Contemporary knit culture embraces dichotomy – blending tradition with subversion, feminism with domesticity, art with craft – so knitters might see no contradiction in a how-to guide for knit graffiti. In Yarn Bombing, authors Mandy Moore and Leanne Prain outline the knit/crochet graffiti phenomenon and provide readers with tools to get involved.

To “yarn bomb” is to commit knit/crochet graffiti. “Tags” include car antenna cozies, doorknob covers, and tree sweaters. Employing interviews with international bombers and chapter headings like “Why Yarn Graffiti Is the Bomb” and “How to Build Your Arsenal,” Moore and Prain present the trend as a way to “take back the knit,” rendering the domestic craft as public art.

The book has knit cred – Moore is technical editor of the website knitty.com, and Debbie Stoller (author of the seminal guide Stitch ’n Bitch) offers a blurb. Yarn Bombing extends Stitch ’n Bitch’s approach to knitting, appealing to hipster knitters with attractive photography and irreverent patterns, reclaiming knitting as an act that is both feminist and anarchic.

Yarn Bombing succeeds with unorthodox patterns, including a knitted mushroom and tulip, knit shoes slung over telephone lines, and poster frames. The book’s infectious spirit culminates in the final chapter, which details imaginative projects such as a crocheted army tank cozy meant as an anti-war protest and the world’s longest scarf.

But the yarn bombing trend seems too emergent to necessitate an entire book. Yarn Bombing’s history of graffiti is more rudimentary than informative (“Painted graffiti appeared on railroad boxcars in North America in the 1920s. During World War II, American troops left graffiti throughout Europe…”), and very basic introductions to knitting and crochet aren’t very useful. A section devoted to gauge (the relative weight of textiles) is out of place in a guide bent on anarchy, and proffering resources such as Flickr or Facebook is redundant.

In general, however, the book’s spirit manages to inspire. While not an essential addition to any crafting library, Yarn Bombing stands out as a fun one.