Sam Barsky


Sam Barsky is an American artist and internet celebrity. He is known for knitting sweaters of iconic landmarks, then taking selfies in front of those landmarks while wearing them. He also knits sweaters of Jewish and other holidays.
His sweaters are knitted without a pattern freehanding them as he goes along. His sweaters have been recognized as art, having been displayed in numerous galleries and at the American Visionary Arts Museum. Though he receives many requests, Barsky does not sell his sweaters because he says it is impossible to be a "human sweater mill."

Background

Barsky started knitting in 1999 after he dropped out of nursing school due to health issues, and first tried to teach himself how to knit from a book he borrowed from the library. Soon after, he met the owners of a local yarn shop, who taught him.
His first sweaters included a waterfall, covered bridge, lake, and castle. He made a Twin Towers sweater before September 11th.
He rose to international fame in 2017 when an article about his sweaters was published on Imgur. Originally he did not take selfies in front of landmarks, but began to do so unconsciously and later made it an art form.

Images depicted on Barsky's sweaters

Landmarks

Some of the landmarks Barsky has featured are:
Barsky has also knitted items other than sweaters, including a framed picture of the Beth Am sanctuary.

Personal life

Barsky was raised Orthodox, and practices today as a Conservative Jew and is a kohein. He is married to his wife Deborah.
He suffers from lupus and a neurological disorder, but he says he does not let it stand in the way of his knitting.

External Links