The 588 knitted and crocheted panels that adorned Pittsburgh's Andy Warhol Bridge for the Knit the Bridge project have come down, been professionally laundered and are now being distributed to various agencies in the region.
“Homeless shelters and different womens’ shelters, there’s a juvenile shelter in Westmoreland County that some are going to and then also animal shelters, Humane Society and some nursing homes,” said Amanda Gross, lead artist for the Knit the Bridge Project.
On Tuesday, Gross delivered 60 blankets to the Light of Life Rescue Mission on the North Side.
“We have 38 beds for mens residential program, we have 30 spaces for women and their children who want to get help from being homeless and recovery addiction, we also have 30 beds for more short-term shelter,” said Light of Life’s Kate Wadsworth.
The panels will be used on the facility’s beds, but some may also be given out for people to take with them as the colder months draw near.
Gross said it’s only fair that some of the blankets go to the area’s homeless, because they played a role in nation’s largest yarn bomb.
“A lot of the homeless folks that hang out on the bridge helped keep an eye on it,” she said, “so often we think of folks who are homeless as people who need things, but I feel like in this project they were able to be an important part in contributing to making the project a success.”
Hundreds of volunteers spent more than a year knitting and crocheting the 3-by-6 foot panels, according to organizers. While more than 500 adorned the bridge there were extras on standby in case any got damaged.
In total, about 700 blankets will be donated to regional organizations.
