Two vandals cut and removed the "yarn bombing" installation at the Singing Fountain in South Philadelphia, the knitting club behind the art said.
In March, the social crafting group the Drunken Knitwits unveiled a collection of handmade pieces at the East Passyunk Avenue sculpture. The yarn bombing was a commission from the nearby shop South Philly Yarn and Craft, designed with permission from the property owners.
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But the cloth flowers and Philly sports sweaters that covered the fountain's fixtures disappeared in the early Saturday morning. Surveillance footage captured by nearby businesses shows two women approached the fountain around 3 a.m., snipped the knitted pieces with scissors and collected them in trash bags, according to the Drunken Knitwits. The pair appeared to laugh and took photos before leaving the scene.
Allison Covey, the organizer of the Philly chapter of Drunken Knitwits, said the group was "heartbroken" over the vandalism and had filed a police report. Its members have asked the vandals to return the pieces to the steps of the South Philly Yarn and Craft storefront at 1625 S. 11th St., no questions asked, so they can salvage the installation ahead of the Flavors on the Avenue street festival on Sunday, April 27. The club already had planned to add new food-themed pieces to the Singing Fountain for the event.
The Drunken Knitwits and South Philly Yarn and Craft characterized the late night vandalism as malicious.
"It's upsetting to all of us who worked on it, but also the entire community who enjoyed it," South Philly Yarn and Craft wrote on Instagram. "We certainly understand the risks of street art, of course, but we didn't expect this type of malice."
Philadelphia police said they could not immediately locate the report of the incident.
Though the knitters who created and installed the public art were shaken by the vandalism, they've been heartened by the community response. Covey said the Drunken Knitwits have received an "outpouring of support" from crafters and shops since the group shared the news on social media. The response inspired the Drunken Knitwits to put out a call for crocheted and knitted food items Sunday to build back the installation. The club already had received contributions by Monday afternoon to augment their own collection of cloth cannolis, cheesesteaks, water ice and citywide specials.
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South Philly Yarn and Craft will continue to accept items until Wednesday, April 23 at 5 p.m. Craftship, which sells kits and offers classes in the Bok Building, is also hosting an open crafting night on Monday, April 14, for knitters interested in making a piece for the installation.
"(We're) just feeling grateful that the art community in Philadelphia has rallied around us and is so strong and supportive," Covey said.
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