Knitting for the Streets

Shortly after exiting the Court Street train station, the pink blossoms of a flowering tree beckoned. At the corner of Montague and Clinton, I stood in front of St. Ann's Church and took out my camera to capture the neighborhood. There was a saxophonist playing in front of the the stained glass Gothic windows. Making my way past him, I noticed a woman kneeling beside a parking meter. She appeared to be "fitting" it with a brightly colored tube. I snapped a photo. Still kneeling, she said to me, "We're making 70 of these." Having put two and two together, I responded, "I'll be making some too." It turned out that I had run into Magda Sayeg of Knitta.

Both of us were on our way to an introductory meeting about the upcoming project commissioned by the Montague Street Business Improvement District. Knitta has been commissioned to cover 69 parking meter poles on Montague Street with knitted sleeves.

Self described as a "yarn vandal," Knitta is known for tagging urban spaces by wrapping knitted art pieces around poles, door handles, monuments etc. Through its "crew" of knitters, Knitta's work has made its way to streets throughout the US, tagging Austin, Seattle, New York and Hollywood and claims international notoriety in Paris.

Next month tagging comes to Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights. The community and local area knitters have been enlisted to realize this project. Several members of the {NewNew}, signed up to participate. Nguyen of KnitKnit and Lorina of Beadscarf are two members who were able to attend the meeting. Should you meet a knitting {NewNew} member at a craft fair in the coming weeks, that project just may end up on a parking meter on Montague Street. Though the poles will be covered, you will still have to pay the meters.

-Red Bridge Studio