On the 20th of November last year I reblogged a blogpost from Streetcolour about a whole town that is going to be yarnbombed. The town being Genoa, in Italy. This is the post.

What I didn’t tell you is that my amazing, super duper fantastic husband’s response to the blogpost was “Why don’t you go to Genoa and see the yarnbomb? You know you want to.” John’s response came exactely a week before he was due to go to hospital for the kidney donation operation, so his gracious offer meant even more to me on so many levels.

John suggested I take my very good friend with me for a girly weekend. I bought the tickets, booked the hotel. All that was left to do was for her to get a Schengen Visa. Unfortunately things didn’t work out as we hoped and due to a South African passport taking ages to be renewed, she won’t be able to go with me. John will now be going in her place. Obviously crochet isn’t his thing, and he doesn’t particularly like Italy, but he still agreed to come with me. Not only that, he has to fly to Milan and get a train to Genoa, whereas I will be flying direct to Genoa. At least he is returning on the same flight as me so it’s all good.

By now he is also such a big part of my yarnbomb shenanigans (holding ladders, taking photos, making sketches, taking measurements) that he might as well come along and see how it’s done on a City-wide scale.

His position as the World’s Best Husband is now firmly cemented.

Now you probably want to know more about this amazing yarnbomb. Firstly, take a look at this video. I don’t understand Italian, and there are no sub-titles, but the imagery is enough to make you salivate and itch to be part of this thing!

The website dedicated to this project, called Intrecci Urbani, is here.

I used Google translate to read about the project:

THE PROJECT

The idea was born in a project of national civil service with the aim of developing relations between the generations , particularly among young and old, and provides for the creation of a great yarn bombing event will culminate with the creation of a collective installation that will be exposed to about 10 days, in the Old Port of Genoa from 21 March 2013 .

The Yarn Bombing , literally “yarn bombing” is a new form of street art that comes from the United States that colors the city “vestendole” with handmade wool and cotton that give to the places where they are installed look lively and joyful. A contemporary street art that is expressed through the ancient techniques of knitting and using the city as a canvas to decorate with colorful handicrafts. Will be lined with benches, lampposts, railings, the antique crane columns aquarium, trees and more …

The project also joined associations and creative yarn bombing of some Italian cities that send their work to contribute to the event in the spring.

After exposure the artifacts will be dismantled and reused for the construction of facilities in the area, while those injured will be turned into blankets to be distributed to homeless people and shelters for animals.

The main installation will be at the Old Port from 21 March to 1 April 2013.

My mind boggles at the logistics involved in this. Whoever organised this event is one very organised individual. The crocheters and knitters meet every second Saturday at the M-Cafe in the Doge’s Palace – how stylish and very Italian?!, the yarn has been sponsored so it’s all the same weight and colour, and they even have a pattern book for the flowers and squares used in the yarnbomb. Uniformed creativity seems to be what they are aiming for. They also have an Instagram feed (#intrecciurbani) and you can follow the event on their Facebook page.

In two weeks I’ll be in Genoa to see an Italian City yarnbombed, and the following weekend I’ll be yarnbombing in a town in England! How amazing is that?! I truely can’t wait.

I think I will take a little something crocheted with me to Genoa to add to their yarnbomb….