Knitters Drop 'Yarn Bomb' on Pittsburgh Bridge

Warhol Bridge is looking decidedly crafty
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Aug 12, 2013 11:49 AM CDT
Knitters Drop 'Yarn Bomb' on Pittsburgh Bridge
Pedestrians walk across the Andy Warhol bridge on Monday, Aug. 12, 2013 in Pittsburgh. More that 1,800 knitters covered it in 3,000 feet of colorful yarn.   (Gene J. Puskar)

More than 1,800 knitters have covered Pittsburgh's Andy Warhol Bridge with colorful yarn. Volunteers worked all weekend to attach 580 blanket-size, hand-knitted panels to the pedestrian walkways on the bridge in the city where Warhol was born. The project was organized by the Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh, which calls it the nation's largest "yarn bomb." The term applies to artists who knit coverings for everyday objects like lampposts, street signs, and trees.

The bridge will be covered in the yarn—3,000 feet of it—until Sept. 6. The planning started about 18 months ago, said Amanda Gross, 29, who had the idea for the project. She said yarn bombing is "really inspirational" and a good way to bring communities together. The group ultimately had to work with designers, lawyers, architects, structural engineers, and riggers to make the idea a reality. Sherri Roberts, 60, a past president of the guild, said the group decided that the panels would contain only colors and designs—no words or political or religious symbols. (More Andy Warhol stories.)

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