Honestly, when I first think of knitting I immediately imagine a little old lady sitting in a rocking chair using her skills to calmly pass the time. In the article Knitting as Dissent I realized that there is actually much more to knitting and the fact that it was a huge aspect in the early 1700s. I learned that knitting held a huge role in the political field during the 1700s as many propaganda pieces were made from knitting along with the uniforms that the soldiers wore. Perhaps the most interesting thing that I learned was that there were actual knitting and spinning competitions. It was a place for women to go to show off her talents and skills by putting them to the test against other female competitors. This information just really shocked me. I learned that Eleanor Roosevelt was a passionate knitter and helped launch an effort to provide warm clothing items for soldiers along with many other women who wanted to make a difference using the skills that they knew.
In all honesty, I believe almost everyone visualizes an old lady in a rocking chair when thinking of knitting or crocheting. Throughout time knitting has been seen as a feminine craft, to the point where it is almost sexist to classify knitting and crocheting as just “a thing only women can do”. However, in the article “Knitting as Dissent” it is explained that knitting was not used as a laid back hobby, but rather more as another source of income. With something as simple as knitting, it allowed them to gain critical independence from the tyranny, later gaining the political independence as a country. Something to definitely question, is how could knitting be remotely similar to breastfeeding and childcare? Despite the fact that the hard work of knitters went overlooked, in the 1700’s they had an immense impact; which for me as well, was pretty indulging. I can also agree with the competitions being interesting. Aside from enjoying to knit and spin, their hard work would pay off at the competitions.