The "yarn bomb", believed to have appeared overnight, was in stark contrast to acts of vandalism in Wanaka, which Const Bruce McLean said yesterday made him feel "quite grumpy".
Police are now looking for the culprits behind a window-smashing spree in Ardmore St early yesterday morning.
"I think `Twitsy' is quite appropriate," Const McLean said of the people who caused the damage to shop windows and signs.
"There is no doubt that Knitsy is not damaging any property in any way. It is colourful and interesting and many people I speak to really like Knitsy," he said.
However, people did not like vandals, he added.
"Vandalism is committed by people who have to have a good look at themselves. It is an anger crime. Smashing other people's property and causing loss for no reason, to any normal human people, is frustrating."
Broken glass littered Ardmore St shortly after 2am when a large window in the Wanaka Hotel was smashed, along with the window of hairdressing and fashion store Alice, and the glass on two large noticeboard signs at the front of the Lake Wanaka Centre, as well as the glass panels of a telephone box.
Const McLean said a night porter at the hotel had heard the window being smashed and alerted police. A taxi was seen driving away from the area shortly afterwards.
Police knew the address where the taxi's occupants were delivered and would follow up on that lead in their investigations, Const McLean said.
