Pittsburgh, you are killing me.
First it was your massive cookie tables, then it was your Mr. Rogers statue and his awesome sweater.
Now you went and knit A WHOLE DANG BRIDGE.
Anyone out there in Pittsburgh? Go hug this thing for me – okay? Okay!
And special thanks to Kristin W. for bringing this to my attention.
Amie
Thank you so much for the cookie table, Mr. Rogers, and Knit the Bridge posts! I’m from Pittsburgh, but I’ve lived out of state for 6 years. I haven’t been able to visit this summer, and your posts have made a homesick, very pregnant ex-pat Pittsburgher happy.
Anonymous
As a knitter, I see that and think…well, actually, my brain pretty much just shuts down at the sheer enormity of the project and how many hours it took to knit all that, even assuming it was the work of many people together. One little side panel alone looks to be at least the size of a lap blanket.
MIND. BOGGLED.
Roses Are Red
Every day I check, and every day is better…thanks Peaches and thank you Pittsburgh !!
Honora
Pretty dang inspiring
Suzanne O'Mullan
my hometown 🙂
Anonymous
tooo cool! What a “now, THAT is really too cool. big smile.” morning brightener! Thanks.
Lynn in southern NJ
Lisa
I miss my hometown, and am happy to know that someone as fabulous as you appreciates it too.
A book about Pittsburgh that may interest you is “Paris of Appalachia: Pittsburgh”. It was written by a columnist for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Brian O’Neil, who has adopted Pittsburgh as his home. The book was the last Christmas gift my Mom gave to me before she passed. I left the city when I got married, and the morning of the day we were moving for my husband’s new job, I cried as I read the book because I was moving even further away.
Visit Pittsburgh. You’ll love it, and the city will love you back.
Anonymous
I love it! I have only visited Pittsburgh once, briefly, years ago. I was pleasantly surprised by what a welcoming, beautiful city it is, and this only adds to its appeal …
BTW, does anyone know who does the music? Awesome song, I’d love to find it to download somewhere.
Desilu
WOW. That is all I can say…
Kristin W.
Thank you for sharing this! We are understandably proud of our bridge. Some fun facts:(1)There are 588 colorful panels measuring 36″x72″. Each panel you see has a separate counterpart facing the river. They are framed by black panels measuring 12″x72″, 15″x80″ and 9″x105″ wrapping the railings. Plus the huge knitted panels on the towers. (Thankfully those were done with a knitting machine.) That’s a lot of knitting, crochet and weaving! (2) Over 1700 volunteers contributed knit/crochet/woven pieces. Panels were done by individuals (some particularly industrious folks made more than one!), schoolchildren, senior centers, church groups, local yarn stores and community groups. Ages ranged from 4 or 5 into the 90s. There was a big “knit-in” on the bridge during the installation to get the last panels needed to cover the bottom railings. People came with needles and yarn and snacks, and even passerby stopped for a spell to help out. Those were installed this past weekend. (3) This is believed to be the largest yarn-bombing ever undertaken in the US. (4) The bridge that was done is the Andy Warhol Bridge. The Andy Warhol Museum sits at the end of it. The folks at the museum say their admissions have increased since the project was installed. Win-win! (5)This will be on display until it comes down Sept. 7-8. (If you live within driving distance, it’s worth a visit.) When the panels are removed, they will inspected, repaired if needed, thoroughly cleaned, and donated to homeless shelters and nursing homes. Any panels that are in good condition, but not quite good enough for humans, will be donated to animal shelters for their kennels.
If you search “Knit the Bridge”, you can see the news articles and beautiful photos that have been posted by volunteers and visitors.
Kristin W.
Oops, typo: some of the black panels are 12″x75″, not 12″x72″
Anonymous
Welp, that’s even more mind-boggling than I’d originally thought, not realizing that it was double-paneled on each side. Massive, multi-knitter projects. Our short version of WoW. SO FREAKIN’ COOL.
Anonymous
Did you know that it cost $124,000 to install this? How many bags of groceries for the local food back do you think that $124,000 will buy? Or blankets for homeless people that are brand new and haven’t been rained on? This is such a stupid and sad waste of time and money.
PEACHES
Valid point. And If government budgets were sliced up in a way that excess money went to homeless people, or most any charitable institution, I’d agree. As is, that is not the reality and the point is not helpful.
…More importantly, public art is an investment in the people who pay for it -the public. Setting aside any aesthetic value, projects like this raise tourism in a big way. Tourists come from near and far to see the work and spend money in restaurants, hotels, retail shops, gas, and so on….generating tax revenue that would not have been there otherwise. I can’t speak for Pittsburgh, but here in Chicago, a simple one-hour parade can bring in over 100k in taxes (half of which get absorbed by security costs)…. I can only imagine what this bridge would bring. I could rattle on about the trickle down benefits to countless and immeasurable benefits to other areas of communities, but I have gone on long enough. Public art is not only a good investment — it’s a *smart* investment. This bridge is fantastic. Right on, Pittsburgh!
Kristin W.
Another way this project brought the community together — 780 people doing yoga on the bridge: http://evalinphotography.wordpress.com/2013/08/26/yogaandyarn/
This was part of a larger celebration that brought together local small businesses selling their wares, local performing arts groups providing entertainment, and local arts and charitable organizations promoting their missions. Attended by thousands from the greater Pittsburgh community and beyond who supported all of these groups.