“Knitting for Good! is thought-provoking, asking us to examine ourideasandpreconceptionsaboutthecraftofknittingandtheuseoftheworkofourhandstobenefitothers.â€

—TaraJonManning,authorofMindfulKnitting

“Knitting for Good! provides a platform for progressive, forward-thinkingknittersandnon-knittersalikewhoare interested in the idea thatcreativitycanbeapositivewaytochangetheworldwelivein.Itischock-fullofmotivation,ideas,andinspirationtogetyougoingortokeepyouonthepathyouarealreadyon.â€â€”FaytheLevine,directorofthedocumentary,andcoauthorofthebook,

HandmadeNation

ABOUTTHEBOOK

Every timeweknit,wehave theopportunity to create positive change inourselves,our community, and in theworld.That’sBetsyGreer’sferventbelief,andinthisbooksheshowsushow.Betsyexploresthewayswecanuseknitting to slowdown ina fast-pacedculture,whileusing thecraft to benefit charities in our communities, to advocate for worthwhilecauses,andtosupportindividualsandcommunitiesacrosstheglobe.Filledwith insights from knitters and crafters on how they use craft to benefitothers,Knitting forGood!willgetyou thinkingaboutknitting inawholenewway.Tolearnmoreabouttheauthor,visitherwebsiteatcraftivism.com.

BETSYGREERisthefounderofCraftivism.com,whereshewritesaboutthe rolecraftcanplay inactivism.Widelyknown incraftcircles, shehascontributed to a number of books, including Super Crafty, Get Crafty,Making Stuff, The Crafter Culture Handbook, DIY: The Rise of Lo-FiCulture, Bead Simple, andHandmadeNation, and haswritten forVogueKnitting.

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SignuptoreceivefreeprojectsandspecialoffersfromRoostBooks.

ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂOrvisitusonlinetosignupatroostbooks.com/eroost.

ROOSTBOOKSAnimprintofShambhalaPublications,Inc.HorticulturalHall

300MassachusettsAvenueBoston,Massachusetts02115roostbooks.com

©2008byBetsyGreerIllustrations©2008byJoyGosneyAllrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronicormechanical,includingphotocopying,recording,orbyanyinformationstorageandretrievalsystem,withoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher.

LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationDataGreer,Betsy.Knittingforgood:aguidetocreatingpersonal,social,andpoliticalchange,stitchbystich/BetsyGreer.—1sted.p.ÂÂÂcm.Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.eISBN978-0-8348-2248-1ISBN978-1-59030-589-8(pbk.:alk.paper)1.Knitting.2.Knitting—Miscellanea.I.Title.TT820.G8282008746.43′2041—dc222008017179

Yourhobbymaybepie-baking,playingthepiano,orpotbelly-stovecollecting,andyoucansympathizewithmyenthusiasm,havinganobsessionofyourown.Willyouforgivemysingle-mindednessandmytendencytoseeknittingineverything?

—ElizabethZimmerman,KnittingwithoutTears

contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

INTRODUCTION

PartOne:KnittingforYourself

1.ReclaimingCraft2.DeepeningOurConnectiontoCraft:CreativityandPersonalExpression3.KnittingSomeRelief:CraftasTherapy

PartTwo:KnittingforYourCommunity

4.UsingCrafttoConnect:BuildingCommunitiesthroughCommonBonds5.ReachingOuttoOrganizations6.KnittingforaGreaterGood:CharitableKnitting

PartThree:KnittingfortheWorld

7.MakingStatementsabouttheWayWeLive8.TheUniversalVoiceofCraft:UsingCraftstoExpressEmotion9.DropStitches,NotBombs:ActivismandKnitting

AFTERWORD

ABBREVIATIONSANDTERMS

BIBLIOGRAPHYFURTHERRESOURCESABOUTTHEPATTERNCONTRIBUTORSE-MAILSIGN-UP

acknowledgments

FIRST AND FOREMOST, MANY THANKS TO MY EDITOR, JenniferBrown, for her eagle eye and enthusiasm. Thanks also toKaren Steib for herkeen copyediting skills and JoyGosney for herwonderful illustrations.ManythankstoJudithShangold’sknittingexpertiseasshelookedoverthepatternsincludedinthisbook.Toallthepatternandsidebarcontributorsandpeoplewhoallowedme to interview them: I am sograteful for all of your hardwork andwisewords.Secondofall,thankstoeveryone,friendsandfamilyalike,wholistenedand

helpedandkeptmesuppliedwithconversationthathadnothingtodowithcraftwhenallIcouldthinkaboutwasknitting!Thankyouforthelongwalks,shortruns, yoga in the living room, pep talks, cups of coffee, cupcakes, bad realityTV, pints of beer, glasses ofwine, drives in the country, and late-night, long-distancephonecalls.Andmostofall,thankyouforyoursupportandkindwordsoverthepastyear—theyhavemeanttheworldtome,andthensome.

introduction

WALKINTOANYKNITTINGSHOP,ANDCHANCESARETHEfirstthingyou’ll notice is all the different types of yarn. Suddenly you find yourselfimmersedinavastseaofcolor.andtextureandendlesspossibilities,witheachneedle and skein ready to abet you on whatever journey you may dream up.When I first started knitting, I was ecstatic to learn how to create somethingwearable, armed onlywith two sticks and some string.Watching yarn slowlyturnintoascarf,hat,orsweaterawedme.Andthiswasthefirstthingthatreallystruckmeaboutknitting—IcouldmakewhateverIwantedinanycolorofmychoosing.Itwasapossibilityasultimatelyliberatingasitwasinitiallydaunting.Whilemymindenvisionedawardrobefullofcabledsweatersandhand-knit

hoodies,asanewknitter,Iwasabitconcernedabouttheseeminglyincrediblyrepetitive nature of the craft.Only two stitches (knit and purl)manipulated invariouswayscontinuously?Forlongperiodsoftime?Forfun?Byfartherewasadefinitetimewhentheendproductseemedmuchmoredesirablethantheactofcreativitythatprecededit.Howcouldrepetitivemotionsthatcreatedsomethingatasnail’spacereallycapturemyheartandmindforlongenoughtofinishascarf(muchlessanythingbigger)intoday’sworldofinstanteverything?Thankfully, this concern, while understandable, was fleeting. When I was

finallycomfortableenoughwithknittingthatInolongerhadtoconcentrateonevery movement my fingers made, I discovered that after completing a fewrows,thechatterinmyminddulledtoawhisper.AsIwasusedtoamindfilledwithlengthyto-dolistsandthingstoremember,thisnewfoundrespitetooksomegettingusedto.WhileIhadbeenafledglingpractitionerofyogaandmeditationfor years, I was gob-smacked by the way knitting—even more thanmeditation—connectedme to that inner rhythm I had been trying so hard tofind.Therewassomethingaboutthewaytheybothallowedmetobringmyselfintothepresent,tojusthangoutandgetcomfortable(insteadoftryingtorelivethe past or jump ahead to the future) that was absolutely brilliant. Notsurprisingly,soonafterknittinghelpedmegetacquaintedwithaninnerstillness,Ifoundmyselfbetterabletopracticemeditation,andonceIfoundthatrhythm,Iwasgolden.Intime,knittingbecamemorethanjustasimplewaytopassthetimeorcreate

myowngarments.Itcalmedme,itconnectedme,itinspiredme.Itsoothedme

withtherepetitivemovementsthatalsosymbolizedthegrowthofagarmentoran accessory, each stitch simultaneously a push forward and a mark of time.Eventually, as I sought out knitting groups and took to knitting in public, thisactivity allowedme to talk to awholehost of people I neverwouldhavemetotherwise.Thankstothecommondenominatorofknitting,Iwasabletoconnectwith individuals who were older, younger, richer, not-so-rich, foreign, andlocal—allofuscomingtogetherthroughourloveofcraft.AsIbecamemoreproficient—andwhenIhadgivenpracticallyeveryoneI

knewsomesortofhand-knit item—Ibegan looking forothers,bothnearandfar,whomightbenefitfrommycraftskills.Duringthisquest,IrealizedthatasIwalked around town and watched the news, I was constantly bombarded byimagesofbothhumansandanimalsinneedallovertheplanet,anditbegantosinkinthattherewerethingsIcoulddotohelpothersjustbyknitting.Istartedwithknitting scarves andhats for local homeless anddomestic abuse shelters;thethoughtofbringingwarmthandcomforttopeoplewithsomethingsoftandtangible seemednatural.The idea thatmy scarveswerekeepingpeople inmyown community cozy allowed me to start processing how charity andcompassion trulystart in thesmallestofactions.For far toomanyyears, Igotlost in the notion that to help the common good, you had to do big things orwrite big checks, but then again, that’swhat happenswhen you don’ttake the time to seehowyouas an individual arebest equipped to aidothers.Whilesomepeoplearemeanttodonatelargesumsofmoney,othersaremeanttodonatetheirtime,knowledge,orskills.Astimeprogressed,Ikeptexpandingmyfocustowardtheglobalscale,which

forthemostpartisincrediblydauntingandterrifyinglylarge.Everynightonthenews the world’s problems seemed so vast that the thought of making acoupleofhatsforsomeoneinneedseemedlaughableatbest.ButthenIbegantothink about the traits that make handmade items unique—for example, howscarvesknittedwithhope and love always seemcozier on cold, lonelynights.WhileIwasn’tvolunteeringtogoliveinasub-Saharanrefugeecamp,Iwasdoing something. Small? Yes. But desperately needed and treasured by thepeoplereceivingthescarvesorhatsorblankets.Itwasforthosepeople,theoneswho trulyneeded something thatmyhands could create in a few sparehours,thatIstarteddonatinghandmadeitemsonaninternationallevelaswellasalocalone.Ithinkeachofusisdrawntodifferentwaystohelp;whetherit’sacharity

across the world or down the street, the causes themselves often have anuncannywayoffindingus.ThefirstcauseIchosetoknitforwasonethatdrewmeinonapersonal level,eventhoughthere isanendless listoforganizations

andcharitiesandagencies thatneedhelp.Beingsomethingofanewsjunkie, Iclosely follow the whys and wheres and whens of the conflicts in Iraq andAfghanistan. When I started learning about the economic conditions inAfghanistanseveralyearsago,IrealizedIcouldn’tnotdosomethingforthechildrenthere.Afterhearingaboutthewar-tornhistoryofthecountry,howfewresources many of the people had, and how many Afghans had neverexperiencedlifewithoutviolentconflict, I feltespecially inspired tohelp.Thiswasafewyearsafterthestartofawell-knownorganizationcalledAfghansforAfghans,ahumanitarianprojectIhadreadaboutonvariouscraftwebsitesandmessage boards. When I learned about the societal conditions and the harshwintersinAfghanistan,Iwentthroughmyyarnstashandquicklywhippedupafewchildren’shats. It took littlemore than a coupleof hours, and Imadesuretousebrightcolorsinthehopethattheymightbringalittlebitoflighttothosewhohadenduredalifetimeofstrife.Somepeopledonatemoneytocauses.Somehelpraiseawarenessforthemvia

campaigning.Ichoosetoknit.IknowthatwhatIcreatewithmyownhandswilldirectlyhelp someone inneedbyprovidingwarmth. I canwatch thegarmentsgrowontheneedles inmyhands, thensendthemoff toanorganizationin theknowledge that they’ll be distributed to people who can use themimmediately.Ilikethat.There is always something incredibly humbling about packing up several

teeny-tinyvestsandahandfulofhats inanequally tinyboxandknowing thatthereareteeny-tinychildrenouttherewhowouldgocoldwithoutthem.

