or electronic devices with more familiar textile components) is poised as one of the next possible frontiers for enabling communications. This paper reviews our relationship with the textile medium, considering its' transition from traditional to e-textiles before exploring the ways e-textiles might enable older users to communicate and connect with others.

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Yarn Bombing and the Aesthetics of Exceptionalism

Cited by 24 publications

References 0 publications

Crafting place: Women’s everyday creativity in placemaking processes

Crafting place: Women’s everyday creativity in placemaking processes

‘Knit “n” natter’: a feminist methodological assessment of using creative ‘women’s work’ in focus groups

Textile Connections E-textiles to enhance connectedness for older adults experiencing loneliness

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