Art student causes a stir with knitted pompom gimmick

Published on Tuesday 15 March 2011 11:14

IT was a woolly idea which has branched out into an art phenomenon.

Trees all over the world are being bedecked with knitted pompoms thanks to an art student from the Capital, who aims to bring a little colour into our lives.

Natalie Jones, 21, has sent out more than 1000 pompom kits to people who requested them via her website as part of her university final project. She has asked the recipients to hang them from a tree, take a photograph and send it to her, and plans to compile a book of the photos.

The pompoms are left in the trees and the tags which hang with them include a QR code, which when scanned with a smartphone will link to the website and explain the project to the curious.

Ms Jones, who lives in Mid Calder, West Lothian, said: "I started looking at guerrilla knitting. I was looking at how people created street art and how there was that element of surprise if you walk through the street and see these things.

"I wanted to make little pompoms and tied one on a tree near my house, then people started to see them and wanted to become involved but didn't know how to do it. The idea came that I'd make kits and send the wool out so people could make pompoms all over the world."

The Napier University student secured sponsorship from online yarn firm the Little Knitting Company, which provided the wool and some financial backing.

News of the project spread by word of mouth and online, and she has now sent the kits, which include wool, tags and instructions, to people in countries including the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Turkey.

The recipients have ranged in age from four to 74.

Around 100 pictures have already been submitted to the group she set up on photo website Flickr, and the pompoms are causing a stir across the world. She said: "I got an e-mail from a little girl in New Zealand who had seen one and she kept it. She said she's going to keep it forever and ever, so I've sent her a little kit.

"Everybody seems to be quite excited about it. People are saying they want to be part of something so big. They like to see unexpected things in the street and it's bringing them together, getting family members together to do it and old friends meeting up."

Ruth Chester, of the Little Knitting Company, said she was delighted to sponsor Ms Jones, who is studying design and digital art. She said: "It just really appealed to a sense of fun, having these smashing woolly pompoms all over the place.

"It's a lovely finals project. I was really happy to give her wool and some sponsorship. It brings a smile to your face."

To find out more, visit http://pom-pomproject.tumblr.com.