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I’m not going to sit here and say yarn-bombing changed the world.

Probably because it didn’t. Sure, it’s eye-catching, sure it galvanized some community participation. But did it change anything at all? What’s the point.

So, I feel it important to preface that these dives into things such as quilting, yarn-bombing, and beadwork must be taken with a grain of salt. Not necessarily the action itself, but the rhetoric that is carved out from them by certain folk. I feel very strongly about making mountains out of molehills, especially in the human rights/social justice warrior/political/moral zone, as it often detracts from the real issue at hand, and disqualifies serious consideration. If you supplement your cause with rhetoric that is blatantly a hot air balloon, you cripple yourself. Here comes the rabbit hole. While public perception is certainly not the end all be all, placing a great deal of emphasis on things that really aren’t, weren’t, and will never be perceived as incredibly instrumental as an effective form of rhetoric is sort of derogatory to the field of rhetorical study. In my eyes, it’s imperative to be precise about what things you entertain and what you simply explore.

Alrighty I’m done being a cynic. Creative expression is rad. It has been a pivotal factor in many social movements in the past. Specifically, the Prague Spring comes to mind. Very cool expression through publications by local intellectuals, and photographers depicting the local women tease the soviet soldiers. But, what I do like about yarn-bombing, is the ideals it represents. The sort of decentralization of a traditionally domestic craft, taken to the streets. I adhere to the idea that it challenges what precisely it means to be political. Where is the line between expression, and channeled expression? I enjoy that. The whole “making invisible labour visible again” is very poetic, in a sense that transcends the aestheticism of it, bolstering a women’s’ rights issue.

Rhetoric extends to participation in making things; crafts. I adore the community that stems from these crafts, and is able to blossom due to the action it fosters within a group of people, or in relation to an idea. We are invited to engage together. I firmly believe the world cannot have too much of that. At the very least, I know we need more. Check this shit out.

Pretty cool, huh? Wanna see another. Yea. Yeah you do. Here’s a few. Revel in it. Yarn. On things.

So I mean, it looks dope. Almost effervescent. It didn’t foster any major contributions to historical decisions. But it did incite discussion, whether it was relevant or not is a different thing. However, it did bring minorities together. It did light up ideas, blooming from the twisted myriad of coloured yarns. It certainly caught your eye. That’s for sure. And maybe that’s okay, because any publicity is good publicity….right?