Remember Herman? He’s the big mail carrier-cage that transports all of your orders out the Loopy door, down the elevator, and over to the mail truck each day. I don’t think our doors or the elevator in this building were meant to transport Herman on a daily basis. Things are getting a little dinged up, as the mail carrier schleps that heavy cart around.
This week has been especially dingy, as we have a substitute mail carrier who has added more scrapes than usual to the doorways. (I haven’t checked the elevator. I almost don’t want to.) To be fair, Herman was built for post office back rooms – wide open spaces, concrete floors – not yarn shops. He weighs a bunch when he’s filled up, and he’s hard to maneuver. (Click on the photo below to see his space.)
I think it’s time for an intervention. While we can’t get rid of Herman (we need him for all of those daily boxes going out), we can make things a little softer on his edges. Are you up for a Herman-Yarn-Bombing? (Yarn bombing – see examples here and here and here.) If you have any leftover swatches of yarn that you’d like to send us (or if you’d like to knit up a little something for Herman), we’d love to have it. It doesn’t have to be fancy or elaborate. Does he look like a fancy sort of guy? A potholder sized square or a strip of I-cord out of some of your yarn scraps would do. You pop them in the mail to us and we’ll get them attached to Herman. Of course we’ll take a photo when he has been fully bombed.
Herman thanks you, the mail carrier thanks you, and we thank you! (Also: I promise to carefully remove all yarn before we turn Herman back over to the Post Office if we ever move from this location. Just in case any postal workers are tempted to email and tell me we are not allowed to “deface” USPS property. Seriously, you’re going to wish all of your postal cages were yarn bombed when you see Herman done up right.)
Sheri thinkingImightneedtofindasmilingHermanphoto
whenthisisdoneandhe’sallcolorfulandcovered.
I am SO on board for this! I will whip up something over the weekend and send it to Herman next week! Sounds like fun!
That was my idea from the beginning so Herman could be proud to serve Loopy!
What is the name and brand of paint on your walls?
As a retired postal worker, I don’t have a problem with making a ‘Loopy sweater’ for Herman. Those containers take quite a beating around the post office too and at least he is still ‘in service’ hauling mail. He might not be your most favorite container, but he is probably still a better choice than having what postal workers call a ‘pumpkin’ (those orange containers that look like a commercial laundry cart).
PS – If Herman could use a postal sweater or uniform shirt, I could send one of those.
Hey, Sheri: What are Herman’s measurements? Janine
… I think Herman needs some baby bumpers… some nice knittedones…! Sounds like it could a KAL! hmmmmmmm just sayin’
Janine – Herman is a very svelte 42 x 42 x 42.
(Ok, that’s how wide across he is. Shoulders, waist and hips.)
30″ deep.
6 ft. tall.
Linda – we could figure out something fun to do with a sweater or shirt! (Unless that would get us in trouble with our mail carrier? Are there rules against such things?)
Hilarious Herman is about to be yarn bombed! Yea!!!! I have to make something! Yes we need some measurements. Herman’s girth and the door’s width! What ever is made has to go through the door!
Like Linda, above, I, too, am a retired postal worker. Bombing Herman is a great idea! I will do a swatch this weekend. There are plenty of bars to wrap on Herman.
I am so excited about the yarn bombing on Herman! What a great idea!
OMG, you have made my day. I needed a good laugh and will be on the look out for something appropriate for Hermann!
Love it! Such a clever idea!
Sheri,
I was telling my husband about the Herman yarn bombing and he recommends usig a red, white and blue color theme – how could the post office complain about that??
Thanks for the laugh – I need a pick me up and your blog did the trick.
Carol Lee
Maybe a knit Herman head to wear a sweater (appropriately stuffed as a bumper of course)
I know red/white/blue would be appropriate for the USPS carrier, but we’re talking Herman! Shouldn’t Herman be shades of green and black?
I don’t think we could get in any trouble since he is still in service, but I do have some of the previous shirts with the insignia that you often see on commercials. I will think on this.
What a fun idea!
I live in a town known for eccentric people, including the USPS worker who is still wearing Puka beads. (Think back to the 70s, and if you can’t, ask your parents.) I think they would totally be on board with a ‘slightly modified mail cart’. I see some of my yarn returning to Loopy Ewe very soon, for Herman’s benefit.
You know “cocoakitty” dd & I are all over this… yarn bombing is right up her quirky alley!
Would the i-cord be to wrap/coil around the “cage bars”? (I’m not sure what to call it!)
I could make some i-cord. 🙂
You know, the yarn bombing sounds cheaper and more fun, but maybe you should think about replacing that door with a see through one the width of the entire opening (door plus “window”). I see the need for the window, what with the visitors sitting right there, or the employees rest area, whichever that pretty red couch is. Maybe it would work to have the whole thing be window. In the meantime, I will knit for Herman!
Mary Beth – that’s what I was thinking with the I-cord – wrapping it around some of the bars.
I’m on board for helping Herman get a makeover! I’ll pop something in the mail this week. 🙂
I can’t imagine the poor postal guy shoving Herman around with all that yarny bling on him. He’ll have to wear a mask! Herman will likely love it.
I definitely have swatches. I can go through my pile of swatches and send a few in!
Love yarn bombing; it is everywhere in Buffalo. Sunday I saw yarn tassels (green) tied to a dead tree – it is now an evergreen.
As a former postal employee I can vouch to how hard those cages are to manuever…Have you asked about getting a hamper? They have big plastic orange ones we call pumpkins that probably won’t ding up the walls as much. They also have canvas ones, but those are on metal frames that would probably do more damage than the cage. Have you made sure you can yarn bomb your cage? The post office can be pretty weird about things…..