After uncovering the many layers of needlework that I did not know about in the previous readings and discussion, I went into these readings with eyes wider and ready to learn the deeper history of knitting. First, I love the idea of the suffragette banners bringing recognition to many women who had great contributions and that many people don’t know much about. Frida Kahlo is one of the women pictured, and she is a figure I have always admired. I thought she was well known, but many people question the sticker on my computer of her because they have never heard her name. I believe knitting, like many art forms, is a form of storytelling. Telling these women’s stories this way makes people stop and consider it more. It makes me wonder what other things we don’t stop to think about that maybe knitting or art could help us understand better. In the article “Knitting as Dissent,” I thought the context of knitting was very interesting. It brings up the controversy of whether the genre is feminist or anti-feminist. I think the reclaiming of the technique as a form of defiance and political expression makes it feminist, but I can see where the antifeminist side comes from. That idea is something I believe can be discussed further in class, but the article made me reconsider how complex a women’s issue needlework can be.
Reading Response 1/7
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