People of all ages are knitting up a storm to help dress up Williams Lake for its 85th birthday.
The city’s actual birthday is this Saturday but groups around the community are planning a variety of special events for later in the year.
For one of those special events the Community Arts Council of Williams Lake, with the approval of city council, and with help from students, seniors and various artists and arts groups is pulling together a unique Yarn Bombing project.
Several fences and trees in the community will be decorated with colourful fiber art images.
“Many seniors are on board knitting up a storm making long strips of acrylic ribbon,” says project co-ordinator Sharon Hoffman.
“In mid-June, we’ll work with youth to get this ‘ribbon’ woven into the chain-linked fences to create pictures around the Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin, Station House, Potato House, Central Arts and Culture Centre, Community Garden, Kiwanis Park ball diamonds or tennis courts,” Hoffman says.
She says the arts council groups will also be yarn bombing the trunks of 15 deciduous trees in Herb Gardner Park with knitting, crocheting, weaving and other fabric art techniques.
The challenge is for each arts council group to decorate the tree so that it represents their group.
Each of the participating arts council groups is decorating a tree for the project that will be unveiled before Stampede and stay in place until the last day of the 2014 Art Walk in September.
Any displays that are damaged will be repaired or taken down, Hoffman says.
After the project is over, she says pieces will be donated to the Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society for use in another project or if they are tired, they we will go to the SPCA as bedding for lost or abandoned pets.
Hoffman is currently collecting donations of acrylic yarn. “If you happen to have some unneeded acrylic yarn you are willing to donate, please get in touch with me and I’ll collect it,” Hoffman says.
People who would like to be involved in this fun community project can contact Hoffman at 250-392-5671.
Willie Dye reports that the annual Art Walk and Sale will run August 7 to September 6 this year with great art, prizes, entertainment and exercise. People who wish to help with that event can contact him at 250-398-8826 or williedye@shaw.ca.