AboutThisBookThisisabookaboutexpandingyourrelationshipwithcraftsothatitcanbecomemoreapartofyoureverydaylife,yourpersonality,andyourbeliefs.Sincemyloveofknittinggrewfrompersonalchangestolaterencompasscommunityandglobalperspectives,thatishowthisbookisorganized.It isalsomybeliefthatwhenwemakeachangewithinourselvesandthenapplyittoourworld,wecanbecome better examples for others via our actions. Although this book isultimatelybest read inchronologicalorder, it isalsowrittenasaguide tohelpyoujump-startyourrelationshipwithknitting(orsewingorbasketballorwhathaveyou)howeveryouneedit,whetherthatisonapersonalorglobalscaleorsomewhereinbetween.Part1isaboutthepersonaleffectsofknittingandhowyoucanbenefitfrom

just the simple act of knitting.One of the things Imost often hear from newknitters(despiteageorlocation)is,“Ican’tbelievehowrelaxingknittingis!â€This fortunate revelation is perhaps the first step towardmaking amorepersonal connection to your creativity. Through additional practice and a bitmore concentration, there are many ways to benefit personally from knitting.This first section takes you from creating a view of craft that best suits youpersonallythroughtoembracingthepositivebenefitsthattheprocessofknittingcanprovide.Part2dealswithwaysyoucanaidyourimmediatecommunitythroughcraft

andcreativity.Whileknittinggiftsforpeopleyouloveiswonderful,knittingforothers in your community can be just as, if not more, rewarding. Differentcommunities have different needs, depending on location, culture, andeconomics, but every community has a want or need that can be met viacreativity—you just may need to do a bit of brainstorming to see how yourskillscanbeofuse.Thissectionisastartingpointforconnectingwithfamily,friends,andothersinyourcommunity.Thelastpartopenstheviewuptoaglobalperspectiveandhowourindividual

actions can affect the lives of others thousands of miles away. One of theremarkable things about knitting and handcrafts is their ability to transcendsocietaldifferences,aseveryculturehasitsowncrafthistorybasedonitsownidiosyncrasies. The widespread use of creative craft highlights the fact thatalthoughitisofgreatusewhenyourcommunityiswithoutstrife,youcanstilllet your stitches do the talking evenwhen people can’t speak up or reach

others. This section explores using craft to express emotion,make statements,andengageinactivism.Thisbookisabout takingyourcraftandcreativityinhandandrunningwith

thepossibilities.Youwill findsidebars throughout thechapters thathavebeenwrittenbysomeofmyfavoritepeople, thosewho inspireme tonoend.Theirkind words of wisdom and willingness to share their stories of creativity arewhatpushme todreambigger andexpandmyowndefinitionofwhat it trulymeansto“becreative.â€Attheendofeachchapter,thereisaknittingpatterncontributed by a different talented knitter. All of the itemswithin have eitherbeendonatedtoacharityoftheknitter’schoiceortheproceedsfromthesaleofthepatternaregoingtocharity.Eachitemandpatternrepresentspartoftherange of articles that can be donated to various charitable organizations. Eachchapter also ends with an action, in case you would like to push your craftfurtherandengageyourcreativityinnewdirections.Finally, although this book centers on knitting, it speaks to all things

handmade and creatively driven. Even though I identify most strongly withknitting, it is justoneofthemanycraftsyoucanpracticetomakeadifferencepersonally, locally, and globally. The key is to find and explore a creativeoutlet—andtofindawaytousetheskillsandknowledgeyoulearnandhonetocreate positive change in the world. Don’t worry about how big animprovementyouractionbringsabout;justcreatewhatyoudesireandsetitfree.Andwhile therearehundreds, ifnot thousands,ofchoicesandpathsbefore

you,therearejustasmanypersonalstoriesandinsightsonhowtouseknittingforthegoodofourselvesandothers.JustastheprojectsImaydreamofasIstepintoashopfullofyarnmaybeworldsawayfromthecreationsyouconcoct,myexperienceswithknittingmaybeverydifferentfromyours.Mystoryisjustoneofmanythatcouldhavebeentold,andIhopeyoukeep

thatinmindasyoureadthesepagesandmoldtheideasinthemtofityourownlife.Eventhoughthespecificsofourlivesmaybedifferent,Ibelievethatatourcore, our experiences are more alike than we sometimes think. This book iswrittenwiththosecoresimilaritiesinmind;asnomatterhowwediffer,wecanallholdcreativityinhighesteemandvaluethelessonsthatknittinghastoteach.This book is based on the belief that every time you pick up your knittingneedlesyouhavetheopportunitytocreatepositivechangeintheworld.Itismyhopethatwhatyoureadwillmakeyouthink,create,andrememberto

take timetoknit. Ibelieve that ifwetakegoodcareofourselves,wecangivemore toothers.Thankyou for sharing this timewithme.Truemagichappenswhenwecreatewithourhandsanddreamfromourhearts.

partone knittingforyourself

chapterone

reclaimingcraft

IUSEDTOTHINKTHATIDIDN’TFINDKNITTING;ITfoundme.HowelsecouldIexplainhowthisgrandmotherlycraftmadeitswayintomyfeminist,activistlifestyle?WhenIfirstpickeduptheneedlesin2000,knitterswerestillverymuch in thecloset. Iwasembarrassedbymysecrethobby,yet therewassomething about it that was irresistible. I found it relaxing, creative, andempowering, justas I findactivismempowering.When I stopand thinkabouthowthiscraftcametome,Irealizethattherewasaclearpaththatbroughtmetothispointinmylife—nowaknitterofeightyears.UnderstandinghowIbecameaknitterletmerelaxdeeperintomycraftandreclaimthestereotypessothatIcouldtrulybeempoweredbymychoicetoknit.Whenyou thinkofknitting,perhapsyoualso thinkofhow it allowsyou to

relax,create,andclothe.Buthowexactlydidyoufindcraft?Ordiditfindyou,perhaps by chance?What led you to knit despite all the other crafty options?Whenweexploreourcraftroots,wecanconnectmoredeeplywithwhatdrivesour creativity and compelsus tomake something.Wecan empowerourselvesand our crafts by both embracing the domestic heritage of our work andbecomingmore fully aware of howwe personally benefit from knitting. Thischapterisabouthowfindingandembracingthehandmadecanbeanextremelypersonalandrewardingjourney.

LettingCraftInLikemanypeople,Ispentasomewhatextendedpartofmylifetryingtofigureout just where I belonged. I tried things like skateboarding, playing music,startingazine,hiking,andmanyotherpursuitsthatresultedineitherabruisedegoorbruisedknees.Foralongtime,IhonestlyhadnorealideawhereIfitin.Ijostledbetweencliquesandactivitiesinthehopethatoneofthemwouldfitmelikeaglove,allowingmethesecurityandcomforttofullyexpressmyself.WhenIdiscoveredRiotGrrrlattheonsetofthe1990s,itfeltlikewhatIhad

been waiting for my entire life. Here was a movement made up of women

aroundthecountry(andlatertheworld)whowereunapologeticandunafraidtotalkloudlyandopenlyabouttheirlifeexperiences;thismovementgavemanyofus theconfidenceandstrength to speakout insteadof staying silent.Byusingmusicandzinesasmodesofconnection,RiotGrrrlmanagedtochannelangst,energy,andmodernpoliticsinsuchawaythatIfeltforthefirsttimethatIcouldtrulybreathedeep—atlastIknewIwasn’taloneinwantingtofightinsteadofwitheringagainstinjustice.Listening to 7" records up in my room, I realized that many of the bands

didn’thaveperfectproduction,pitch,oreventiming.Iwouldcrankupmyrecordplayeranddanceandsingalong to the lyrics,completelyexhilarated todiscover that therewere people likeme. Iwas beginning to understand that itwasokay tobeangryandunsureandpoliticallyandsociallyaware,andIwasfinallydiscoveringthatIdidn’thavetobeperfectinordertodosomething.Itwas acceptable to not be good, because after all, Iwas learning, right?ThenotionthatIcoulddosomethingandscrewitupwithoutapologywasnovelandliberating.BeinggiventheokaytogetmessyanddiveintothelearningprocesswaswhatIneededtohearallthoseyearsago,andithasstuckwithmefiercelyeversince.This new way of thinking gave me the go-ahead to try a host of different

things that I actuallywanted to do insteadof just doing the thingsmy friendswantedme todo. Itwasmy indoctrination into theworldof thedo-it-yourself(DIY)ideologyandactivism.Byusingmyowncreativedriveasapositiveforceinstead of allowing thewheels of consumerism to directme, everything I didbecamepartofmyactivism.Insteadofpittingmyselfagainstothers,IbegantocomprehendthatifIwantedtomakeamagazine,Icouldwriteitandpublishitmyself;ifIwantedtostartarecordcompany,Icouldstartoneinmybedroom.Ifinallyfeltcompletelyfreetoexploremyowncreativityandidentity.I wish I could say my first yarn store experience was soon after I started

knitting,butittookmemonthstofinishmyfirstproject(ascarfmadewithyarnandneedles thatweregiven tome),and itwasagesbefore Iactuallyventuredinto a shop that hadmore than just acrylic yarn. Itwas a small local store inDurham,NorthCarolina,thatsoldhandmadejewelryandbagsinthefrontandyarnintheback.IhaddecidedtomakescarvesformyfriendsthatIwouldcall“LuckyThirteensâ€astheywerethirteenstitchesacrossonsize13needles.Iwantedtomakethemoutofmohair,soayarn-buyingtripwasnecessary.I had little ideawhat Iwanted; I simply neededmohair in themost vibrant

colorsIcouldfind.OnceIhadmadeitpastalltheadorablehandmadeitemsinthefronthalfoftheshop,IfoundawholewallofyarninmorecolorsthanIhadeverimagined.Inminutes,Ihadfeltdozensofskeins,notsurewhethertotake

inthecolorsorthesoftnessfirst.HavingallthosechoicesleftmeabitshockedthatItrulyhadfreerangetomakewhateverIwanted.Itwasclear then,asIstoodgrinningatall thoseyarns, thatknittingwasfor

me.Therewas something incredibly enticing and intensely personal about theskeinsuponskeinshung,stuffed,andstackedalloverthebackwall.Therewassomethingalluringabout theneedlesandtheprojects that thewomensittingattheroundwoodentableinthecenterofthestorewereworkingonandwearing.Ifoundmyself simultaneously intrigued and confused by the busyness of it all.Therewerecolorsfromtheentirerainbowsurroundingme,fromtheperkiestofpinks to the boldest of blues, all filling cubbies built into the wall. Hungthroughout the back of the store were various premade examples illustratingmyriad ways to manipulate yarn. There were scarves, sweaters, and shawls,createdwithyarnavailableinthestore,andhungupforinspiration.Iwon’tgosofarastosaythatIunderwentsomesortofinnertransformationthatday,but I will say that I was completely shocked to see the vast range ofpossibilities—from the different textures and widths of yarn to the differentitemsIcouldproduce.Aftertouchingandpawingafractionofthevariousyarnsbeforeme,Iwashit

withtherealitythatitwastactilestimulationIhadbeenmissing.Sooftenwearetold not to touch, that when I was given this freedom, it felt a bit strange.Something in my heart warmed instantly and was inspired by the idea that Icould turn something so seemingly simple as yarn into a creation ofmy owndesign.WhileIhadalwaysbeenfinecreatingwithpaperandpenoronapiano,neither of these activities felt so lovely and soft beneath my fingertips. As Icircledthestoretouchingoneskeinafteranother,itfeltalmostsinfultogetmyhandsonsomanydifferentitemsthatweren’tmadeofmetalorplastic.WhenIlookbackonhowIbecameaknitter,IseethatthelessonsIlearned

fromRiotGrrrlhaveallowedmetofullyembracecraftnow.TheoristandwriterAmyLouSpencerechoedmythoughtsinane-mail:“Therenewedinterestincraft does stem fromRiotGrrrl.Many of the people involved are those samepeopleinvolvedintheRiotGrrrlmovementofthenineties.Itisexcitingthataswehavegrownolderwearecarryingthesameideals,asenseofindependenceand optimism, and are reinventing these to suit our lives.†In other words,I’mnotaloneinwantingtobeabletoliterally“craftmylife,â€insteadoflettingitcraftme.WhileRiotGrrrlopenedmyeyesenough to trynew thingsandexploremy

creativity, it also rooted me even deeper in my feminist views. For a time Iconsideredanythingevenvaguelyresemblingthedomesticartstobecompletelydisconnectedfrommycreativepath.ButIfoundthatinlearningtoknit,Iwould

bediscoveringnot only away to create something I desired, but Iwould alsohavetheopportunitytolearnmoreaboutthedailyexperienceofthemillionsofwomenwhohadtakenuptheirneedlesbeforeme.Knittingdidn’tmakemea traitor to feminism; instead, I foundmyself able to connectwithwomen ofpreviousgenerationsinawholenewwayandcelebratetheiraccomplishments.AlthoughIwasn’tinaclubdoingamicrophonecheckorchainingmyselftoa building in protest, I was on the cusp of understanding what the power ofpositiveactivismcoulddo,aswellas thepersonalandcommunalbenefits thatcamewithit.

ÂÂÂÂCathydelaCruz

CATHYDELACRUZISAFILMMAKERCURRENTLYLIVINGINSANDIEGO,CALIFORNIA.ALONGWITHERINDONOVAN,SHEHOSTSAWEEKLYPODCASTABOUTFILMATSHOWMEYOURTITLES.BLOGSPOT.COM.

It’samazingthatapoliticalmovementIbelievedinwithallmyheartwhenIwasfourteenyearsold isstill informingmylifetodayatagetwenty-seven.TheRiotGrrrlmovementofthe1990shelpedme approach life with a DIY attitude and aesthetic. I believed Icouldmakethingsandtrythings,fromwritingafanzinetoplayingmusic in a band to all sorts of other things that girls weren’ttypicallyencouragedtodo.IusedtomakezinesinwhichIcollagedand juxtaposed imagesand text together,and today I findmyselfusingthesamekindsofmethodstocreatemeaningandmessagesthroughmyfilmmaking,workingasaDJ,andpodcasting.Icohostafeministfilmreviewpodcastontheweekendsandreallybelieveapodcasttodayiswhatazinewasinthenineties—it’sthekindofDIYcommunicationthathasbeenabigpartofmylifesinceRiotGrrrl,whichdeeplyinformedmyviewsonartandpolitics.Today, I stitch togethermy films,myDJ sets, andmy podcast

film critiques verymuch theway I stitched together fanzines andmix tapeswhenRiotGrrrl was in full bloom.WithoutRiotGrrrl, Imight not have believed inmyself enough tomake art or be thefeminist artist/filmmaker/DJ/teacher/writer/critic I am today. Evenmycareerisstitchedtogetherlikeazine,butIwouldn’thaveit

any other way. Riot Grrrl provided so many women with theempowermenttomaketheirowndestinies.IamsogladthatastheRiotGrrrlmovementfloatedawayfrom

mainstream press, the feminist-craftmovement came to the fore.Anything thatwomenenjoyalwayshas tobedesignatedahobbyand not a real form of art or political movement. Craft is just asimportant asanyother art form,and I amsoglad feministshavehelped reclaim it. Just because we enjoy doing something, itdoesn’tmeanwedon’ttakeitseriouslyoraren’treallygoodatit.

