Trees in downtown Iowa City get cozy with annual sweater project

IOWA CITY - It's this time of year when the temperature drops and people throw on sweaters to stay warm. And for downtown Iowa City, that includes the area's many trees.

Participants in the annual Tree Hugger Project sewed the last stitches onto their tree sweaters, which are on display throughout the downtown and Northside Marketplace.

This year, 125 trees are dressed with their own sweater design.

Joni Schrup and Ritu Jain created the idea several years ago as co-chairs of the special events committee on the Iowa City Downtown District board. Schrup, owner of Discerning Eye, located downtown, said the two wanted to create a project that brought families to the downtown.

'I think some people get the impression that downtown is just for students because we're in the middle of campus,” Schrup said. 'But really, this downtown is for everyday and this (project) just brings it home.”

Schrup said she and Jain were surprised at how quickly community knitters embraced the project.

Wendy Walker, Diane Rohlman and Renee Anthony, who are friends and co-workers, assembled the sweater on their assigned tree on the Pedestrian Mall. The three 48-year-olds learned how to knit at different periods in their lives. This year marks their second year participating in the project.

Each tree sweater is uniquely designed with various colors, additional crocheted items and patterns. Walker, Rohlman and Anthony's tree expanded beyond just a simple sweater.

'We wanted to do something a little more creative this year,” Walker said. 'So instead of a sweater, we made a sweater dress.”

The purple and off-white pattern is a sweater dress complete with a halter top and necklace made from round pieces of wood.

'OK, this is just so awesome,” exclaimed one passer-by as the trio finished the design. Others snapped photos and stopped to watch.

Schrup said she loves to walk around each year to see what designs and ideas residents devise.

'It's amazing. Every year they kind of up the ante a little bit,” Schrup said. 'They're so creative.”

Total Tree Care donated money toward purchasing yarn for the project, and Home Ec helped assemble and distribute the yarn.

Michelle Vrenios, 21, and Kathy Keck, 49, knitted the final touches on their tree Sunday afternoon. It's Keck's third year and Vrenios' first year participating. The two University of Iowa research lab co-workers learned how to knit for the project.

'If there's anyone who wants to learn how to knit, this is a great project to start with,” Keck said.