Why is yarn covering lampposts, trees and parking meters in Bellefonte?

Folks passing through downtown Bellefonte this month could find themselves walking away with questions — such as why is a lamppost wearing a scarf (in June, no less)?

The short answer is that the simplest explanation is usually correct — provided you thought the simplest explanation was that last weekend a group of volunteers went out to "yarn bomb" up and down High Street, Allegheny Street and Talleyrand Park. A slightly longer explanation involves Sean McCauley, the art director at marketing and communications firm Loaded Creative, which also owns Bellefonte.com.

McCauley was on the lookout for a unique way to participate in the community.

"We're just always trying to cook up cool things to do," McCauley said.

Festooning nearby parking meters, trees and fencing with brightly covered pops of yarn seemed like an easy and relatively low-maintenance way to temporarily transform the town. Pinterest is rife with similar examples from across the country, including a pink and purple sleeve of yarn that extends the length of an entire palm tree.

McCauley developed a local take on the concept with the Bellefonte Museum of Art.

"Together we liked the idea of bringing artwork out of the museum or the gallery and to the streets," McCauley said.

The Knotty Girls was one of several local knitting clubs recruited to help turn rolls of acrylic yarn (which is weather resistant) into a shape more befitting of a parking meter. Group member Deb Boscaino has lived in Bellefonte her entire life and was grateful for the opportunity to help.

She estimates that The Knotty Girls made at least 300 decorations between the months of January and June.

"It was one way just to give a little something back to the community," Boscaino said.

The yarn will remain in place until the end of the month, partly so that people enjoy it while attending events like the 2018 Historic Bellefonte Cruise. Boscaino said that the reaction the volunteers received from passersby on Saturday was positive.

McCauley just hopes to see more projects like yarn bombing pop up around Bellefonte in the future.

"Why should it be unexpected for people to do this here?" he said.

This story was originally published June 5, 2018 at 8:52 AM with the headline "Why is yarn covering lampposts, trees and parking meters in Bellefonte?."