ReclaimingCraftfromDomesticityI had to rethink my feminist views when I became attracted to knitting, andmany others in the indie craftmovement have had to do the same.Given thepervadingstereotypesassociatedwithknitting, it’snowonder thatsomeofusweresurprisedtofindweactuallylikedit—evenlovedit.Before2000,themere mention of the term knitting evoked many thoughts of grandmothers,domesticity,andotherpastoralandseeminglynonradicalthings.Now,thankstothe recent craft resurgence, crafts such as knitting are being embraced andreclaimedbyanewgeneration;wehavethepowertoredefinehandmadeandallthe baggage thatmay comewith it.Crafts have been culturally redefined in awaythatbetterreflectscurrentviewsoffeminismanddomesticity.Buthowdidknittinggetsuchanold-fashionedimage?Althoughithasalong

historydatingbackthousandsofyears,ourmostrecentculturalperceptionofthecraft was formed in the seventies, when women largely rejected traditionaldomestic arts in an attempt to gain social and economic equality.While someartistsandcraftersstillcreatedbodiesofworkfromthelatesixtiesthroughtheearlyeighties,greaternumbersofwomenstartedtomovefromthekitchentothecubicleinordertoprovethattheywerevaluableentitiesinthecorporateworldaswell as in the home. StartingwithWorldWar II, there had been a gradualincreaseinthenumberofwomenintheworkforce;asmenwenttofight,womenwere recruited to work in the factories. According to data from the U.S.Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, one in three womenworkedoutsidethehomein1950.By1990,threeoutofeveryfivewomenhadjoined theworkforce.Andalthough the increasewasrelativelysteadyover theforty interveningyears, thebiggest surgecame in the1970swith thepowerful

force of second-wave feminism and protests fighting for equal pay and equaltreatment.At that time, radical changeswerebeingmade inwhathadpreviouslybeen

culturallydefinedas“woman’swork.â€Traditionally,manywomenhaddevoted serious effort to careers as homemakers and required a knowledge ofcraftssuchasknitting,crochet,embroidery,needlepoint,andsewingtoget thejob done right. These domestic skills were passed along from generation togenerationso,liketheirpredecessors,younggirlswouldbeequippedtocareforfamilieswhentheymarriedor, ifnecessary, tohelp theirmotherswhilestillathome. In the latter part of the century, however, the passing of such skillsdeclined due to both improving technology and the equality movement. Forfeminists in the seventies, separating themselves from the home as a place ofwork was part of moving forward. This also meant that long-held traditionsbecameseenaspassiveandretrogressive,andtheyneededtotakeabackseatinthenameofprogress.Asmoreandmorewomenmovedoutofthehomeandintotheoffice,crafts

normallydone in thedomestic spherewere leftbehind; skills likeknittingandneedlework were perceived as the activities of mild-mannered women ofprevious eras. As the struggle for gender equality continued, the termhomemakergainedamorenegativeconnotation.Eventhoughwomenwerestillresponsible for all the same household tasks as before after their officialworkday ended, working outside the home was seen as progressive. Aswomen’s roles began to shift from two (mother and homemaker) to three(working woman, mother, homemaker), there simply wasn’t enoughtime—or,givenmodernconveniences,theneed—todoeverything.When I discovered how long it takes to knit an adult-sized sweater, I was

stunned thatsuchworkwascommonly(anderrantly)portrayedaseasy.AndIbetwhenitwasgettingcoldandafamilyonlyhadthreadbaresweatersfromthepreviousyear,knittingseemedlikeanythingbutpastoralandrelaxing.Wecanviewourcurrentcontinuanceofknittingassomethingthatkeepsthecreativityofour crafty relatives alive and thriving, because it not only allows us to betterunderstandtheirlives(andsocietybeforemachinesruledtheearth),butalsotohonor“woman’swork.â€Ourreclamationofthehandmadeisproofthatthesecraftskillsarevaluable,worthwhile,andsomethingtobeproudof.

ÂÂÂÂCinnamonCooper

CINNAMONCOOPERISACRAFTERWHOLIVESINCHICAGO,ILLINOIS.WHEN

NOTMAKINGANDSELLINGPURSESONHERWEBSITE,POISE.CC,SHE’S

PLANNINGTHENEXTDIYTRUNKSHOW(DIYTRUNKSHOW.COM).

WhenIwasachild,mymother’smostprizedpossessionwasthe antique Singer sewing machine that had belonged to hergrandmother. The leather belt attached to the treadle slipped alittle, but I remember her showing me how it worked. I wasenthralledbythegoldpaintandthemovingpiecesandthemagicthathappenedwithtwopiecesofthreadandaneedle.Ten years later I was ridingmy skateboard, listening to heavy

metal, and tryingdesperately to findmyniche ina social circle. ItoldmymotherIwantedsomewildlypatterned,knee-lengthshortsthatIthoughtwouldlookawesomewithmycanvashigh-toptennisshoes covered in marker drawings. Her reply: “Those shortsaresosimple,youcouldmakethem.â€Soweheadedtothefabricstore and thus began our lessons on my mother’s moremodernSingersewingmachine.As Isat threading theneedle, Ihadarevelation.“Mygreat-

grandmother did this. My grandmother did this. My mother doesthis. I’mdoing this. I’ma link. It’smyresponsibility tolearn these ‘women’s things’ and pass them on.†Ipulled outmymother’s book on needlecrafts and decided toteach myself as many of them as I could. I would intersperserocking out with knitting, and popping ollies with learningembroiderystitches.IslowlygotbetterateverythingItried,andthemoreIlearned,theeasieritwastolearn.Idon’tskateanymore,I’membarrassedbythoseshorts

Ioncethoughtwerecool,andI’vegraduatedtoteachingotherstocraft.ButIstillhavethesamedesiretobethelinkbetweenmyancestorsandmysuccessors.AndthankstotheInternet,I’vehad the chance to not only create a small business sellinghandcraftedbags(whereaportionofthepurchasepriceisdonatedto a non-profit organization I want to support), but tomeet otherwomen (and a few men) who skateboarded by day and craftedquietly alone at night. Because of the online social networkingpossibilities,wenolongerhavetobealone.

I’mabletocreateabagthatsupportsorganizationsfightingforthereproductiverightsofwomenandtomeetotherwomenwhowant todosomethingcreativeandencourage them tomake theirworldabetterplacethroughtheircreativityandskills.And it’sworked.MyfriendAmyCarltonandIdecidedtocreateacraftshowin2003.We’dneverbeen inashowbefore,nordidwehavepeoplewecouldaskaboutrunningone,butwedecidedtogoforit.Therehavebeen five showsnow,andeachonegetsbigger andbetter,withmorecustomerswantingtobuyhandmadegoods,morecrafterswantingtoshowtheirwares,andmorepeopleaskinghowthey can get involved “next year. While we’ve learned agreatdealinthelastfiveyearsandeachshowrunsmoresmoothlythan the one before it, I think it’s important to stress thatwedidn’t knowwhatwewere doing.Wehadan idea,wehad adesire,wegotenoughfeedbackfromfriendstobehopeful,andwejustforgedahead.Ihearsomanyaspiringcrafterssay,“Icouldnever(fillinthe

blank) like you can.â€But theyhaven’t tried. It is possible toteach yourself to sew, knit, fuse glass, throw pottery, quilt,makejewelry,andmuchmore.Sureit’seasierifaskilledandpatientexpertsitsdownandtellsyouhowtodoeverysinglestep,butthenyoubecomeapracticerofsteps—notacreatororacrafter,justaproducer.Everyone’ssoworriedaboutmakingmistakes,butIthink we need to be worried about not trying things instead.Mistakescan frequentlyberighted,orat leastwecanrealize thattheyaren’tgoingtoenda life.Surgeonsneedtobeconfidentthe first time theywalk intoanoperating room; the restofuscanlearn as we go. After all, I’m sure my great-grandmotherdidn’t knowany experts to explain seaming techniqueswhenshewaslivingonanisolatedfarminthebackcountryofOklahoma,nordidshehavetheInternetwithpicturesandanimatedtutorials.What she did have were a few yards of scratchy fabric and apicturefromaSearsandRoebuckcatalog.Butshetookthetoolsandskillsshehadaccesstoandmadethebestitemsshecould.Ihavemore tools, I’m surrounded by people with skills, and IfeellikeI’dbelettingdownthewomanwhopolishedhergildedSingersewingmachine if Ididn’tmakethebestuseofwhat I

have.Sofar,Idon’tfeelthatIhave.

EmbracingaNewFeminism

Forthemajorityofuswholearnedtoknitwithinthepastfewdecades,ouronlyprevious exposure to handcrafts was through our grandmothers or great-grandmothers.While some lucky individuals were taught the love of craft bytheir mothers, given the politics of the time, those of us who grew up in theseventiesandeightiesaremorelikelytohavelearnedhowtoshoothoopsthanhowtoknithats.NowthatIknowhowtoknit,Ifullyappreciatethosewhocamebeforemeandclothedtheirwholefamilieseachwinterwithoutfail.Thisdomesticreclamationcanbecelebratedwithprideandheadsheldhigh.

We now have the opportunity to do so much more with our knitting. Wedon’thavetoknitthosesweatersforthewinterwithallofouressentialsjusta shoppingmallaway.Asadirect resultofyearsofhardworkingwomenwhoproved themselves just as capable asmenof earningwages,wenowhave thefreedomtomakemoneyforourselvesandthenknitasweateroutofexpensivecashmereboughtwithourownpaycheck.Thankstotheearlyfeminists,wecannowdoitallourselvesifwesochoose.TalkaboutDIY!Whenwedonanapronandstarttocookortakemeasurementsforagarment,wecanbeempoweredbythenotionthatweareself-sufficientandchoosingthispathinsteadoffollowingsociety’sexpectations.That’stherealcruxofallofthis—wehavethechoice to knit or not knit, to bake or not bake. And while that may seemoversimplifiedandabittrite,itisthankstoallthehardworkofthewomenwholaboredtoobtainequalrightsthatwecanchoosetoreenterourkitchenswithoutfeelinglikewe’rebendingtoculturalstereotypes.Feminismhasgivenusthestrength to exploreouroptions insteadofbeing concernedabout regressingorkowtowingtoculturalstandards.Iamproudtobepartofthedemographicthatishonoringandtakingbackthe

domestic, instead of viewing it as an obsolete construct. I truly believe that asizable part of the craft resurgence’s swift rise can be attributed to theincrease of interest in the handmade, which was set afire by so manywomen’shungerforthedomestic.Nowthatwerealizewehavethefreedomtodoaswewish,andafter(givenourendlessoptions)wedecidewhatlifepathwewant to take,wecan feel free toopenlyembrace thedomestic for the firsttime in decades. Now that it’s “okay†to like spending time in thekitchenor learninghow toknit,wecanbe increasinglyproudofourselves forknowinghowtowieldadrillandapairofknittingneedles.

Theroleknittingplaysinourlivesisnowlargelyuptous,sincewecanallowfeminismtomeshwithneedlework.Bymaking thedomesticasourceofprideand strength, we have the opportunity to culturally redefine “woman’swork†as an act of progress instead of regression. It’s almost the reversesituationofwhenIwasyoungerandstartedplayingsportswiththeboys;Iworemy bruises and skinned knees as badges of honor because I knew that sportsweren’talwayscoed.Myreclamationofthedomesticwasearned,justasallthetimeIspentrunningbaseswithboyshelpedmeknowthatIcouldstealhomeand that being female didn’tmean being demure. I’mexcited to thinkthatifonedayIhaveadaughterofmyown,Icanteachherhowtoshootafreethrow and make a skirt. I am freer with my creativity because I have theopportunitytolooktoboththepastandthepresentforinspiration.

