“The apartment I moved into has a tomason,” said Rachel, my friend Tom’s girlfriend. “A what?” I asked, thinking it was some sort of poltergeist. “It’s this old, weird metal thing sticking out of the wall,” Rachel explained. “I’m not sure, but I think it used to be a fixture when there were gas lights.” “A tomason,” my friend Tom, a book editor, followed up, “is a word coined by a Japanese artist Genpei Akasegawa. It’s in this book I’m publishing in June called ‘Portrait with Keys‘ by Ivan Vladislavić.” According to Wikipedia, Genpei Akasegawa used this word to refer to useless street objects that happen to look like conceptual art.
Tomasons are a little more banal than ghosts, and I’ve found them much easier to spot, now that this unlikely word is in my head. Tomasons now appear before me on my daily walk to work. Before I hadn’t noticed them; they’d flowed together in the continuous stream of my peripheral vision. It occurred to me that they are part of what makes up our general experience of grit and urban decay. An army of tomasons stands silently at attention, arming the city with strong stuff like metal poles and concrete abutments. And then one day, out of the blue, a steel door handle is decked out in a brightly colored knit cozy.
Last week, tomasons were the focal point of my conversation with Magda Sayeg, a Texan knitter cum artist who visited the Etsy Labs on Monday Craft Night. 
Her project, Knitta Please, started out as spontaneous fun — an urban intervention transforming formerly unnoticed corners of the drab streets of Houston into warm and fuzzy bits of art. The door handle to her boutique was the first tag. Magda, who goes by PolyCotN (sounds like the hip hop version of punk rock’s Poly Styrene of the X-Ray Specs, eh?), and her crew would sneak out and “bomb” Houston with their unfinished knitting projects, thrift store baby blankets, and left over balls of yarn. Armed with these fiber cousins of spray paint cans, they’d sneak attack an unsuspecting tomason and suit it in a multi-color knit cozy. Wrapping it with yarn and, in a sense, tarting it up for all manner of pedestrians turned out to be a thrill, so much so that they’ve been keeping it up since 2005. Now the knit cozies are popping up all over the world.
Like spray graffiti, knit graffiti seems to be infectious. During her visit to the Etsy Labs, Magda told me a bit about the worldwide appeal. Magda was in New York between trips to London and Milan where interviews, talks and art happenings are taking up more and more of her life. Her next project is writing a book about how to start your own crew. Imagine different artists developing their own take on the emerging public art form… a Westcoast/Eastcoast rivalry, distinctive tags from famous virtuosos emerging from the underground. Why is it spreading? Magda points out that this sort of tagging is accessible to anyone who can knit, and we all know about the incredible resurgence in knitting at the turn of the 21st century (just ask the folks over at Ravelry.com). In part, her original impulse was creating some elbowroom for females to be part of street art and to comment on the macho culture of graffiti. Knitta Please appropriates the territorial hip hop rites with a smile. “Yarn is badass!” Magda insists. 
For all the tongue-in-cheek anti-authority naughtiness of Knitta Please, Magda doesn’t want Knitta Please to unravel. According to her, “There are rules.” She’s wary of people taking up the idea and making choices she wouldn’t make. For instance, she’s not so into the idea of tagging sculpture: “Other people’s artwork or trees…why tag those? Those things are already beautiful.” Her interest remains rooted in calling out the ordinary, almost to the point of invisible, objects in a city, things that offer up dreariness more than anything else. I was struck by her description of paying a visit to one of her older New York tags to see if it’s still wrapped at the Delancey Street side of the Williamsburg Bridge. “It’s now probably so dark, I don’t think I’d even be able to find it,” Magda wondered. Like an unintended smog-detector, the knit cozy probably returned to its tomason secret identity, cloaked in the gritty, shadowed city. 
