Chiselhurst pensioner Caroline Bacela may not know it, but she is taking part in a global trend called “yarn-bombing” by coating the wooden railings outside a Nahoon craft shop in colourful crochet “blankets”.
Yarn-bombing is a movement in which hand-crafts are taken out of their home environment into the public domain. It can be likened to street art or grafitti.
Also known as craft activism, it can be a way to make anti-war or anti-consumerism statements by “dressing” everyday objects in craft.
“It’s about the feminine domain of crafts being brought out of the house and in this case the message is an anti-mass consumerism one which rather draws attention to supporting local,” said Eastern Cape Craft Collection’s Marika Jacobs, who is the project manager of the Old Transkei Road shop.
Bacela, 77, was a little startled when she was hired by Jacobs to yarn-bomb the railings, but set about her task with gusto and in less than a month created 35 metres of custom-made crocheted coverings.
When the Daily Dispatch visited the vibrant scene yesterday, Bacela, who was taught to crochet by her mother when she was a little girl, was in the process of sewing her made-to-measure railing wrappings into place, an arduous task which may extend into next week.
“When I first saw the railings I thought it would just be a small thing to do – I didn’t realise how much work it would be.
“But I asked God to help me because I had already said yes to Marika and didn’t want to let her down,” smiled Bacela, who said her household duties had taken second place since her mammoth project began.
“I would start after breakfast and work until 3pm, when I cooked dinner for myself and my 14-year-old twin grand-daughters, and then after dinner I would crochet again. Sometimes it got light outside and I was still crocheting! But I love to crochet so I didn’t moan,” said the softly-spoken crafter, who worked as a clerk for an insurance company for 25 years before her retirement.
She still has several pieces to crochet so that all 120 vertical droppers are encased.
“Doing this is like painting, except it is with wool,” said Bacela, who has also woven satin wool leftovers into her work to add a hint of bling. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
Yarn-bombing gran is on trend
Chiselhurst pensioner Caroline Bacela may not know it, but she is taking part in a global trend called “yarn-bombing” by coating the wooden railings outside a Nahoon craft shop in colourful crochet “blankets”.
Yarn-bombing is a movement in which hand-crafts are taken out of their home environment into the public domain. It can be likened to street art or grafitti.
Also known as craft activism, it can be a way to make anti-war or anti-consumerism statements by “dressing” everyday objects in craft.
“It’s about the feminine domain of crafts being brought out of the house and in this case the message is an anti-mass consumerism one which rather draws attention to supporting local,” said Eastern Cape Craft Collection’s Marika Jacobs, who is the project manager of the Old Transkei Road shop.
Bacela, 77, was a little startled when she was hired by Jacobs to yarn-bomb the railings, but set about her task with gusto and in less than a month created 35 metres of custom-made crocheted coverings.
When the Daily Dispatch visited the vibrant scene yesterday, Bacela, who was taught to crochet by her mother when she was a little girl, was in the process of sewing her made-to-measure railing wrappings into place, an arduous task which may extend into next week.
“When I first saw the railings I thought it would just be a small thing to do – I didn’t realise how much work it would be.
“But I asked God to help me because I had already said yes to Marika and didn’t want to let her down,” smiled Bacela, who said her household duties had taken second place since her mammoth project began.
“I would start after breakfast and work until 3pm, when I cooked dinner for myself and my 14-year-old twin grand-daughters, and then after dinner I would crochet again. Sometimes it got light outside and I was still crocheting! But I love to crochet so I didn’t moan,” said the softly-spoken crafter, who worked as a clerk for an insurance company for 25 years before her retirement.
She still has several pieces to crochet so that all 120 vertical droppers are encased.
“Doing this is like painting, except it is with wool,” said Bacela, who has also woven satin wool leftovers into her work to add a hint of bling. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
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