Fine craftsmanship — manifested in attention to details and the creation of small objects — and appreciation of beauty invariably go hand in hand in Japan.”  writes Patricia Graham as she presents “beauty in miniaturization and detailed workmanship” as one of the ten key characteristics of design in Japanese culture in her book Japanese Design: Art, Aesthetics and Culture.

Have you ever created a yarn bomb?  Seen guerrilla knitting?  Or heard of yarn storming?  Yarn bombing seems to be the most prevalent term but, whatever you choose to call it, it’s a unique form of street art.  Yarn bombers cover public objects or structures, such as fences, lampposts, bike racks, trees and statues, with colorful knitted or crocheted yarn.  They do it for a variety of reasons such as raising awareness for a cause, making a political statement or simply making others smile.  Most passersby are delighted by the unexpected touch of warmth and humanity yarn bombing brings to the urban environment.