When pressed about “the point” of Knitta Please — feminist performance art? DIY post-consumerist rebellion? Why doesn’t she spend her energy knitting blankets for the homeless? — Magda shrugged, “Not all things have to have a purpose.” Other graffiti and street art projects can take on more overt political and environmental issues. In recent years, activist knitters, from such organizations as the Revolutionary Knitting Circle, knit in public, at rallies and peace protests. Some graffiti artists are now using wheat paste (such as WK Interact), moss, or even power sprayers, which “the authorities have no idea how to handle because the graffiti artists are actually cleaning the surface,” Magda chuckled. Knitta Please’s project in itself is pretty pure and simple — but it’s open to interpretation and that’s part of the fun.
Magda is pleasantly surprised that Knitta Please has caught on organically around the world. She’s thinking about moving on from her day job running her boutique and taking on larger projects (she recently wrapped an entire bus in Mexico) while working with communities and art organizations. While visiting New York, she was on phone calls with Maker Faire organizers, as well as in talks with a Brooklyn public art organization that wants her to tag a whole street’s length of parking meters. She’d love to have a Knitta Please World Congress some day.
Previously, Magda and her husband ran a gallery in Houston. She described the place as “empty, quiet, and kind of sad.” Street art allows an artist to reach people and impact their lives, making an impression and asking for a reaction. Magda recalls an old man reaching out and touching the cozyied bus in Mexico and laughing.
Magda and her crew started the project with the intention of having fun and simply creating a more joyful experience. Knitta Please first gives these tomasons a hug (or makes them wear a silly outfit, depending on how you see it), and then with the bright yarn beckoning in the sunlight, this knit-graffiti asks us to reconsider our way of seeing and experiencing the city. At the end of the day, even the most curmudgeonly person would have to admit, Knitta Please’s project is disarming. Her favorite tag, she says, was a Christmas gift. “I tagged my friend’s light pole Christmas eve. She woke up to it. It was really special — I know that sounds dorky, but it was. “ Knitta please, there is such a thing as a graffiti knitting Santa Claus!
Further Resources:
- Knitta Please
- Political protest turns to the radical art of knitting
- History of the built landscape, books by John Stilgoe
- Revolutionary Knitting Circle
- Ravelry.com
Magda is magdasayeg on Etsy. Some of her favorite items are in the collection below.
Artistic Endeavors series | Artwork for Every Room Showcase | Art Gift Guides
127 comments
Sign in to add your ownHELICOPTERstudios says:
Love it! There is also an interview/podcast with Knitta Please on craftsanity.com that is really great!
3 years ago
PeteCorrie says:
Awesome article! We saw some knitted graffiti in Berlin http://tr.im/h3Rr
3 years ago
OffTheHooks says:
ooh! good stuff. i had never heard this term tomason before. i'm thinking crochet-graffiti.
3 years ago
FancifulForm says:
I saw a news report about a woman who knitted covers for all of her trees. I thought she was nuts but now that I have read this article I think I understand why she did it.
3 years ago
nowvember says:
Awesome! It's oddly powerful to see fiber art in outdoor spaces. I guess I subconsciously thought of knitting in the context indoor/home. This is just incredibly cool, and really draws attention to all the hard angles and steely grays in the urban landscape. Awesome feature!
3 years ago
kismetcreations says:
If you ever visit Nuevo Leon, Mexico, a tomason would be called an ancheta ;)
3 years ago
mynameismuddy says:
I love Knitta Please, such a funny and cute website :)
3 years ago
workingforpeanuts says:
I adore this! Thank-you! Thanks for all the links, too. Dang! I gotta beautify my neighborhood!
3 years ago
yummyandcompany says:
love this article! i saw this at the Baltimore ACC last year... a knit barbwire fence and knit graffiti... http://yummyandcompany.blogspot.com/2009/02/american-craft-council.html
3 years ago
worksofwhimsy says:
That is so fun. I hope it catches on in my corner of the world. And the princess leia hat is hysterical!
3 years ago
OhFaro says:
Fun article! I'd love to see some of that here in CA.
3 years ago
missindie says:
Awesome! Such a fun article :] I LOVE that vampire ring!!!