KeepingTraditionAlive

Aswe continue to take our craft into the twenty-first century and give it newmeaning,perhapsourgreatestcontributiontoknittingisperpetuatingitasacrafttradition.Nowwecanpassthisskillontoothers,aswedovetailhistorywiththefuture.Whenweviewknittingasalongtraditionofwoman’swork,wecanstart

toappreciatethewisdomitleavesbehind.Theinfluenceofthewomenbeforeusisprobablymostnoticeablewhenweseetheendofalegacy.Inanessayfromthe amazingly radical anthologyWomen and Craft, Sue Scott writes of how,after her grandmother died, she began to realize what she had lost besides alovedone:“WhenIwantedtoproduceaparticulareffectinapieceofwork,IknewthatshewouldhaveunderstoodwhatIwantedandknowntheanswer,butIlosttheopportunitytoaskher.Slowly,asIbegantopickupthethreadsofmyknowledge, Ibegan to realize thevalueof the craft traditionspracticedby thewomenofmyfamily.â€Eventhoughourcraftsmaylivelongerthanwedo,weshouldn’t underestimate what we have to pass down to others. Oncewe’re no longer here, our crafts will live, connecting generations, but weneedtomakesureweleaveourwordsbehindaswell.I’mlucky tostillhavebothmygrandmothersaround,andwhenI’m

withtheonewhoknits,I’malwayssurprisedbyhervastknowledgeofthecraftytechniquesshelearnedmorethanfiftyyearsago.Shestillrememberstheargylesockpatternshelearnedincollege,althoughshedoeshavenotesonthemeasurements ofmy grandfather’s feetwritten in shorthand on a piece ofstationery.Sheremembersknittinginlineforcollegeclasseswithoutpatternsatthe ready,whereas today it’srare toseeanyoneknittingmuchofanything

withoutapatternstashednearby.Sometimesshe’lltalkaboutknittingentirevests and sweaters from memory, and I can’t help but wonder whatknowledgecouldhavebeenkeptinexistenceifIhadaskedherearlierabouthercraftskillsinsteadofdecadeslater.Thenagain,atleastIhavetheopportunitytoaskhernow.What happenswhen older generations pass quietly on?Will they take their

craftytipsandtrickswiththem?Itisourjobtokeeptheskillstheyhavetaughtus alive—andwe can only do thatwhenwe actively engagewith knitters ofpastgenerations.Thanks to the current interest in all things craft-related, the knowledge is

beingkeptaliveinsteadofdisappearinglikesomanythingsformerlypassedonbyoral tradition.TheInternethashelpedthispracticethrivewithaplethoraofonlinecraftgroups,blogs,andshops.Theonlinecraftcommunityisvibrant,andnowquestionsposedtoonlineforumsandgroupscanbeansweredinminutes,allowingforthecreationofdialoguesandmultiplesuggestionsofsolutions.Allofasudden,insteadofdoingthecastoffyoualwaysdo,youcangainknowledgefromothereras,aswellasothercontinents.Insteadofnotbeingabletosolveaproblem, the Internet fosters the predicament of deciding which of numeroussolutionsweshouldtryfirst.

KnittingforGoodActions

PERHAPSYOURRETURNTOCRAFTSANDTHEDOMESTICHAPPENEDMUCHLIKEMINE, INSPIRING YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUTWHAT FEMINISM REALLYMEANS ANDHOWCREATIVITYISVIEWEDBYSOCIETY.PERHAPSITHAPPENEDINSOMEOTHERWAY.IFYOU’REREADINGTHISBOOK,I’MSUREYOU’VEHADYOUROWNPERSONALREALIZATIONTHATLEDYOUTOKNITTINGORMAYBEANOTHERCRAFT.ICHALLENGEYOUTOTAKEALOOKBACKATYOUROWNEXPERIENCESANDSEEWHERE,WHEN,WHY, ANDHOW THINGS STARTED TOCLICK FOR YOU.WHILE ITMAY BE TOTALLYDIFFERENT FROMMY STORY, I HAVENODOUBT THAT ITWASJUSTASWELCOME,JUSTASHEARTENING,ANDJUSTASNEEDED.

|RetraceYourSteps|

Howdidyoucome(or return) tocraft?Whatpathscrossed inyour life tobringyou towardknittingand/orthehandmade?Takeaminutetoseewherethosepathsstarted,ended,andmet—how life ledyou topickup theneedles.Whatwould theyouof tenyearsago thinkaboutyourinterestinthehandmadenow?

|FamilyHistory|

Howmanypeopleinyourfamilyorsocialcirclelearnedtoknitfromafamilymember?Howmany learned to knit from someone else or a book?How oldwere they?Do any of theirstories sound like your own? Were they completely different? Were they unexpected?Discoveringhowpeopleyoucareforfellinlovewithactivitiesthatgrabbedtheirinterestand

fueledtheircreativitycangiveyouagreatdealofinsightintoyourownmetamorphosis.

Li’sReversibleHerringboneRibScarf

DesignedbyLiBoesen

WhenIfirststartedknitting,I learnedhowtomakescarves,soitonlyseemedappropriatetoplaceascarfpatterninthefirstchapter.Scarvesarenotonlyeasyprojectstomakeforcharity,buttheyarealsoitemsthatindividualsofallagesandbothgenderscanwear.Theykeepyoucozyagainstthewinterwindandwrappeduptightwhenyouneedalittleextracomfort.This project comes from Li Boesen. It’s a nice reversible pattern; one side features

diagonalribs,andtheotherhasaplain,wide-ribbedlook.

|FINISHEDMEASUREMENTS|

7"x65"afterblocking

|YARN|

ManosdelUruguayWoolClÃsica(100%wool;138yards/100grams):2skeins#113Wildflowers

|NEEDLES|

OnepairstraightneedlessizeUS9(5.5mm)Changeneedlesizeifnecessarytoobtaincorrectgauge.

|GAUGE|

20stsand24rows=4"(10cm)inpatternstitch

|NOTES|

RT:K2togbutdon’tslipsts fromneedle; insert rightneedlebetween thests justknittedtog,andknitthefirststagain,thenslipbothstsfromneedletogether.Alwaysslip(sl)astoknit.

|SCARF|

CO34sts.Row1:Sl1,kremsts.Row2:Sl1,p1,[RT]3times,p2;repfrom.Rows3and5:Sl1,k1,p6,k2;repfrom.Row4:Sl1,p1,k1,[RT]twice,k1,p2;repfrom.Reprows2–5fordesiredlength.K1row.Bindoffknitwise.

Blocking is required to get the proper effect of the herringbone rib. To block, soak inwarmwaterfor15minutes.Wrapintoweltoremovemostofthewater.Layflattodryandpintotheappropriatesize.

©LiBoesen.Reprintedbypermission.

chaptertwo

deepeningourconnectiontocraftcreativityandpersonalexpression

KNITTINGISANACTOFIMAGINATION.ALTHOUGHPATTERNSmaytake away from some of the creative guesswork, the knitter is still largelyresponsible for conjuring up a finished project and choosing all of theelements—color, fiber,gauge, and so forth. In thisway,knittingallowsus toexploreourcreativity,andwhatiscreativitybutatrueexpressionofpersonality?Wecanknitbig,cozysweaterstohidein;lacyshawlstotwirlin;orbrightsocksto dance in. What we are drawn to knit is often not just a reflection of ourpersonalaesthetic,butalittlecluetoourcharacter.Oneofthemostwonderfulaspects of knitting is that it allows us to explore our likes and dislikes andeventuallyourauthenticsenseofself.Oncewegainthisself-awareness,wecangenerally find the inspirationandenergy tomakedecisionsabouthowwe liveour lives. This chapter explores the positive benefits of craft and the waysknittingcanhelpuslivemoreethically,holistically,andfreely.

TheArtandCraftofKnittingWhatdoesthewordcraftmean?Todayitisevolvingtoembodymanydifferentformsanddefinitions.Wegocrafting.Wegetcrafty.Andwehangoutwithcraftsters.ThefirsttimeImentionedtoacoworkerthatIwasgoingto“spendmyweekendcrafting,â€helookedatmequizzically.WhenIthensaid,“I’mgoingtoworkonsomeknittingandsewing,â€heseemedtogetit,eventhoughthismadehimaskifIwasgoing

tomygrandmother’shouse.

Just as knitting is being reclaimed from the domestic, craft is also goingthrough a revolution on a broader scale. For me, discovering this whole newworld of traditional crafts, especially knitting, was a bit like being a childagain—Ikeptfindingmyselfwide-eyedandhungrytolearnnewtechniquesortricks.Therewasalways,andstill is,moretolearnandsomeoneelsetoteach,whichstrengthenedmyownconfidenceinmypractice.Knittingquicklyopeneda whole world of creative expression for me, which was made even moreprofound because itwas something I had never experienced through art as anadult.Eversincethetopicwasbandiedaboutwithcavalierandexclusionaryzealin

myuniversityclasses,I’vebeenintimidatedbyart.Therealwaysseemedtobearcaneandunspokenrulesaboutwhatmadeonesplotchonacanvasaworkofartandanothermerelyapaintspill.Tome,arthasalwaysbeenexpressedas“the other,†something outside of the everyday experience, and quitefrankly,entirelyalientoanythingIthoughtIcouldeverlearntoproduce.Wherewerethemistakes,themishaps?WherewastheartisticequivalentofRiotGrrrlbandstoremindmethatitwasokayto“justbeokay�Yearsofarthistoryclassesmayhaveallowedmetolearnaboutsomeofthemostamazinglycreatedworksontheplanet,buttheyleftmefeelinglikeanoutsiderwhenitcametotheactofexpressionitself.The fact that art is often seen this way inevitably leads a large portion of

society to feel cut off from it. I think this is another factor for the significantgrowthof interest incraft: it’snotart. It’snot“theother.â€Craft issomething you can toy and experiment with instead of worrying that you arestriving toward a certain goal or are setting yourself up for failure. Theexpectationsforcrafthavealwaysbeencompletelydifferent thanthoseforart.Artgoesonthewalltobeadmired,whereascraftismeanttobeused.Becauseof its utile nature, craft has been able to bloom outside the voyeuristic andcriticalworldofart.Ithasexpandedandgrownbecause,essentially,ifyouneeda teapot andmakeone,noone’sgoing to critique that teapot as longas itbrews a mean cup of tea. Craft grew from usefulness into creative endeavor,whereasarthaslargelyremainedpurelycreativeexpression.Becausecrafthasfewerpreconceptionsandamorefluiddefinition,thereare

no limits towhat can be donewith it; you can quite simply dowhatever youwant. The strength of craft lies in its ability to jump-start our creativity byhaving few rules aboutwho is a practitioner andwho isn’t. “Craft hasaccessibility.Itisdefinedbythemaker,andforthisreasonitisapproachabletomany,†says Faythe Levine, director of the documentaryHandmade Nation.“Yougettomakecraftwhatyouwantittobe—yourjob,yourhobby,your

community, your outlet from work, your gateway into the highbrow galleryworld—craftisasbigorlittleasonepersonmakesit.â€Craft, given its utilitarian (as opposed to aesthetic) roots, invites a sense of

play.Sometimesinlearningtoknit, therecanbeasenseofconstrictionduetothe initial awkwardness of handling needles and yarn simultaneously. Andbecause we’re so used to following directions, we can sometimes findourselvesstrangelyoverwhelmedandstifledwhenwe’regiventhefreedomtocreatewhateverwewant.Breakingthroughthisconceptualwallcanaidusindevelopingourcreativity,

whether we call ourselves makers, crafters, or artists. The problem is in thelinguisticstereotypingof thewords,not thewordsthemselves.It’snot thatI’m anti-art, I’m just against the way that art can bring a sense ofalienationinsteadofprovidingawide,blankcanvasforexpression.Thepointistoexpandandteaseoutyourcreativity.Ifyouareeasyonyourself,youcanfindthatcozynichewhereyourmindwandersanditches tocreate insteadofbeingparalyzedbyalltheothercreativepathsyoucouldbetaking.

ÂÂÂÂSallyFortSALLYFORTWORKSASAFREELANCECONSULTANTFORART,CRAFT,DESIGN,

MUSEUM,ANDGALLERYPROJECTS.SHEWRITESABOUTCRAFTONHERBLOG,

TINKERINGTIMES.TYPEPAD.COM,ANDLIVESINMANCHESTER,ENGLAND.

Craft gives a person control—over their work, personalsatisfaction,barriers,andcommitments.Irecentlycarriedoutsomeresearchandfoundthatmanypeoplemake[craftprojects]inordertobeabletocontroltheirworklifeandaccommodatetheirprioritiesas they want, rather than how traditional work patterns dictate. Iknow of one woman who, because of illness, isn’t able tocommit to a “normal†full-time job, but she creates a prolificnumberofcraftworksandisverysuccessfulatsellingthem.Makingis an alternative that gives her what she needs—an income, aworkplace that accommodates her needs, a flexible work patternthatsuitsherenergylevelandphysicalabilities,andsoon.Iwas luckyenough tohavebeenbroughtupbyparentswhose

motto was “Give it a go. If it doesn’t work, we’ll trysomething else.†It never occurred to me that I couldn’t or

shouldn’tdothesethings.Ibelieve thatcraft isasystemofbelief—itenablesexpression

and personal fulfillment such as control over personalcircumstancesandthechancetobuildrelationshipsbybuyingintothe stories, time, skill, and passion that has gone into creating asingle, unique piece of work. I want the things I own to embodyhuman properties, to be part of life in some way. There issomethingaboutcraftsthatmakesmewonderabouttheirphysicalor technicalpropertiesandthusexercisemybrain.Butmore thanthat,theymakemefeelconnectedtootherpeoplesothatIcanseesomecommonalitybetweenthemakerandmyself,beitastyleorasimilar set of reference points. At the same time, being part of alarger community ofmakers givesmea set of newperspectives.It’saboutbeingpartofacommunity,butalsobeingchallenged.That’snotsomethinga tripdown to the localshoppingcentercanoffer.WhenpeopleaskmewhatIdo,IsaythatIweartwohats.First,I

manageartprojects.Theseareusually forgalleries,museums,oreducation and art agencies of some kind. Second, I managecontemporarycraftanddesignprojects.InevertellthemI’mamaker.Itsnotaconsciousthing,butwhenIthinkaboutit,Iseemyroleasafacilitator.Iliketoweavewebsthatenableotherpeopletodo what they do. My textiles work is therefore a much morepersonal project, but in a social context, it provides the samethings—thechancetotalktoandworkwithotherpeople,toswapinformation and help find new opportunities. I like to solveproblems. Sometimes its for groups, organizations, or networks;sometimes itsmoreof a technical approach tomyownmaking. Ican spend days or weeks thinking about the angle or shape aparticularpatternneedstobe,howtostrengthenit,howtomakeaset of two-dimensional parts come together to create a three-dimensionalshapeinjustthewayIwantit.

