Kitchen counter confidential - Yarn bombing in Australia

What would you say if you walked down the street and saw this?

What would you think if you saw this?

I didn't see these on the street, I saw it online...and I LOVE it! When I think of public art I typically think of grand pieces, commissioned and selected by profoundly important people. Yarn bombing has taken public art and placed it into the hands of...the public! It is twisting our traditional definition of graffiti. I fully intend to do an entire post on public art and yarn bombing, but for today, I would love to introduce you to the young woman who is responsible for those images above. Her name is Bali, a.k.a. Twilight Taggers, and she lives in Australia. Thanks to the wonderful web I am able to take you into her kitchen and find out how in the world she got into yarn bombing?

1. I've been a pescetarian (vegetarian that eats some fish) for the better part of 18 years and had an eating disorder for longer than I care to remember which makes food something that I'd rather not have to deal with. Also, I hate cooking so that doesn't help either.

2. Most people know me for my love of crafts, but that's not my first love. Music has always been number one for me. Ain't nothing better than getting your ears on some new tunes and getting carried along on a great melody.

3. Ever since I can remember, I've had an obsession with everything related to England, and I still swear that one day I will live there.

We have a large kitchen in this house, compared to the cottage I used to live in, so I don't mind some appliances on the counter, but not too many.

kettle (most used appliance in my house), flowers my housemate Jess bought, my new tea and coffee canisters, clean dishes and the toaster

Ahh, I wish it was more home-y. You know, containers of baked goods and left over meals. Magazines and papers and photos of the family/friends, etc. That sort of thing. Living in a shared house, you kind of have to be respectful of everyone so we're all pretty clean in this house.

Make a cuppa tea. I know it doesn't seem much, but I got my love of tea from my Mom. The majority of the time when I'm in the kitchen, it's just to get a cup of tea. English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Green Tea, Jasmine Tea. I love them all. So much to be said about the way someone makes a cup of tea!

A few years ago my brother bought me Leanna and Mandy's book on Yarnbombing. I read it and that very day I started creating my first yarn bomb. Ever since then it's only gotten bigger and bigger. I have over 500 people watching my facebook page and I get approached from newspapers/bloggers/etc to be interviewed and get asked to join yarn bombing projects around the world. I'm very happy about where I am today with my yarn bombing.

I don't often do it when people are around. The name of my yarn bombing group is Twilight Taggers for a reason. I much prefer to do it when it's darker so that I don't draw attention to myself, though having said that, I have done some in the dark and still had people come up and talk to me. Most people can't believe what I've made and that I like to share it with the public.

Bali will be participating in Melbourne, Australia's Light in Winter Festival. This festival is not unlike Toronto's Nuit Blanche. A celebration of light and enlightenment, in the winter. This year's theme focuses on fire. A Canadian artist, Bruce Ramus, has designed an interactive sculpture, titled Light Hearts. Twilight Taggers are working on a piece incorporating lanterns, lights, snowflakes and yarn bombing...take a look...I'm sure it will be amazing! Good luck Bali, and all the knitters and crocheters you are working with around Australia and the world. Can't wait to see the pictures.