3 years ago
alwaysadorable says:
This just makes my day! Cozy graffiti! LOL
3 years ago
BindingTwine says:
knitta represent!
3 years ago
littlepancakes says:
awesome, I want to do this
3 years ago
buttercupbloom says:
Ok. I love this.
3 years ago
rifferaff says:
i love the concept but i have to say, the name of the group always makes me cringe when i think about the phrase it originated from.
3 years ago
TreeHuggerStudio says:
That is adorable. I have a light post that needs a cozy. Thanks
3 years ago
CwButcher says:
Lots of great stuff love the gold chain awesome awesome!
3 years ago
CwButcher says:
vampire ring is crazy
3 years ago
berrybluecreations says:
I remember seeing some her tags in Houston on different occasions! WTG Magda, knitta please.
3 years ago
jillhannah says:
These are all over my neighborhood (Rogers Park) in Chicago. I always found them amusing but didn't realize they were an international "graffiti" trend. Go random public art! I'm a big fan of "selling out" (ie actually getting PAID for my work) but it's also good to just do things to make the world a more beautiful place. Miss Rumphius would be proud ( http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780140505399-0 )!
3 years ago
voleurdebijoux says:
omg! lovelove princess Leia knitted wig!!! :D
3 years ago
Fishstikks says:
This is just a fantastic idea!! I totally loved reading about this and the pictures are just priceless!
3 years ago
theowlbarn says:
lovely works of art in so many unexpected places! love it!!
3 years ago
AKjapan says:
Gotta keep those Manhattan sign posts warm! In Japan, folks often knit or crochet hats and bibs for the the Jizo statues which are outdoors. I like to see exterior knitting!
3 years ago
sandali says:
I absolutely LOVE it !! Just started knitting myself but it's going way slow ... will leave it up to you as you are amazing -- the colors are also vibrant & happy & I wish Tel-Aviv had such a color sense ;)
3 years ago
FoodForHands says:
I love Knitta Please. I attempted to tag a pole at my school but no one notices it. oh well. I'm still going to tag more around my school and my city.
3 years ago
FrucciDesign says:
great story and picks!!
3 years ago
ManoCelebrates says:
When I was young I use to knit for hrs, but at this age painting and jewelry making takes so much of my time that I canot do it anymore.
3 years ago
KitschCuisine says:
oh that has made me so happy! :)
3 years ago
dragonhouseofyuen says:
years ago before I discovered etsy I came across a site that had a photo of a small street tree with a knitted 'branch warmer' for one of it's branches! how crazy is that I thought - but here you go! - it's all over the place!
3 years ago
baconsquarefarm says:
What a great story, loved it~! Made me happy inside.
3 years ago
BabbidgePatch says:
great art fun! such a clever knitter :)
3 years ago
uncharted says:
great article!
3 years ago
OnTheRound says:
thank you so much for this article. I've heard of knit graffiti and I love it even more now that I know the back story. heart heart.
3 years ago
ModernMetalJewelry says:
Such a fun article!
3 years ago
LeftHandHats says:
AWESOME!!!! What a cool (and fun) idea!!! It's something I've never heard of, but now I want to go try it...
3 years ago
KellesKitchen says:
What a fabulous idea! It reminds me of that giant water-tower cozy in New York :)
3 years ago
PipocaHandmade says:
Creativity at its best! This is an awesome feature story.
3 years ago
HarrietsHaven says:
Just yesterday, there was a news broadcast in my area (Bay City, MI) showing where someone had placed cozies around the city. They called it "Mystery person". I thought this was so cool to see, and now I'm reading about it the following day! What fun, and who wouldn't smile when they see a colorful surprise while walking or driving down the street?
3 years ago
LittleCritters00 says:
Oh my. I am in love with that rug. *sigh*
3 years ago
LittleCritters00 says:
the mixed media boys are amazing too, I'm in awe
3 years ago
PlutosGiftShop says:
Awesome article!!!