PersonalExpressionSowhatdowedowithallofthisnewfoundcreativity?Mycreativeenergyled

metostartexploringmyownformofpersonalexpression.AndbecauseIwasnowarmedwithknittingneedles, Ibegan toyingwithmypersonal style.Asaknitter,Icouldsuddenlymakemyownfashionchoicesfromtheverybeginningofthegarment.IhadneverrealizedbeforethatIcouldmakemyownclothes.Itmay sound silly, but over the years it had become ingrained inmy head thatwhenyouneedednewclothes,youwenttothemall—notthefabricstoreortheyarn store or the craft store. Although it was overwhelming at first, thisrealizationwasalsoquitespectacularbecause itmeant thatIcouldknitorsewwhateverIwantedinthecolorofmychoice,andasanaddedbonus,therewouldbe no label attached that read “Made in (one of an ever-growing list ofeconomicallychallengedcountries).â€Themakingwouldbeallmyown.AsI’mnotoutrageouslyadventurous,it’snotsurprisingthatthefirst

thingIknittedwasascarf.WhenIwas finished, theendresultwasso forlornlookingandrifewithmistakesthatit’sstillneverbeenworninpublic.Thepoint is that what really captured my attention for this first project was thecolor—kelly green. Itwas a vibrant, almost shocking shade thatwasbrighterthananycolor I hadever seenona store-bought item, andbecause the lengthandwidth and gaugewere also ofmy choosing, each aspect of the scarf hadrequiredmetomakedecisions.Errorsandall,itwasallmine.Soonafter thekellygreen scarf,more scarvesand somehatscame inquick

succession.TherewassomethingaboutthewaythesepiecesmademefeelwhenIwore them.They addedpunch tomyoutfits, and that delightedme. Imixedcolorsandpatterns thatprobablyshouldneverhavebeencombined inasinglegarment, but I didn’t care because I had decided what went where; if Iwasn’t pleasedwith the result ofmy efforts, I could rearrange, restart, orchangethingsuntilIwas.Isupposethatitwasthisutilitarianaspectofknittingthatreallyinspiredme.

Not only was I making something, but I was making something that I couldactually use. Being able to wear my creations and interact with them fromconceptiontofinishedgarmentencouragedmycreativityevenmore.It was this creative tinkering with my wardrobe that led me to some

unforeseen changes in my personal beliefs, which then led to my personalfashion revolts.While at first I just loved towearmyowngarments—piecesthat felt truly like “meâ€â€”I started to realize that I was tired of wearingclothes that someone else had designed and deemed acceptable. Althoughreadymade garments are available nearly everywhere inmost countries of theworldandmakingclothesathomeisnolongeranecessarychore,thedecisiontomakeorbuyourwardroberestsfirmlyinourownhands.Mostdaysitmaybemoreconvenient tobuyneeded items—forexample,whenyousnagahole in

your tights.Butwhenwehave theopportunity tomakeourowngarments,wecan truly feel good not only about making an item that perfectly suits ourpersonal style,butaboutmakingaconsciousdecision tobecomeawareofourconstantconsuming.Insteadofviewingmyknittingasjustawaytocreatemoreworkformyself,Isoonstartedtoseemakingmyownclothesasawaytotakeresponsibilityformyactionsandacquisitions.IrealizedthatIdidhaveachoiceintheproductsIboughtandIcouldcontrolwhatIwasconsuming.I’mnotadvocating thatweshouldmakeeverythingbyhand.Butwitha

littleforethought,wecanassembleawardrobethatsuitsusandourtastesinsteadofbeinglimitedtoaspecificrangeofchoicesofferedandselectedbysomeoneelse.Imustadmit,thoughImightjustbetoosentimental,Ihonestlybelievethatahandmadesweaterwillalwaysbewarmerthanonemadeinafactory.Notjustbecauseitwasmadewithlove,butbecauseitwasmadewithaspecificpersoninmind,whichmeans that thegarment is probablygoing to fitmuchbetter thanoneof thehandfulof sizesavailable in the sweatersat the localmall.While Imaynotwinanyscientificargumentswith this, there is somethingundeniablymagicalaboutputtingonahandmadegarmentforthefirsttime.I’mtalkingaboutsomethingthatfitsyouasifitweremadeforyou—becauseitwasmadefor you. When we know that one person, rather than a host of people andmachines in a factory, has control of a garment’s creation from start tofinish,wecanstepoutsideofthefashionconsumerworld,ifonlyforamoment,andintoamuchwarmerandmoreauthenticplace.

ÂÂÂÂKateBingaman-BurtKATEBINGAMAN-BURTISANASSISTANTPROFESSOROFGRAPHICDESIGNATPORTLANDSTATEUNIVERSITY.ONHERWEBSITE,OBSESSIVECONSUMPTION.COM,SHEEXPLORESOURCULTURALLOVEHATE

RELATIONSHIPWITHBUYINGANDSPENDING.THROUGHDRAWINGSANDPRINTS,SHEHIGHLIGHTSOUROFTENCONFLICTINGRELATIONSHIPWITHOUR

FINANCES.

I insist that viewers of my work (either on my website or in agallery) can see the handmade quality in my work—from thecrookedstitchesonmypillowsanddressestotheshakylinequalityofmydrawings.Innowaycananyofmyproductsbemistakenforthosecreatedbyamachine.Part of Obsessive Consumption [OC] is about making the

mundanespecial.Iamtakingamass-producedproduct(consumergoods)andpersonalizingit.Theconsumerisnolongerfaceless.Itis a reaction to the machine of the mass-produced product, andhopefullytheviewergetssatisfactionfromthepersonalinteraction.Mywork does not operate on a traditional functional level, but

moreasanobjectofcontemplation.OCproductshopefullyworkontwo levels—formal (colors, design, composition) and conceptual(consumers’ commentaries, transparency of personalconsumerism, thinking about their own consumerism through myconsumerism).Theslownessofcraftrevealsacertainlayeroftruth.Themaker

isable tomeditateand/orcritically focusonthesubjectofwhat isbeingmade.ThisiswhatIfindsospecialaboutworkingthisway.

TheValueoftheNeedleInourquest forgetting themostoutofourmoney, sometimeswe forgetwhywe’reabletopayapittanceforsomethingrightofftherack.WhenIlearnedtoknit, I started togainanunderstandingof thework thatwent intomakingagarment. Those seams certainly don’t stitch themselves. Nowwhen I buynew clothes, I findmyselfwonderingwho is really behind the factory labels.Thosethatsay“MadeinVietnam(orthePhilippinesorBoliviaorChinaorsomewhereelse)â€weresewnintothegarmentssomewherefar,farawayfromthe big-name designers and their original ideas.What good is a cheapT-shirtwhen the person who made it may be struggling for basic necessities? Howmanyshirtspassedunderhisorhereyeeachdayononeofmanyassemblylinesinaclothingplant?SometimesIwishIcouldfindanendtothisendlesscircleofquestions,butIknowthattheyalljustmeanthere’smoreworktobedonetotrytomakethingsright.Bywhippingoutmycreditcardandsupportingcompanieswithquestionable

ethicalpractices,Iwashelpingsupportbusinessesthatbelievethatindividualsinpoorercountriesdeservelessmoneyfor their timethanwedo.Havingworkednumerousminimumwage jobs over the course ofmy life, I know that this isnothingbutaninjusticetopeoplewhoarejusttryingtogetby.Asknitters,wehave the tools to help in a smallway bymaking items for ourselves and ourlovedonesinsteadofbuyingthem.BydecidingtomakeandrestructureasmuchofmywardrobeasIcan,Iamconsciouslychoosingtonotsupporttheactionsof

corruptcompanies;althoughitmayseemlikeasmallaction,itmeanstheworldtome.Astimeprogresses,I’mdiscoveringthatthemoreIknit,thelessIwantto

consume.IfIknitmyselfapairofsocks,notonlydoIappreciatethevalueofthose socks more, but I can also be sure they weren’t produced in asweatshop. Unfortunately, making something by hand isn’t always anoption. Creating a garment by hand takes planning, and when you needsomething today foradinnerparty thisevening, it justmaynotbepossible towhipupthatgorgeousshawlafterworkandbeforetheevent.Thetrickhereisknowing when to make and when to purchase, and if you go with the latteroption,makingaconsciousdecisiontospendyourmoneywithethics(insteadofjust cost) inmind.The tiny choices thatmay seem inconsequential can,whenaggregated,adduptoahostofhandmadegoodsandmoneyspentonwhat’snecessaryinsteadofsolelyonwhat’swanted.Just the fact that some items in your closetwere created by twohands, not

whirring metal things, makes them that much more unique and special. Theoveralllessontobelearnedinlookingatwhatittakestomakesomething(andwhatittakestobuysomething)isthatwehaveachoiceaboutwhatwewearandhowit’smade.Thisrippleeffectseepsintooursubconsciousandallowsformoreinformedchoicesandanappreciationofwhat’sreallyimportanttous.Thefirst timeIworeascarfIhadknittedout inpublic, itwasempowering.

There was no tag, and suddenly a compliment such as “I like that scarfâ€gavemeawholenewsenseofprideandaccomplishment.Ialsodidn’thavetoworry about anyonewearing the same thing, because even if someone elsehadmade the same scarf from the same pattern,wewould each have put ourown personal stamp on it.Wearingmy own creations didn’t giveme anysense of entitlement or superiority in the face of all the mall-bought clothesaround me, but it did begin to release me from thinking that what wasfashionableandbest formybodyshapeshouldbedictatedby trends.This ledme to startmakingdecisionsonwhat I liked andwanted towear versuswhatwas available towear. Itwas a giant leap into aworld that further integratedcraft(andcrafttheory)inmylife.Anditwaswelcome.

KnittingforGoodActions

|ResponsibilityinRetail|

Thinkthatyou’dliketoplanyourwardrobemoreethically?Takeaminutetogothroughtheclothes inyourcloset thatyouwearmostoften.Wherewere theymade? If you’venevertakentimetocheck,itcanbeabitshockingtoseejusthowmanyothercountriesare

makingwhatyou’rewearing.Doanyofthecountriessurpriseyou?Onceyou’vefoundoutwhereyourclothesweremade,havealookatthecompaniesthat

made them. Try doing an Internet search on the brand of clothing and add the keywords“business practice†or “sustainability.†As the public has become more aware ofunethical manufacturing practices and demanded more accountability, many larger retailcompanieshavebegunexplaining theirbusinesspracticeson theirwebsites. If youcan’tfind anything about a particular brand, try e-mailing the company directly about its businesspractices.Insomecases,youmaybehorrified,whereasinothers,youmaybehappytoknowyou’resupportingacompanywithethicalmodesofproduction.

|ReflectingonHandmade|

Sometimestheveryprocessofcreatingsomethingfromscratchcanleadtootherquestions.Hasyourknittingallowedyoutoconsiderhowclothesare/shouldbeproduced?Hasseeingthecreationofsomethingfromstarttofinishallowedyoutorethinkanypartofyourlife?Hasitmadeyouthinkabouttheproductionofhouseholdgoodsormakeuporprocessedfoods?Howdoesitfeeltoholdafinishedhandmadeiteminyourhands?

StripedHatfortheHomeless

DesignedbyLindaPermannAlong with scarves, hats are another frequently requested handmade item. Linda Permanndesignedthisstripedhatasastash-buster,soyoucanhelpthehomelessandhelpyourselfbydecluttering at the same time—the pattern that follows can bemade using scrap yarn youhavearoundthehouse.Sheemployedseveralcolors,butyoucanplayaroundwiththewidthandarrangementsofthestripes,incorporatenoveltyyarnsofsimilarweight,orignorethecolordirectionsaltogetherandknitasolidcap.Itworksupinjustanightortwo,soyourcommitmentdoesn’thavetobeoverwhelming.Addapom-pomortasselforanextraheartfelttouch.

|FINISHEDMEASUREMENTS|

20"circumference(stretchesto23")

|YARN|

Brown Sheep Company Lamb’s Pride Bulky (85% wool/15% mohair; 125 yards/113grams):atotalof1skeinmadeupofseveralcolors.Useanycolorsyoulikeandchangethewidthandrepetitionofstripesasdesired—orknitasolidhat!Iusedthesecolors,referredtointhepatternby letter:M-151ChocolateSoufflé(A),M-02BrownHeather (B),M-240PrairieGoldenrod(C),M-47TahitiTeal(D),M-97Rust(E),M-82BlueFlannel(F)|NEEDLES|One16"circular(circ)needlesizeUS10(6mm)Onesetdoublepointedneedles(dpns)sizeUS10(6mm)Changeneedlesizeifnecessarytoobtaincorrectgauge.

|NOTIONS|

Yarnneedle

|GAUGE|

14stsand20rows=4"(10cm)inStockinettestitch(Stst)|HAT|WithcircneedleandA,CO70stitches.Placemarkerandjoinbeingcarefulnottotwiststs.Rnds1–8:K1,p1;repfromaround.

|STRIPEPATTERN|

WorkinStst(kallrnds),workingstripesincolorsasindicated:Rnd9:A.Rnds10,11,and12:BRnd13:

Rnd13:C.Rnds14,15,16,and17:D.Rnd18and19:A.Rnds20,21,and22:E.Rnd23:B.Rnd24and25:C.Rnd26:F.Rnds27and28:D.Rnd29:E.

|SHAPECROWN|

Note:Switchtodpnsonceyourhatfeelstightonthecircs.WithcolorB,workasfollows:Rnd30:K8,k2tog;repfrom—63sts.Rnd31:K7,k2tog;repfrom—56sts.Rnd32:Knit.Rnd33:K6,k2tog;repfrom—49sts.Rnd34:K5,k2tog;repfrom—42sts.Rnd35:Knit.

