(July 7, 2016) Coinciding with the town’s first fireworks display, another blast of color came to the downtown last week as local yarn shop A Little Bit Sheepish helped to create a new “yarn benching” initiative.
A play on the popular “yarn-bombing” movement, the benching saw more than a dozen benches wrapped in hand-knitted covers last Thursday.
“Yarn bombing has been around for a long time, and it’s kind of a thing that knitters and crocheters do for fun and to bring color and joy to a town,” A Little Bit Sheepish Owner Brenda Trice said. “Sometimes you’ll find they’ll yarn-bomb trees or lampposts or whatever.”
Trice said Ivy Wells, director of the Main Street program and the town’s economic and community development director, pitched the idea to her.
“We loved the idea, so several of our ladies volunteered to make bench covers, and we’ve been spending the last several months planning and making these,” Trice said. “They’re just to bring some sparkle and color and joy to our visitors who come into town, and to our town’s people.”
And, just maybe, bring a little attention to the yarn shop.
“Absolutely,” Trice said. “We hope so!”
She estimated between 14 and 15 benches in the downtown area would be covered, with each displaying a different theme. The bench in front of Trice’s shop, for instance, featured a nautical theme, while a bench in front of town hall was covered in patriotic red, white and blue.
Each cover had to be secured using small plastic wire ties, with Trice and her husband, Steve, doing some of the work themselves, along with a handful of volunteers.
Wells said the town was fortunate to have Trice, along with a devoted knitting and crocheting club, whose members were willing to do most of the work.
“We’re an arts and entertainment district, and one of the things that’s important to us is public art displays,” Wells said. “[We wanted to add] a splash of color, especially for the Fourth of July weekend, and we wanted to showcase A Little Bit Sheepish and the talents of some of the knitting ladies.
“This is the first time we’ve ever done something like this,” Wells continued. “So far it’s been wonderful. I can’t wait to see what the reaction is.”
For the social media savvy, organizers are asking that photos are tagged #berlinyarnbenching, Wells said.
A play on the popular “yarn-bombing” movement, the benching saw more than a dozen benches wrapped in hand-knitted covers last Thursday.
“Yarn bombing has been around for a long time, and it’s kind of a thing that knitters and crocheters do for fun and to bring color and joy to a town,” A Little Bit Sheepish Owner Brenda Trice said. “Sometimes you’ll find they’ll yarn-bomb trees or lampposts or whatever.”
Trice said Ivy Wells, director of the Main Street program and the town’s economic and community development director, pitched the idea to her.
“We loved the idea, so several of our ladies volunteered to make bench covers, and we’ve been spending the last several months planning and making these,” Trice said. “They’re just to bring some sparkle and color and joy to our visitors who come into town, and to our town’s people.”
And, just maybe, bring a little attention to the yarn shop.
“Absolutely,” Trice said. “We hope so!”
She estimated between 14 and 15 benches in the downtown area would be covered, with each displaying a different theme. The bench in front of Trice’s shop, for instance, featured a nautical theme, while a bench in front of town hall was covered in patriotic red, white and blue.
Each cover had to be secured using small plastic wire ties, with Trice and her husband, Steve, doing some of the work themselves, along with a handful of volunteers.
Wells said the town was fortunate to have Trice, along with a devoted knitting and crocheting club, whose members were willing to do most of the work.
“We’re an arts and entertainment district, and one of the things that’s important to us is public art displays,” Wells said. “[We wanted to add] a splash of color, especially for the Fourth of July weekend, and we wanted to showcase A Little Bit Sheepish and the talents of some of the knitting ladies.
“This is the first time we’ve ever done something like this,” Wells continued. “So far it’s been wonderful. I can’t wait to see what the reaction is.”
For the social media savvy, organizers are asking that photos are tagged #berlinyarnbenching, Wells said.