artisticlicense Bright colors, big letters, and bold statements. For thousands of years, humans have used outdoor surfaces to broadcast perspectives — from Neanderthals’ cave paintings to ancient Greeks etching walls to modern artists tagging buildings. So much so that we barely blink when someone sprays “Stop the War” on a street sign.
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But when a string of knitted fabric PSAs turned up at the Martin Street beach access this fall, screaming “FILL IN UR HOLES” and “KEEP OFF THE DUNES” in eye-popping, all-capital colors, the community quickly took notice.
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“It’s awesome,” says local surfer Clark Brown, who lives in the neighborhood. “It sends a great message: ‘Pick up your trash,’ because, well, pick up your trash! It’s a colorful piece that jumps in your face. I say put up more!”
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The freehand pieces are the work of 37-year-old Elisa McVearry, a lifelong knitting fanatic who never really considered herself an artist until she discovered the act of “yarn bombing” — aka “yarn graffiti” or “yarn installations.”
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“Or as my husband calls it, ‘granny graffiti,’” laughs the mother of two.
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There are certainly parallels. Both graffiti and yarn art are generally put up without prior permission. Both can send political or humanitarian messages, or simply be acts of self-expression. Unlike graffiti, though, yarn pieces are easily removed, be it a tree sweater, a bench cover or a wall wrap.
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While yarn bombing has feminine roots, its origins are harder to pinpoint. Did it officially start in Texas in 2005 with a shop owner knitting a cozy for her store’s doorknob? Or during the Crimean War in the 1850s with the knitted head coverings that sweethearts sent their soldiers to wear under their helmets? Perhaps someplace in-between?
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POINTED MESSAGE graphiccontent Forget spray cans — this local artist expresses public opinions with knitting needles.
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Pitches get stitches. Photo: Cory Godwin
Whatever the history, McVearry is likely the Outer Banks’ first yarn bomber — at least on a large scale. She started knitting