WithcolorA,workasfollows:Rnd36:K4,k2tog;repfrom—35sts.Rnd37:K3,k2tog;repfrom—28sts.Rnd38:K2,k2tog;repfrom—21sts.Rnd39:K1,k2tog;repfrom—14sts.Rnd40:*K2togaround—7sts.Cutlongtailandthreadtailthroughneedle.Drawneedlethroughremainingstitches,pulltight.Weaveinallends.

©LindaPermann.Reprintedbypermission.

chapterthree

knittingsomereliefcraftastherapy

ONCE WE’VE BEEN DRAWN TO KNITTING AND COME TOappreciatewhatithasgivenusinahistoricalandsocialcontext,wecanbegintorelaxintoourcraft.Wecanseethewaysthatknittingcanhelptameourthoughtsand easeourminds.Someof themost amazingpersonal benefits of handcraftcan’tbeseenorheardortouched—thetherapeuticandmeditativebenefits.While each one of us will have different experiences in practice, the act ofcraftingcanhelpusallslowdownalittle,thinkabitmoreclearly,andworkoutsomeofourvariousemotionalkinks.Perhaps the words of the great knitter Elizabeth Zimmerman say it best in

Knitting without Tears, “Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubledspirit and it doesn’t hurt the untroubled spirit either.When I say properlypracticed, I mean executed in a relaxed manner, without anxiety, strain ortension,butwithconfidence, inventiveness,pleasureandultimatepride. Ifyouhate to knit, why, bless you, don’t; follow your secret heart and take upsomethingelse.Butifyoustartoutknittingwithenjoyment,youwillprobablycontinue in this pleasant path.â€Even though it is a humble practice, knittingcanharnessenergythatenlivens,soothes,andheals.

AQuietMind:KnittingandMeditationWhen I first started knitting, it felt anything but therapeutic or relaxing. MyfingersfumbledclumsilytryingtogettwotinystickstodowhatIwanted,andforthefirstweekorso,theyneverseemedtocomply.Forthat(incrediblylong)week, Iwondered if I had embarked on thewrong activity as the swearwordsmutteredundermybreathweremorenumerousthantherowsaccumulatingonmyneedles.Muchtomysurprise,myhandseventuallytookoverfrommybrain.SuddenlyIwasn’tthinkingaboutwhatIwasdoing,myfingersseemedtobeundersomeoneelse’scontrolastheyknittedandpurledrepeatedlywithfewerrors.Itwasamomentforcelebration,althoughIwastooscaredtostopincase

Iwouldn’tknowhowtogetstartedagain.ThingsonlygotbetterafterIgotthefundamentalssortedout; Icouldneverhaveguessedatall thebenefitsandsurprisesknittingwouldlaterbring.Perhapsoneofitsmostunexpectedeffectsisitsabilitytohelpmefocusmy

thoughts and quiet my mind as I create. Somehow my daily tensions startwashingawaywiththerhythmicmovement—hopefullythisistrueforyoutoo.IfindthatIamabletofocusonthestitch,whenatmostothertimesinmylifeIfind myself constantly distracted. When I’m knitting, I can focus mythoughtsonsomethingrefreshinglysimple:woolandwood.Withmyhandsatwork,mymindandcreativityarefreetoroamandexplore.Ifindthisstateislessaboutcompletelyforgettingtheworldandmoreabout

letting all the annoyances and worries that rack up each day slink off anddisappearasImakestitchafterstitchafterstitch.Astheneedlesclick,theyarnweavesthroughmyhands,andtheitemI’mmakinggrowsbeforemyeyes,there isaprocessofcreatingandreleasing.Everythingboilsdowninmybusymind to the repetitionofmymovements,which finally allowsme to let goofwhetherornotI’vedonethelaundryorwashedthedishes.Suchmomentsof tactile respitecanhelpsetupyourmindfornewthoughts

andplansandactions,freeingyoufromfeelingtrappedbyyournever-endingto-do list. By allowing a fewmoments for yourself and your creativity, you cangive yourself a much-needed break from the chaos of daily life. This breakdoesn’t have to be a grand act—just a simple addition to your day. Forexample,IoftenhavemyknittingwithmearoundtownbecauseIfindithelpsbringcalmtomomentsofangstorworry,butitwasn’talwaysthisway.ThelasttimeIwaslookingforemploymentwasinthespringtime,andhaving

noprivacy inmyoffice, Iwent outside for interviews. Iwould sit on a quiet,grassy hill nearby for a few minutes before a prospective employer wassupposedtocallandfindmyselfstaringatmycellphone,nervouslyawaitingyetanotherinterview.Ononesuchday,Itookoutmyknittingafterafewminutesofstaringfruitlesslyatthephone.Iworkedafewrows,payingspecificattentiontomybreath.Whenthephonefinallyrang,IwasmuchcalmerthanIhadbeenfor any of my previous interviews. By accident, I discovered that instead ofwaitingforworry toaccumulate, Icouldusemyknittingasaway tofocusonmy breath at thatmoment, successfully keepingmy interview anxiety at bay.Sincethen,Ihaverarelybeenwithoutmyknitting,justincase.Muchofthemeditativequalityofknittingcomesfromitsrepetition.Thereis

safetyinrepetition;wearelikelytoknowtheendresult,sothereislittleanxietyin the process. According to Dr. Herbert Benson, who has spent his careerresearchingthemind-bodyconnection,“Benefitscancomefromaspectrum

of repetitive, mind-clearing practices that elicit the so-called relaxationresponse—from swaying in prayer to saying the rosary to knitting.†It wasBensonwhotermedthistheRelaxationResponse,whichworksontheprincipleof getting your whole body to relax. The response itself is defined as “aphysicalstateofdeeprestthatchangesthephysicalandemotionalresponsestostress(e.g.,decreasesinheartrate,bloodpressure,rateofbreathing,andmuscletension).â€Wecantaketherelaxingbenefitofknitting’srepetitivenatureabitfurther

bylookingatitasameditation.Whenweareabletosinkintothesafetyofourknittingandclearourminds,wecanturnourfocustoourbreathing,deepeningour experience. As Tara Jon Manning writes in her bookMindful Knitting,“The act of knitting is inherently built on the formation of a stitch, thecreationoffabric.Whenweknit,weplaceourattentionoverandoveragainonthenaturalrhythmofcreatingfabricfromyarn—insertneedle,wrapyarn,pullthroughanewstitch,repeat.Followingthissimplerepetitiveactionisthebasisof contemplativepractice. It continually remindsus to stay focused, to stay inthemoment.Whenweknitwiththisattention,wehaveanalmostindescribablefeelingofsatisfactionandcontentment.Thisisknittingasmeditation.â€Wecanpursuethismeditativeaspectintentionallyorsetaspecifictimetodo

aknittingmeditationduringwhichweknitasimplepattern,notworryingaboutperfection. Sit down with your knitting and strive to knit and meditate for acertain lengthof time.Once that timehas lapsed,cut theyarn,and ripout theworkyoujustdid.Thisway,thenexttimeyouwanttodoaknittingmeditation,you can knit until the yarn runs out,marking the allotted time youwanted tomeditate.Aswetrytonavigateourdailyresponsibilities,it’simportantthatwetake

the time to rest and be still. Just taking a snippet of time for ourselves,whenwe’re not running around trying to finish everything on our agendas, canactually benefit the quality of our work. In all our rushing around, we oftenforget that giving ourminds a fewminutes off can put a fresher and brighterperspective on things.The hardest part is remembering thatwedeserve a fewcalmmoments.Butwheredowefindthem?Even though I kept running around fromone thing to the next every day, I

decidedtostarttakingmyknittingwithmeeverywhereasanexperiment.Onthedayswhen I felt like I had no time tomyself, the very act of getting outmyknittingwas a reminder of the bits and bobs of quiet I did have.Whenever Ifoundmyselfwaitingortravelingonthesubway,Iwouldpulloutmyknitting.Iwouldsometimesworkhalfarow,sometimestwenty,butattheendoftheweek,Ihadmadeprogress—althoughadmittedlymoresomeweeksthanothers.And

when I thought back on how hectic my week had been, I could quantify themoments I’dhad tomyself in the progress ofmyknitting. Suddenlywhatseemed like useless bits of free time became time spent relaxed instead ofstressed. Insteadof idlydaydreamingorworryingaboutmynextdestination, Iemptiedmymindofallofitandenjoyedafewhard-earnedminutesofreprieve.The added benefit of helping ease my nerves before an interview? Anotherwonderfulsurprise!

ÂÂÂÂBryantHolsenbeck

BRYANTHOLSENBECKISANENVIRONMENTALARTISTFROMDURHAM,NORTHCAROLINA.SHEWRITESABOUTHERLIFE,HERARTWORK,ANDEVERYTHINGINBETWEENATBRYANTHOLSENBECK.COM.

SinceIwasachild,Ihavebeenmakingthings.Theprocessbeginswhen I pick up amaterial or an object that interestsme in someway.WhenIwasayounggirl,myfatherwasatextileengineer,andhis company was developing a brand of polyester calledcaprolyon—thenew“miraclefabric.â€Heoncebroughthomethisstretchy,stripedfabric,verymuchakintomodern-dayfleece.Ifeltitandstretcheditforawhile,thenIdecidedthatIwasgoingtocutsomeof itupandmakeananimaloutof it.Allweekend Icutand sewed, absorbed in the idea of what I was making and theform thatwas taking shape. In theend, I hada lumpy, elephant-lookingthingandadeepsenseofcontentment.In a way, when I make a book out of recycled paper and

corrugatedcardboard,oracrowoutofscrapsoffabric,oldzippers,andplasticgrocerybags,IamstilldoingwhatIdidwhenIwastenyears old—taking everyday materials and transforming them. Intheprocess,Igetlostinthemomentandtimeexpands.ThefeelofthematerialsIamusing,therhythmofthework(stitching,sewing,cutting, ripping, sewing, and wrapping), and a form I recognizeemerging from the chaos are the gifts I get from the process ofmaking something. This making is and has always been both ameditationandaquest.Thethingthatgetsmade—thebook, thesweater, the lumpystuffedelephant,or thecrow—is thephoenix

thatrisesfromtheprocess.Your mind shuts off—or dials down to a more comforting

rhythm.Everyoneismeditatingthesedays,whichisnotabadideaatall;weneedtoslowourselvesdownanywaywecan.But Isayweshouldalsostopandsewourbuttonson,makeapiecrust,knitasweater,makeabook,breathe,enjoythefeelofclothorwoolinour hands and on our skin. Our hands working in the rhythm ofthese actions is as peaceful and as radical an act as any that Iknow.

KnittingthroughDifficultEmotionsWhenweconsiderknittingaformofmeditation,wecanalsoseeitasaprofoundvehiclefordealingwithdifficultemotions.Ifwewant tofinishacraftproject,wehave tostickwith it,whether it’sgoingsmoothlyornot. Ifwewant towork through our difficult emotions, we must stick with those also. As theAmerican Buddhist nun Pema Chödrön suggests, sitting with ouremotions—instead of trying to brush them off—can help us work them outinsteadoflettingthemaccumulate.Chödrönwritesinherbook,ThePlacesThatScareYou,thatbystayingwithouremotions,“wedevelopaloyaltytoourexperience.â€Attimes,whenwefeellikewecan’ttakethechaosorhurtthatsurroundsus,wecansitwithourknittinglikewewouldwithmeditation.By allowing our minds to work through what we’re feeling while our

handsfollowafamiliarandcomfortingrhythm,weallowouremotionstosinkinand work their way through our bodies—from the reluctance of letting ournegativefeelingssettleandroottoacceptanceoftheoutcomeandthediscoveryof new paths we can take to make things better. Due to its soothing nature,knitting creates a safe space in which to sit comfortably, whether with ouruncomfortablethoughtswhenwe’refeelingunsure,withouranxietieswhenwe’renervous,orwithourjoywhenwe’rehappy.Inturn,notonlyarewe processing emotion, but we are producing something with our hands thatdocuments that process.Whenwe stickwith our knitting, the outcome canbeemotionallycleansingaswellasvisuallystunning.Sometimes I find that when I get stuck on one particular emotion and am

makingnoheadwayinworkingthroughit, I’mmuchbetteroffpullingoutmy knitting than seeking advice from friends and family (which I do mainlybecauseIwantsomeonetoagreewithme).Whileitmaynotbeaninstantfix,

sitting and knitting with your emotions can help stagnant thoughts move on,creatingmorespaceforpositiveideas.Beyond giving us time to think and feel, knitting allows us to stay in the

