WEST CAPE MAY — This tiny borough has received worldwide media attention after it was “knit bombed.”
Just after the last snowstorm, knitting began appearing on lampposts and trees, as if someone was making sweaters to warm up the shivering trees and cheer up depressed lampposts. Knitting has turned up on fence posts, stop sign poles and even on the cord on a pay phone at the 7-Eleven on Broadway and Sunset Boulevard.
A sort of knitting “Bermuda Triangle” emerged from Wilbraham Park, where the yarn creations were first seen, to the Flying Fish Studio on Park Boulevard, which was rumored to have put out offerings of free yarn behind their store for the midnight knitters to Higher Grounds Café at the corner of Park Boulevard and West Perry Street.
As mysteriously as the tree sweaters and other decorative items appeared in Wilbraham Park, the knitting disappeared in the early morning hours of March 12.
After Press of Atlantic City Writer Richard Degener’s story on the mysterious knitting was picked up by the Associated Press, news of West Cape May’s knit bombing went across the planet.
The story was featured on WRDW-TV News 12, the CBS affiliate in Augusta, Ga., WCBS Newsradio 880-New York, WTOP Newsradio-Washington D.C., WISN-TV 12 in Milwaukee, Wis., CBS 13 Television in Sacramento, Calif., New York Daily News, The PSFK-New York Web site, which referred to the practice as “guerilla knitting.” The British Web site: dafactopedia.com described the knitted items on trees and posts in West Cape May as “jumpers.”
CBS Television’s Charles Osgood, host of CBS Sunday Morning, wrote his March 11 radio commentary about the West Cape mystery knitters which included an interview with Mayor Pamela Kaithern.
Closer to home, Action 6 News from Philadelphia filmed a story, a report found its way to the Web sites of NBC10 and WYSP Radio.
Kaithern told the Herald the borough did not order the knit creations to be removed from the park.
“My guess is maybe they got spooked with the publicity,” she said.
Kaithern said the park was still decorated as of 8 p.m. March 11. While technically decorating items on municipal property is not legal, the mayor said the borough was not actively pursuing any type of prosecution.
“It’s what West Cape May is known for,” said Kaithern. “It’s an eclectic town with a lot of art people. It was pretty.”
The mayor said she would have preferred the knitters had stopped by Borough Hall and informed her of their intentions. Kaithern said she was not sure what type of permit would cover knitting hanging in trees and on lampposts.
The Herald discovered a tag on one of the knit creations on a tree limb in Wilbraham Park with the Web site address: www.saltyknits.com
Salty Knits also has a Facebook and My Space pages proudly displaying photos of the knitting in West Cape May. The Salty Knits Facebook page bears the slogan “Mystery knitters who are sick of knittin’ kitten mittens.”
Sometime during the early morning hours of March 11, the knitters decorated the fence at Higher Grounds Coffee House & Café which interestingly enough hosts a local knitting circle. Higher Grounds Café owner Katie Panamarenko told the Herald she almost cried for joy when she saw her wrought iron fence decorated by the knitters.
“I was so honored,” she said. “They did a beautiful job.”
Mystery knitters are not unique to West Cape May. Similar creations have been seen in Oregon, Brooklyn, New York, West Virginia, Chicago and England.
Click here to listen to a radio piece on the Knitters by Charles Osgood.
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