KnitRiot guerrilla knitters leave mark at PATH homeless center

The guerrilla knitters from the Los Angeles collective KnitRiot have struck again: The anonymous crafters quietly turned up Saturday at the PATH homeless center in East Hollywood, where they installed their "Wooly WALLart," above. Hats, scarves, gloves and neck warmers were left so that residents of the transitional housing facility, which has nearly 100 beds, could pick out clothing for themselves.

KnitRiot began knitting the pieces in the summer, assembled the installation on Friday night, right, and moved it to PATH early Saturday, above.

"We like to mix craft and art with a message or a service," said one member of the collective, who declined to provide a name. ("Yarn bombing," the placement of knitted graffiti in public spaces, is technically illegal, though would anyone declare making clothes for the homeless a crime?) "We knew we wanted to bomb a homeless shelter. We chose a facility that served the community with the greatest need. PATH serves people who come in off the street." 

The PATH installation follows the group's "ArtisTREE" in Highland Park, where masked members draped an elementary school tree in colorful woolen bills to protest school budget cuts.

Contacted on Monday, a representative at PATH said the organization knew nothing of the installation. That didn't upset the knitters. "We put it up at 7 a.m.," one KnitRiot member said, "and by 9 a.m. people were walking around wearing the handmade items."

ALSO:

The art of the yarn bomb 

International yarn bomb day

Made by the homeless and formerly homes

-- Lisa Boone

Photo credits: KnitRiot