present. The idea of sitting and knittingwithmy emotionswas tested formewhenIwaslivinginEngland.Iwaslivingonasheepfarminthesoutheast,butwasvisitingafriendincentralLondonwhenIgotaphonecallfrommymothersaying that my grandfather had passed away. I felt stranded, looking atunfamiliar faces andmissingmy family. Iwalkedaround the city for awhile,trying to figure out how best to ride public transportation to my friend’sapartment.When I arrived there, I sat down on her couch and,without really thinking

aboutit,pulledoutmyknitting.Iknittedrowafterrowafterrow,internalizingmy grandfather’s death andmy sudden imminent return toAmerica.All Icoulddowascryandknitanddrinkteainnearsilencewithmyfriendnearby,only speaking up occasionally to share a memory of my grandfather. Aftermany,manyrows,Iwasbetterabletothinkabouttheplaneticketsthatneededtobebooked,howIwasgoingtogetbacktothefarmandpack,andwhereIwasgoing to find something towear to the funeral that didn’t look like I hadcomestraightoffasheeppastureinlessthanthirty-sixhours.EventhoughIwasstilldeeply saddened,by taking that timeout toprocesswhathadhappened, Iwasabletogetbackhomequicklyandwithoutincident.Inthequietnatureofknitting,arhythmformedasIallowedmybodytosoak

inmysadnessinsteadoftryingtopushmymindontootherthingsinordertoease the pain.This rhythm carriedme fromLondon to theUnitedStates, as Ikept knitting andbreathing and lettingmyemotionsgowhere theyneeded to.OnceIstoppedtryingtosteerthemandjustletmybreathandmyknittingflow,mymindcouldfinallyprocesswhatwasgoingon.In this vein, perhaps knitting’s therapeutic benefits are related to the

creation of something new.Practically everything is so readily available thesedaysthatthereisnoneedtocreateanythinginourdailylivesunlesswewantto.Insteadoftakingfromtheworld,weareaddingtoit,andthispositiveactioncanhelp us get through difficult times. In her essay, “Our FamilyHeritage: AConversation Between Two Sisters†from Women and Craft, Sue Pooleywrites,“During[mysister’s]divorce,wefoundthatwehadclosedrankswith our mother in a tight support group, offering therapy in the form of anintenseandprolongedperiodofmakingthingsforeachother.Duringtheworstthree months, it seems to us now that by contriving this close triangle andsharing our handiwork, we were instinctively coming to terms with our ownpartsinthedramathatwasgoingonaroundus.Muchtalk,ofcourse,wentonat

thesetimes,butthereseemedtobesomepowerfulrelationshipbetweenwhatwewere doing with our hands, and the healing of our emotional wounds.â€Sometimestheprocessofknittingcanbejustastherapeuticastheendproduct(ifnotmoreso).

ÂÂÂÂFelicity(Felix)Ford

FELICITY(FELIX)FORDISANARTISTANDTHECREATOROFTHEMISSABILITY

RADIOSHOW,WHICHREMINDSANDTEACHESLISTENERSTHEDIFFERENTWAYSWECANTHINKANDTALKABOUTDISABILITY.

Theideaistocreateacollectionofwalking-stickcoziesthatchallengesperceptionsaboutdisabilityandmakespositivestatementsaboutpersonalization,customizationanddignity.

—PublicitystatementfromtheMissabilityRadioShow’sKnittedWalkingStickCosyCompetition

WhenIwalkedwithagray,hospital-issuedwalkingstick,peopleoftenaskedwhatwas“wrongâ€withme.Equipmentisaninstantsymbolofimpairment.Itcanbeusefulforpeopletobeabletoseethatyouhavedifficultywalking,butontheotherhand,sometimesthatisallpeoplesee!WhenIcoveredmystickingreenfelt,peopleinsteadaskedwherethegreatstickhadcomefrom,andwetalkedaboutcraftandcreativity.Coveringmywalkingstickhadanempoweringeffect,castingmeintheroleofinnovator,inventor,andmaker.The felted cover wore thin quickly, and I began to think about

covers that could be made inexpensively and easily detached.Manypeoplegettheirequipmentonloanfromstatehealthservicesandsocannotpaint thesurfaces if theydislike them.Knittinghasfewerdisadvantages.Knittingcanbeexecutedintheroundforseamlessconstruction.

The means of making covers are also easy to share, as manypeoplecanreadandadaptknittingpatterns.Knittedcosiescanbemadeinexpensively,oftenusingaslittleas25grams(0.88ounces)ofwool.Knittedcosiesdon’thinderthefunctionalityofwalkingaids and can be designed sensibly.Most important, knitted itemscanbetailor-madetosuitanindividual’stastesandneeds.

The dignifying and affirmative potential of this last fact isenormous. Equipment ismanufactured as cheaply as possible inorder to save money. There is also a wish to neutralize theappearance of equipment as much as possible in a cost-cutting,one-size-fits-all approach. Increases in choice, color, and stylesavailable would inevitably result in greater expenses for disabledpeople,andwecannot reasonablyexpecthealth caresystems toprioritizetheprovisionofstylishequipmentovermorefundamentalconcerns (such as reducing waiting lists for operations). TheKnittedWalkingStickCosyreturnspowertoindividualswhowishtointegrate their equipment into their overall style and gives themaccess to colors,designs, textures,andmaterials thatmayneverbecommerciallyavailable.Theonlineknittingcommunityisincrediblyskilled,andIfeltthat

openinguptheWalkingStickCosycontesttoothermakerswouldgenerate a lotmore ideas and possibilities than I could come upwithonmyown.Ialsowantedtofindawayofbringingtogetherthepractical considerations inherent in both equipment design andknitting. So many conversations about living with a disability orknitting a garment revolve around problem solving and ingenuity,and I wanted to bring those worlds together; to shift questionsaboutlivingwithadisabilityawayfrommedicineandhospitalsandintoknittingcircleseverywhere.

RelieffromPhysicalPainAlthough it may seem surprising, knitting can also help us work throughphysical pain. The theory of distraction is something we may have firstencountered as children getting a vaccination at the doctor’s office. Tolessen the anxiety or perceived pain (which was often worse than the actualpain), the doctor or nurse would make a silly face or point to a cute stuffedanimal.Onceyouwereengagedwith thisnewstimulusconvenientlyplaced ineasyview,theywouldswoopinwiththeshot,andbeforeyourealizedit,itwasoverandyou’dbarelyfeltathing.Byallowingyourmindtofocusonnicerthings—likefluffystuffedanimals—insteadofthepain,itbecomespossibletoactuallyreducetheamountofpainyoufeel.Thinkitsoundslikesomethingonly

achildwouldfallfor?Afterseeingandhearingabouthowstitchingcanbebeneficialtopeoplewho

are ill, Betsan Corkhill started StitchLinks.com in 2003. This online forumprovidesasafeplace forpeoplewhostitchandhavechronicpainor illness towriteanddialogueabouttherelationshipbetweencraftandpainrelief.Betsansays,“StitchLinkswasbornbecauseIbelievedtherewas/isalarge

gap in health care that should be filled. It appears from anecdotal evidencecollected from knittersworldwide that knitting can fill this gap to provide aneffective tool to complement medical treatments and as a tool for preventivecare.Ibelievethisevenmorestronglynow.â€Accordingtothewebsite,knittingandstitchinghelpdistractindividualsfromtheirpainorconditionbycreatinganeededdistraction.Researchhasproven that“distraction isoneof themostpowerfulanalgesicsweknowofandthatbraincentersresponsibleforreleasingthebody’snaturalopioidsarestimulatedduringdistraction.â€Knittingandstitching allow for gentle concentration and diversion, giving “a personcontrolovertheircondition,whichcansignificantlychangetheiroutlookonlife.They keep the hands and mind occupied.†One of the important facets ofStitchLinks is that not only does it provide a link to information on thetherapeutic nature of stitching, but it also provides emotional support. NotesBetsan, “The psychological support they receive from other members isvitally important both for improving their knitting skills and also inmanagingtheirmedical conditions.Manywho suffer from long-termmedical conditionshave low self-esteem and low social confidence. Being able to talk to peoplewhohavehadsimilarexperiencesmakesahugedifference.â€Byprovidingthisuniqueforum,StitchLinksaidsmanymakersinlearninghowtogetmoreoutoftheirneedlework.Whetherornotsuchawebsiteisforyou,gettingabsorbedinanactivity—be

it knitting or embroidery or woodworking—just might be beneficial to yourhealth. Definitely something worth remembering the next time someonechastisesyouforbeingdistractedbyyourhandwork!While research is ongoing to prove scientifically that there is a connection

betweenpain relief and stitching,workdonebyHunterHoffmanusingvirtualreality environments with burn patients presents more information about whydistraction can help us work through pain or anxiety. Reporting onHoffman’sfindings,anarticle in theAmericanPainSocietyBulletin statesthat playing a virtual reality game can make “less attention available toprocessincomingpainsignals.Consciousattentionisrequiredfortheexperienceofpain.â€Whileknitting is far fromavirtual realitygame, it canabsorbyourattentioninmuchthesameway,especiallywhenyou’rereadingadifficult

pattern or learning a new technique. As your concentration is diverted awayfromhowyourbodyisfeelingandtowardyourproject,youhavefewerthoughtsaboutanypainordiscomfortyouareexperiencing.

Thepersonaleffectsofknittingmaynotbewhatbroughtyoutothecraftinthefirstplace,butit isdefinitelyanaddedbenefit.Whenyouareawareandopen,knittingcangiveyoutimetobemeditativeandstill,toprocessemotion,andtotake a respite from any physical pain—while you’re also producing atangible outcome. Sometimes the pace of life can be so frantic it seems likethere’sneveranappropriatetimetojustbe.Therearemomentstorushandhurry, andmoments to sit andabsorbeverything. It’s in thesemomentsofstillness,when you’re quietlyworking your craft,when you can be in themomentwithclarityandinsight.

KnittingforGoodActions

|BreathingwiththeStitch|

Ifyoufindknittingrelaxing,tryconsciouslymeditatingwhileyou’redoingit,aligningyourbreathwith the stitches. The pace of your knitting and breathing is up to you.What’simportanthereisestablishingarhythmthatallowsyoutoslowdownyourbreathandfocusmoreontheactionsofyourhands.

|StayingwithEmotion|

If youhaven’tyetusedyour knittingasaway towork throughemotionalandphysicalpain,tryturningtoit thenexttimeyouhaveastrongemotionalresponsetoasituationandneed/have time towork throughhowtobesthandle it. Ibetyou’llbesurprisedatwhatsolutionsyoucomeupwithafterjustafewrows.

Basket-weaveBabyBlanket

DesignedbyKellyWooten

Oneofthebestwaystoworkthroughemotionalupheavalistotackleaprojectthathasenoughrepetitiontohelpyoucollectyourthoughts,butnotsomuchthatyougetbored.Babyblanketsare another item frequently needed at various charities and can be a great comfort to littleones.

|FINISHEDMEASUREMENTS|

48"x48"Note:Tomakeadifferentsizeblanket,addorsubtractamultipleof14ststothenumberof

COsts.Every14stswillchangetheblanketsizeby3".

|YARN|

BrownSheepCompanySerendipityTweed(60%cotton/40%wool;210yards/100grams):5skeins#ST12WaterLilyLeaves

|NEEDLES|

One36"circularneedlesizeUS8(5mm)Changeneedlesizeifnecessarytoobtaincorrectgauge.

|NOTIONS|

2stitchmarkers

|GAUGE|

18stsand24rows=4"(10cm)inStockinettestitch(Stst)

|BOTTOMBORDER|

CO239sts.Rows1–6:Knit.Row7:K7,placemarker(M),ptolast7sts,placeM,p3,k4.

Row7:K7,placemarker(M),ptolast7sts,placeM,p3,k4.Row8:K7,slM,ktonextM,slM,p3,k4.Row9:K7,slM,ptonextM,slM,p3,k4.Row10:K4,p3,slM,ptonextM,slM,p3,k4

|BODYOFBLANKET|

Rows1and3:K7,slM,p12,k2;repfromtolaststbeforeM,p1,slM,k7.Row2:K4,p3,slM,k1,p2,k12;repfromtoM,slM,p3,k4.Row4:K4,p3,slM,ptoM,slM,p3,k4.Rows5,7,9,11,and13:K7,slM,p1,k2,p1,[k1,p1]4times,k2,p1;repfromtoM,slM,k7.Row6,8,10,12,and14:K4,p3,slM,k1p3,k1,[p1,k1]3times,p3,k1;repfromtoM,slM,p3,k4.Rows15and17:K7,slM,p1,k2,p12;repfromtoM,slM,k7.Row16:K4,p3,slM,k12,p2;repfromtolaststbeforeM,k1,slM,p3,k4.Row18:K4,p3,slM,ptoM,slM,p3,k4.Reprows1–18atotalof19timesortodesiredlength.

|TOPBORDER|

Rows1and3:K4,p3,slM,ptoM,slM,k7.Row2:K4,p3,slM,ktoM,slM,k7.Row4:K4,p3,slM,ptoM,slM,p3,k4.Row5–10:Knit.Bindoffknitwise.

