EVERETT — Many trees in the Evergreen Arboretum are still missing their leaves, but several are now wearing sweaters.
The nitty-gritty? As part of 60th anniversary festivities, the arboretum located at 145 Alverson Boulevard in north Everett asked fiber artists to make “sweaters” and pompoms for its trees.
Yarn bombing, also known as guerrilla knitting or knitting graffiti, was popularized in 1992 by Canadian artist Janet Morton in Toronto. Through social media, yarn bombing has become a popular way to take over urban environments with cozy graffiti.
In late February, the arboretum hung artwork from 30 fiber artists across its 3.4 acres. It already has people calling for its return next year, Arboretum President Eileen Simmons said. The idea originated last spring, when Simmons’ daughter-in-law sent her photos of a “yarn-bombed” New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill in Massachusetts.
Simmons hopped on a call with the organizers, who helped her unravel what “fuzzying up” the arboretum would take.
Locally, one of Simmons’ first stops was the Great Yarns store at 4023 Rucker Ave.
Fontelle Jones, who opened Great Yarns in 1984, swiftly agreed to help.
Jones’ eyes light up when asked about the yarn bombing.
“I have lots of customers that did the yarn bombing,” she said.
Jones provided free yarn for participants and organized a couple of workshops. Everett’s YMCA organized another.
Simmons only gave one instruction to the bombers: “Use bright colors.”
The multi-colored rectangles of yarn and hanging pompoms span different skill levels.
Arboretum board member Eric Mowery picked up a crochet needle for the first time. He learned to make not just simple squares but birds.
Simmons, who doesn’t describe herself as a very good knitter, made a red-pink-black-yellow-purple square from scraps amassed over 15 years.
“I realized this would be a pretty good way to take advantage of something that I already had,” she said.
Jones’ piece, blue and pink with sparkly flowers, wraps around the left column at the arboretum’s entrance.
Terri Shinn, a textile and mixed-media artist, also jumped in.
“I love that the community is open to all these possibilities to showcase art in multiple directions,” she said. “I think people will want to continue it next year and it will grow and grow.”
Simmons hopes the yarn bombing will bring more awareness to the space as the arboretum struggles to attract younger members.
“We’ve heard for years that people come in and say: ‘I’ve never been here before and I’ve lived here for decades,’” she said.
The arboretum walks a tightrope between being free and open-to-all, while making sure operating costs are covered, Simmons said.
Events like this one attract more visitors, but it’s difficult to translate interest into an increase in membership, Simmons said.
That’s in part because the arboretum can’t attach many material benefits to paying for the $25 annual membership, she said.
“Your membership gets you invited to a couple of annual dinners and receptions during the year,” she said. “And the pleasure of knowing that you’re supporting the garden.”
Unlike the Bellevue Botanical Garden, for example, there’s no staff, gift shop or paid classes.
Simmons, who was the Everett Public Library’s director from 2007 to 2017, said there’s value in public spaces.
“We’re not here to try to sell (the arboretum),” she said. “I like the idea of keeping it free for people so that they’re able to come in and enjoy it.”
In April, volunteers will take the yarn off the trees. Some participants have asked for their pieces back. The arboretum will keep pompoms for the Wintertide lights event in December.
To do it again next year, more organizers would need to step up.
“It’s something that I would definitely consider, but I’d want to know that there were other people besides me who are organizing it,” Simmons said. “A lot of people have said that they hope we will. So I’ve gone from thinking ‘absolutely not’ to ‘maybe.’”
Aina de Lapparent Alvarez: 425-339-3449; aina.alvarez@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @Ainadla.
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