3 years ago
jenniferdennispotter says:
That was one of the best articles ever! I love Knitta Please, what amazing and hilarious street art!
3 years ago
PoleStar says:
Very cute too. I used to read a blog about a tree sweater that was similar, though much smaller.
3 years ago
HelloVictory says:
I can't wait to get my first glimpse at knit grafitti. How cool!
3 years ago
kittytrishia says:
Loved the article seen those in Houston myself!
3 years ago
Waterrose says:
I've seen these reported on before and I love the idea! I think it is not only artistic but adds a softness to a city.
3 years ago
bbbennyandthejet says:
Nothing has made me smile as hard as this article/idea has.. in a long time.. rock on!!
3 years ago
catsongstitchery says:
That sounds like so much fun! It would make me laugh if I saw some, walking down the street!
3 years ago
Frankenkitty says:
There's one around a tree near where I work on 16th. street in Brooklyn. I wondered what was up with that.
3 years ago
PinkPolishDesign says:
Wow, that is so cool! What a great article, and an amazing idea!
3 years ago
bhangtiez says:
wowie, that is so cool....luv it!!!!!!1
3 years ago
slinkymalinkicat says:
Amazing! Great article, thank you!
3 years ago
GretasDesign says:
i have a new appreciation for misplaced metal. how lovely!
3 years ago
morebling says:
I love it! you need to come to Minnesota during the winter and brighten up some of our light posts. Winters can be long and we could sure use some cozies. Thanks! for the creative expression.
3 years ago
moonstr says:
love this article!
3 years ago
nicia says:
That's fun
3 years ago
squarejane says:
this is a fantastic article which leaves me inspired to take knitting all gorilla. someone had wrapped knitting around some poles in my teeny tiny town in southern BC Canada so this is definitely a movement building momentum.
3 years ago
Jesskiri says:
Crazy!!! In a good way lol! I LOVE 'urban guerilla-like art'!
3 years ago
Yoola says:
Wonderful. go knitters !!!!! such fun !
3 years ago
pipapiep says:
great works!
3 years ago
LauraSusannah says:
i have a great book called the guerilla art kit it has everything you could need to help you on your way to becoming a guerilla artist and brightening up your streets! it covers everything from seed bombs to wish trees and of course knitting tags! http://www.amazon.com/Guerilla-Art-Kit-Keri-Smith/dp/1568986882/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236328558&sr=1-1 lets start a revolution :)
3 years ago
difart says:
I love your works!!
3 years ago
Liyana says:
wow.. I can't imagine my whole town full with knitt craft.. must be awesome...hihi
3 years ago
makepienotwar says:
i love all these crazy indie people! whoohoo!
3 years ago
Iammie says:
Love it, nice picked.
3 years ago
beautifulordinary says:
The first still photo in the video is taken right in front of the bar I work at in Seattle. I remembered seeing the parking meter the day after I read an article in Nylon about Knitta Please, and was very pleased/proud that this particular parking meter was chosen. It is always broken and basically useless, until it became part of such an awesome art movement. Sadly this was about a year or so ago and the knitting is no longer there, but I still smile when I walk by the meter. =)
3 years ago
beautifulordinary says:
Ahem, the first still in the series of stills in the video, that is.
3 years ago
ooty says:
Fun stuff!!
3 years ago
RADCOW says:
knitta, PLEASE.
3 years ago
Rhiannon228 says:
I think it's adorable. What better way to decorate a street pole? It certainly gets noticed.
3 years ago
Tumus says:
This is such a cool story. I wonder if I could start this up in my community. It'd be way fun.
3 years ago
PhineasandLou says:
This is awesome! We have a tree in my neighborhood (Ohio of all places!) that was knitted in this way. I've been thinking/wondering if I could get on board with something like this...thanks!
3 years ago
Krystyna81 says:
really enjoyed this article - thank you for the great info...very thought - provoking...
3 years ago
Tuscaloosa says:
fascinating article about Tomasons. You learn something new every day!
