About two years ago, crochet-covered bike racks had become a familiar and welcome sight next to the shops on Gipps Road.

But then the grandmother behind the little splashes of cheer - who chooses to remain anonymous because "it's very yarn bomby not to put your name to it" - was forced to retreat in order to focus on her health.

It was only recently that she felt like picking up her knitting needles again and venturing back into her street art shenanigans.

She started off small, with a little mushroom here and a few odds and ends there.

Then last week locals were greeted with vibrant crochet blooms strung along the trees (our anonymous knitter credited Slodawg for the pattern), as well as a butterfly, bee and a little rabbit.

They were accompanied by small blue notes inviting residents to like her Facebook page, Woolly Wollongong, and leave a few coins for the band that plays at the shops.

Alas, when the Mercury's photographer arrived to capture the charming displays, only a single flower and butterfly remained.

While the artist would much prefer they had stuck around a little longer for everyone to enjoy, she hoped the knitted objects had gone to many homes and not just one.

The crafty grandmother moved to Wollongong about five years ago, announcing her arrival by adding a row of crochet caps atop posts outside the library on Burelli Street, all free for the taking and gone before the day was out.

Next up she set her sights on the metal handrails at North Beach, before zeroing in on the Keiraville strip.

It was all part of her mission to "add a bit of colour and make people smile".

"I started a knitting group at the library (in my old town), and I'd been doing silly things like this and everyone else was terribly serious," she said.

"They all thought 'knit for charity', which is really, really nice, but really, really boring.

"So I got a couple of the girls together and used to yarn-bomb just one little street where there's a whole lot of coffee shops and everyone seemed to absolutely love it.

"It's all done for a laugh really."

See more of her work on the Woolly Wollongong Facebook page.