Saturday 10 August 2013

Yarn bombing in Barcelona


The minute we booked our holiday in January this year, I knew that I simply had to bomb something of the yarn-happy and cheery kind in Barcelona. I felt a strong sense of compulsion to do this in a foreign city, leave a little graffiti of the yarn variety behind to say "Penny was here" without damaging or offending a beautiful place!


 Because we decided to only take hand luggage and to challenge ourselves with travelling lightly, I could only squeeze a couple of leftover balls from previous projects into my bag and one crochet hook which I was prepared to loose if flight security decided it needed to be removed.
I chose this yellow rowan tweedy yarn and some left over greeny coloured Noro sock yarn because I wasn't taking a pattern with me and thought I'd be able to make up a flower and leaves type posy for bombing in a square somewhere.


On coming back from the Picasso museum (which is free from 3pm onwards on the first Sunday of the month and definitely well worth a visit) I said to Andy and Alice that it was time. Time for mama to take her flower and attach it to somewhere perfect to hopefully make people smile. So, I wandered off on my own on last Sunday evening to this square, just off Las Rambalas past a few cafes and a few drunk students to find the perfect spot.


To say my heart was beating faster is no lie, I wandered how the city might receive my little creative gift?


The square was perfect I felt, it had a little playground with laughing children and happy relaxed parents, a few terraced cafes and an ice-cream parlour, some shady trees and benches for resting and chatting (oh and the statue seen in the above photo).


And, so I found a couple of single seated benches facing each other and started bombing by stitching my flower to the fence.


 With sweaty fingers I took a few snaps to record the moment :o)


With a secret kind of triumph I walked away to get myself a cool drink and see if anyone noticed it in the next few minutes of me hovering in the square.


Literally within a couple of minutes and much to my delight I spied these two ladies sitting down chatting to each other and actually pointing at the flower (!!!) and then getting on using their phones. I was a bit naughty to zoom in taking this pic but I was so chuffed that it had been noticed within minutes of being bombed ha ha!

Viva yarn bombing in foreign places.
How about you, have you ever yarn bombed? 
At home or in a foreign place? Do tell.
I have a feeling that this adrenaline rush could possibly become addictive, oh dear.

Thanks for popping in
xox
See you soon

13 comments:

  1. What a sweet idea, a little piece of your creativity left for others to admire in a beautiful country.
    I've never yarn bombed myself always thinking of those projects I've seen that are huge. However you have me thinking that a very small piece of yarn bombing might just be achievable in my local community. You've started something! :)
    Anne xx

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  2. Hi Penny, I've been away from blogging for a while and after reading this post, I just realised how much I missed reading your blog. This is a fantastic idea. I'v never thought of yarn bombing in hols before. I must try it out. It sounds like too much fun to miss out on.
    Rosie xx

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  3. Loved this Penny, the thought of you leaving a little Essence of Penny in Barcelona! May do something like this myself one day! :) x

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  4. What a lovely thought. I crocheted the welcome banner you can see at the top of my sidebar for the 2011 International Yarn Bombing day and attached it to the 'Welcome to Stone' sign on our canal - it got some really good feedback and I even did an interview with the local paper as the Phantom Yarn Bomber! I'm sure your flower will be putting a smile on many people's faces - well done you! Jane x

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  5. I'm not a yarn bomber, but I so could be!

    Loved all the holiday pics in your last post too. Nice to have you back though :D

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  6. I loved this Penny....so sweet and a great fun idea. I'm tempted to do something similar....maybe I will use the boys as cover so I don't have to worry so much about being seen :0)
    Love your holiday images...hope you are sharing some more soon.
    Jacquie x

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  7. Fab! I'm off to Barcelona early Sept, will have to have a look and see if its still there! If it is I'll take a pic!! x

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  8. Lovely flower...you are nuts! (In a fab way.). :)

    I saw your De La Warr yarn bomb was still there a few days ago.

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  9. love yarn bombing and yours is lovely! go girl! xx

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  10. I have never participated in yarn bombing - in fact, I don't think I've even seen any! Oh dear, I do lead a dull life. Your flower is gorgeous, very sweet and a definite improvement to the railings. x

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  11. Hehe you stalker ;) It was a beautiful flower, I thought you were going to put it on the naked statue at first!

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  12. My sis alerted me to your post - how sweet is the flower on the fence?
    Have a look at Ansie's yarn-bombing on a recent road-trip round South Africa at http://sonenskadu.blogspot.com/, look for the African Flower Chain - she's still getting feedback !
    We also yarn-bombed a bit in Pretoria this year - a tiny one in Lynnwood Glen (http://www.haak-en-stekie.blogspot.com/2013/06/worldwide-knit-in-publichooking-in.html) and Irene (http://www.haak-en-stekie.blogspot.com/2013/06/wolbom-2013.html).

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