3 years ago
charmedgifts says:
How awesome is that? I love the world of art... taking beauty out of the box. It must be so delightful for people to come across this knit graffiti.
3 years ago
loopyboopy says:
I have never heard of this, what a great an inspiring article. I wish I could knit so I could join the forces.
3 years ago
tiffanyrenfrow says:
Too cool to see some photos of when we tagged N.Y! I am not a knitta now, but I was 'wool fool'. I love the way it keeps going!
3 years ago
stefanivance says:
What fun! And how creative is that???
3 years ago
HistoryofArt says:
We just moved to Houston and I am sad to have missed all of the lovlies around town. What a beautiful project, though. Thanks so much for reporting!
3 years ago
vesselsandwares says:
Thanks for this! I love knitta please and now I know a new word!
3 years ago
akapril says:
I love this! When I was in Stockholm, Sweden last spring I saw quite a few pieces around the city that just popped out to me. Being a knitter myself, seeing them always put a smile on my face.
3 years ago
ThePeachTree says:
Utterly Fantastic. I can't wait to see their progress here on Montague St.!
3 years ago
ezrascousin says:
Interesting. I can't say I'd appreciate it any more than standard grafitti. Just because it's the hipsters take on it. So now Graitti is okay? Hmmm. I also agree with, rifferaff.
3 years ago
belaluna says:
Random public art is fabulous! Great article!
3 years ago
samsstuff says:
I've seen a couple of these around Seattle. It made me smile & wonder how they did it & what passers by thought as the actual knitting was happening! Random street art can be interesting! Also, Wendell, in the related items, is pretty cute!
3 years ago
shopatten says:
I would really like to see some pictures of the moss graffiti. I love having a word (tomasons) for those weird little things I've noticed my whole life.
3 years ago
odiliafu says:
Amazing!!!
3 years ago
SouthwestFlower says:
I love these. There was a gal in San Diego ages ago who made these parking pole cozies, I called them. And I just smiled everytime I saw one. I had no idea they were so widespread and named! I love it.
3 years ago
Yen4Yarn says:
I crochet, but we're all sisters under the skein, right? I want to do this; I can't stop grinnning just thinking about it! But I need to be able to work fast, so I need to know how to wrap things easily. Any ideas?
3 years ago
spitfaced says:
loved this article! thank you for the reminder that is doesn't ALL HAVE TO HAVE A PURPOSE! that reminder was a gift!!!
3 years ago
ourfrontyard says:
Adorable, really puts a smile on your face!
3 years ago
dianaallen26 says:
strange but really fun. i am thinking about trying some of this in ks, undetected of course, in our tiny town. it would sure get the gossip going about something harmless. it would be the only grafiti in town,(besides someones clever platapus crossing stencils on the dumpsters) think the old folk would mind?
3 years ago
funkybella says:
This is so cool! I would love to see that get out more! Totally changes the concept of street art.
3 years ago
TattooDreams says:
Love it. Have done some 'outdoor embellishing' myself.......not knitted.........but do love this! The surprise factor is what's fun, the unexpected places art can make itself 'found'....... Keep it up!
3 years ago
GemmaBeads says:
What a fabulous story! How many tomason's have I tripped over or ran into because I was so oblivious to them. I love the idea of adding color, texture and interest to what would would otherwise the "be there". I hope someday to come across an unexpected knit tag.
3 years ago
momerath says:
Know what? These are brilliant.
3 years ago
gretchenmist says:
love it! love the book too :)
3 years ago
gutsche says:
Where are MY knitting needles. I want to knit door knob now!
3 years ago
gutsche says:
"s" --- Door Knob"s"
3 years ago
mullishmuse says:
this is one of the most inspiring movements in art, i for one applaud their efforts, it's a win/win situation. there is no denying fiber's cozy power.
3 years ago
BluCille says:
Very interesting...and who could resist the addition of color?
3 years ago
redyellowandblueink says:
great stuff, nice work, & cool music in the video.
