"Craftivism": GENE29927-ETerm 2021

I didn’t know the world of yarn could be so complex. I suppose, however, that with enough passion, a concept like craft and activism coming together really does make sense. I really like the idea of quiet activism that gets people to ask questions and invites people to join a conversation, as mentioned in the Craftivism selections. There also is suddenly something so appealing and almost non-threatening about the setting of a knitting circle, everyone gathered around, yet talking about difficult topics. The “Stitch by Stitch” article references knitting groups as a way to talk through and cope with the unjust killings of black men by police. It is so interesting how knitting and sewing circles are connected to so many diverse political and social issues too, like the suffragettes. We really are all just humans at our core, and the unexpected softness of knitting brings all of that together in a way. Said well in the Yarn-bombing article, “it can be political, it can be heartwarming, and it can be funny.” While there is so much irony in the idea of yarn and graffiti, there is also something so beautiful about abandoned knitting being the medium of defiance in our ordered society. I was excited to learn how to knit, but now I am even more excited to see how creating can make an impact. I wonder how we, as a class, can come together to create and learn.