3 years ago
ChelleT says:
Great article! We are in need of Knitta graff in Sydney for sure!
3 years ago
annamatrona says:
so cool!
3 years ago
MeAndBoo says:
I love graffiti, sticker and stencil art, it makes the city so much more interesting, and in Melbourne, there are lots of alleyways to decorate. Now there is knit graffiti - brilliant!! I cannot knit to save my life, I'd love to see some gorilla knitting around Melbourne town!!
3 years ago
singinglittlethings says:
This is so crazy-fun, making the world a better, fuzzier place.
3 years ago
TheCraftyRagamuffin says:
Thanks for sharing this. I love hearing about uplifting improvised installations. Here is another of my favorites: http://www.cakespy.com/2009/01/taking-it-to-sweet-cupcake-street-art.html
3 years ago
DragonfireBeads says:
LOL how wonderful! I'm going to tell my daughter, she's a new knitter, maybe we could do some of that here. I'd so love to see that here in Edmonton, right now it's -20, I think the street signs could use some warm brightly knitted cosies :D
3 years ago
akane says:
Normally I'm not a huge fan of graffitti, but if my street was hit my a bunch of graffitti knitters, I'd be smiling! I've seen this concept before in art magazines, but never in real life. Maybe we should all start randomly craft attacking our own streets:) www.akanedesigns.blogspot.com
3 years ago
lustedtowander says:
Woohoo! Hooray for public art and random beauty!
3 years ago
chubbycheeksweaters says:
Unique and awesome!
3 years ago
LadyLuLus says:
Oh my gosh! That was soo cool to read, I loved it! Visit my shop for my crochet creations: www.ladylulus.etsy.com
3 years ago
elindseyhornkohl says:
I love Knitta. I've been a fan for years, but it's good to finally see the face and voice behind all those granny squares!
3 years ago
elindseyhornkohl says:
Actually, it really reminds me of Christo and Jeanne Claude's early work, wrapping bridges and islands and buildings. They started on small scale stuff too, like typewriters, with the premise that we are always intrigued with the wrapped item, like on Christmas. It's while it's wrapped that we want to know more about it, what's underneath. I love Christo and I love Knitta.
3 years ago
RustyCate says:
knitta what?
3 years ago
fariering33 says:
I Love It! The artist & anarcist in me say rock on & the mom in me smiles on approvingly!
3 years ago
pamby says:
I live in the same neighborhood of Magda in Houston and when these things are first put up they are gorgeous and fun and so cool. But eventually they get bleached out by the environment and they are pretty gross and the one on the handle of the shop door totally grosses me out because...well, eww! I concede that the gross out factor of a public door handle covered in fabric is probably just me. But for the other pieces, whenever I see one all faded and stretched out I just wish someone would replace it with a new one or remove it - it's so forlorn and forgotten, it only intensifies the original unattractive tomason in the first place. Now, it sounds like I'm complaining but I'm not. I am merely suggesting that the medium itself requires some sort of maintenance to remain thoughtful and quirky and relevant, if left to the elements it just becomes another irrelevant eyesore in my beloved neighborhood. If that one small responsibility were taken on by the artist/tagger, it would definitely make this an even more interesting, enjoyable, and successful project.
3 years ago
jewelrybyallison says:
I love this idea (and learning new words). I hope to see some around my town some day :)
3 years ago
productionapparel says:
I love the artwork but really can't get over the racist connotations of the name. It'd be great if the group opted for a name change, because I would love to support their work but don't feel that I can.
2 years ago
thesoapseduction says:
Knitta Please? Are you kidding me? Regardless of it's intended meaning, I know where the "catchy" phrase originated from, and it's not cute or kitschy.
2 years ago
VirgoDesigns says:
I love this idea!
2 years ago
FeliKiwi says:
Absolutely phenomenal! How do you fasten the knit? Amazing!
1 year ago
creationsbyingrid says:
Awesome. The pole looks better in color and fiber!!!
1 year ago