©KellyWooten.Reprintedbypermission.

parttwo knittingforyourcommunity

chapterfour

usingcrafttoconnectbuildingcommunitiesthroughcommonbonds

WHENIWASACHILD,IUSEDTODREAMABOUTTHEHOUSEI’dlivein,whomI’dlivenear,andthecommunitywhereI’dchoosetolivemylifewhenIgrewup.Atthetime,adulthoodfeltlikeitwouldnevercomeandallofthosechoicesweresofaraway.Butadulthooddidcome.Andevenasanadult, the dreamworld of television had me seriously thinking that when youmovedsomewherenew,yourneighborswouldalwayswelcomeyouwithopenarms (and if you’re really lucky,with pie).Unfortunately, despitemovingmorethanthirtytimes,Ihaveneveroncebeenmetwithbakedgoods.Formanyofus, thissenseofcommunity—where theneighborsknoweach

other and welcome wagons are the norm—exists only on television. As themajority of us live our lives in neighborhoods where we don’t know ourneighbors,moreoftenthannot,wedon’twant tobotheranyoneduringthefewspareminutestheyhaveathomeorhaveanyonebotherus.Tomakeupforthelackofageographiccommunity,wefindourselvescreatingacommunityoffriendsandacquaintancesapartfromourneighborhoods—peoplefromworkorplaceswevolunteer—hopingthatitwillmakeupforthefactthatwedon’tknowthenameof theguynextdoorwhosestereo isup too loud lateatnight.But that’s not how it needs to be, because we live our lives in ourneighborhoods. Connection to the community is the first step in having apositiveeffecton thosearoundus.Beingable togreetourneighborsbynameenablesustobetterunderstandthetruemeaningof“home.â€I don’t believe it’s a matter of us not wanting to engage in our

communities; it’samatterofnotreallyknowinghowtodoit.Butchancesare you can turn one of your current interests into a vehicle that facilitates acommunityconnection—yourcommunityjustmightneedyouasmuchasyouneed it. In this chapter,we start small by connectingwith family and friends,thenpushourfocusoutwardtomeetnewpeople.

StartingaConversation:KnittingasaCommonLanguage

LanguageAlthoughIknewthatIhadgainedalotpersonallyfromknitting,Ihadnoideathatitcouldbebeneficialtomyrelationshipswithothers.I’vetaughtcraftsinthevariouscommunitiesI’velivedinandhaveseenhowknittingcanhelpstudents relate to people they don’t know. But the real extended value ofconnectingtostrangersdidn’thithomeinearnestuntilIsawhowitallowedaclosenesstodevelopinmylong-termrelationshipwitharelative,eventhoughwehadpreviouslyhadlittleincommon.My Great-aunt Gene is always at our annual family beach week and the

occasional relative-relatedweddings and funerals. Even though I like to thinkthatIcantalktoanyone,forthefirstthirtyyearsofmylife,IwasneverreallysurewhattotalkaboutwithAuntGene.Wewouldchatabouttheweather,food,howkids in the family hadgrown, butwenever quite found away to have aconversation of any real substance or depth. Itwasn’t until I happened totake out my knitting in front of her one day that we began to communicateseriously. Although I had met people and had hundreds of discussions aboutknittingwith strangers inboth theUnitedStates and theUnitedKingdom,myfirst real conversationwithAuntGenewas no doubt themost rewarding.Herfacebecameanimated,andhereyessparkledasshestartedtalkingaboutallthesweaters she knits for her twenty-odd grandchildren and great-grandchildreneachChristmasandhowshealsotaughtthenunsinherlocalparishtoknit.Havingmyknittingoutintheopenhelpedusfindsomecommonground.Our

conversationhadafirmstartingpoint—whatIwasmaking—andthenslowlymoved on to other topics. Now Aunt Gene and I talk about things besidesknitting;itjusttookascarfstillontheneedlestostartthingsoff.Thankstothepositivechangesinmyrelationshipwithmyaunt,Ihavecome

to refer to the “Aunt Gene theory†whenever I make connections withpeople inmycommunityviamycreativity.Through teaching, Iwasgiven theopportunitytoseeatransformationoccurforthedurationofeachlesson.Havingseen the dynamics of a familial relationship change over time, I began tounderstand that there are benefits to knittingwith others beyond just teachingthemsomethingnewandthensettingthemfree.Wecanhaveconversationsthatunfold just like the knitting itself. Instead of only speaking for a minute inpassing, when you are knitting with someone else, you have a chance to seewhereaconversationtakesyouwithouthavingtorush.Justasyourknittinghasa rhythm, sodo theconversationsyouengage inwhileyouwork.Theeaseofconversation prompted by craft helps us connectwith others beyond our ownracial, economic, or social backgrounds, allowing everyone involved to learn

aboutsomeonenewandfosterasenseofbelonging.WheneverIstartthinkingthatI’mnotmakinganydifference,Iremember

myveryunscientifictheoryandpresson,knowingmycommunityistobelivedin—notignoreduntilitblendsintothebackground.Oneof thebenefitsofhandmade is thatbydoingsomething likeknittingor

wearing a handmade item in public,we provide a topic for conversationwithpeople who have similar interests. I’ve been stopped on the subway by apersonwholikedmyhatandhavestruckupaconversationwithsomeonewhenI noticed that the sweater she was wearing comprised the exact same stitchpatternasasockIhadrecentlyfinished.Crafts like knitting, which are considered “different†yet culturally

familiar activities, help us facilitate conversations. Try knitting in public orlettingyourknittingneedlesstickoutofthetopofyourbagasyoutravelabouttown. Icanalmostguarantee that somesortofconversationwillpresent itself.Seehowitfeels,andthenseewhereitgoes.Thereareotherthingsyoucancarrywithyouthatcanalsoactasconversation

starters(ababyandapuppycomeinstantlytomind),butfewportableactivitiesembodyaskillthathasbeencarrieddownthroughgenerationsallovertheworldlike knitting does. It may seem a little silly, but in its own gentle way, thisseemingly simple craft can help you connect to your neighbors. It may evenshowyouawholenewpartofyourcommunitythatyoudidn’tknowexisted.

ÂÂÂÂDianeGilleland

DIANEGILLELANDPRODUCESCRAFTYPOD.COM,ABLOGANDPODCASTABOUTMAKINGSTUFF.SHEALSORUNSDIYALERT.COM,AWEBSITEABOUT

THECRAFTYCULTUREINHERHOMETOWNOFPORTLAND,OREGON.

Oneofthemostpowerfulthingsabouttheactofmaking(inmyopinion,anyway)isthewayitconnectsustoeachother.Taketwostrangers,putsomethingcraftyintheirhands,andbeforelong,they’llbechattingawaylikeoldfriends.There’ssomethingabouttherelaxedandjoyfulmentalstatewefallintowhenwemakethings—itvaultsusrightoveroursocialinhibitionsandintorealcommunication.This was what I had in mind when I started a chapter of the

ChurchofCraftinmyhometownofPortland,Oregon.Iwantedourmeetings to create a safe place where anyone could come, sitdown at a table with strangers, and make friends through a fewhoursofcrafting.Why is that important? Because our culture tends to foster

isolation. We communicate with each other via keyboards ratherthanface-to-face.Manycitiesofferpreciousfewvenueswherelike-mindedpeoplecanmeet,outsideof theworkplaceandbars.Andwhilewemaywanttomeetmorepeople, let’sfaceit,mostofusharboralittlesocialanxiety.It’salwayseasiertostayhomewithourknittingandtheTV.Andyet,there’snothinglikerealhumanconnectiontobring

us out of ourselves and our problems, and to create freshperspectiveand inspiration.Truly,weneed tomeeteachother, ifonlytoremindourselvesthatwe’renotaloneintheworld.On a more practical scale, there’s the whole idea of

“social capital,†which points out that the more people youknow, the more resources you have for exchanging skills, tools,and knowledge. In times of economic or social hardship, ourconnectionstoeachotherhaveveryconcretevalue.At our Church of Craft meetings, all this begins with a little

messing about with glue and buttons (or yarn and needles, orpaper and scissors). I’ve watched this progression time andagain:Peoplearriveatameeting,sitdownatthetable,andspendthe first half-hour or so ignoring each other. Then the craftingseems to relax everyone, and pretty soon, someone will offer a“Wow! I love that yarn you’re using,†or a “How doyougetyourpaper to fold likethat?â€Bytheendof themeeting,the whole table is talking about everything under the sun andexchanginge-mailaddresses.It’smagical.Is itworld-changing?Well, I like to think of it as a kind of viral

experience. If someonemakes good connections at a Church ofCraftmeeting,thenperhapsheorshewillbemoreopentochattingwiththatpersonatthebusstop.Orgettinginvolvedinalocalfooddrive.Or offering to carry groceries for an elderly neighbor. Realcommunityisbuiltonsmallactslikethese.

BuildingaCraftCommunityJustasfamilyrelationscanbestrengthenedbyknitting,friendshipscandeepenaswell.Bybuildingacommunityoffriends—thosepeoplewhounderstandusforwhowereallyare—wecancreateanenvironment thatgivesus thesocialsafetynet to trynew ideas.At thebestof times, thiscommunity isagroupofyour closest friends; atworst, it’s amotley crewof individualswhomakeyoufeelalittlelessaloneinaspecificgeographicarea.Ineithercase,bondsareeasily formed and tightened through the knowledge of skill or interest in ahobby.But what if you are new to the area or none of your friends share your

interest?By nomeans are you destined to be all alone because you don’tknowanybody;youjusthavetostepalittlefartheroutintoyourcommunitytogetthingshappening.Onewayofdoingsoistostartyourownknittingorcraftcircle.Historically,thenotionofacraftcirclewasquitecommon.Itwasonlynatural

thatgroupsofpeople(usuallywomen)cametogethertomeetforquiltingbeesorsewingcirclesorknittinggroups.Ofearlycraftgroups,theoristandscholarJuliaKehewnotes,“Inthecolonialperiod,spinning,weaving,knitting,andsewingwerereallyubiquitouspartsofwomen’sdailylives.Whentheywenttovisitneighbors, they took their knitting or sewing. When they sat down in theevenings,theytookuptheirknittingorsewing,orwenttotheirwheelsorlooms.So in the earliest periods of American history, the social aspect of gettingtogether with other people was really the most important thing, and thehandwork that got done at the same time was incidental.†Such gatheringsreinforcedtheideaofcommunityandallowedforthesharingoftechniquesanddiscussionsaboutpersonallivesthatdriftedinduringquietmoments.Notonlytime for sharing and gossiping, these social occasions were also times forshowingoff.Wordsofencouragementandapprovalwerepassedalongbythosewhowereworthyjudgesofskill.Whilethecommunitymemberscametogetherfor support, they were also creating a kind of not-competitive arena, notnecessarilybecausetheyweretryingtoshowoneanotherup,butbecausetheywanted to test out new ideas and combinations, see how they matched up toothers,andlearnhownewtechniquescouldfitintotheirowncraftrepertoires.As these groups were noncompetitive, tricks that were admired were often

shared,thusallowingtheskillcircletogrowasthosetipswerepassedalongtostillothersoutsideofornewtothegroup.Intimeswhenwomentendednottowork outside the home (such as the early half of the twentieth century), theirneedleworkgavethemasenseofprideandaccomplishment.Unliketraditional

workplaceswhereitwasalwaysbettertobeonestepaheadofthecompetition,women’sskillsetsimprovedthroughsharingandnotbeinglimitedbytheirskill level or breadth of knowledge. When there were few opportunities forwomen to show off their skills, having a place where their needlework waspraised, as well as having the chance to share their knowledge, gave themsatisfaction and helped them develop self-worth. Craft circles were alsoespeciallyhelpfulintimeswhenwomenwerestillresponsibleforkeepingtheirlovedoneswarm.Today, after yearsof fighting for gender independence and trying to escape

from the kitchen, the knitting group is making a valiant return. Some groupsmeetpublicly,someprivately,someabitofboth.Butthemostimportantthingabouttheknittingcircleisthatwomen(alongwithsomeneedle-savvymen)aremeeting.DebbieStoller’s2003book,Stitch’nBitch,notesthat“thepercentage of women under forty-five who knit or crochet has doubled since1996.†Stoller’s book broughtmore public attention to both knitting andknitting circles, and after its publication, meetings were held with evenmorefrequencyinknitters’homes,atuniversities, incafés, inbookstores,andinbarsincountlesstownsandcitiesacrossthecountry.In her research on gender and feminism, sociologist Alison Better writes,

“Perhaps this is our generation’s answer to the consciousness raisinggroups of 1970s feminism. Knitting groups, like other groups of like-mindedwomen assembled in shared joys or struggles, provide members with socialopportunities,aswellasopportunitiestorelax,network,andshareknowledge.â€After high school or college, the opportunity to socialize with a group of

women without the presence of a menu or a significant (nonknitting) otheroccurs lessand less frequentlyas theworkday lengthens. I startedmyknittinggroupbysendingoutane-mailtoanyoneIknewwhomightwanttoparticipateandthenheldacookoutatmyhousetogaugepeople’sinterestoverveggieburgers.Itwentoversowell thatwhenIsuggestedwemeeteverytwoweeks,the group quickly decided that meeting every week would be better! It wasamazing to discover how much we all craved such gatherings—and had foryears—but thoughtwewere alone in those cravings. Better also notes, “Ithinktoday,forwomenwhohavecomeofagewithfeminism,thatthedomesticis being reclaimed in subversive ways. Women (and others) today are notengaging with crafts out of necessity (few are knitting to keep their familieswarm), they are finding joy and relaxation in shared time with friends.â€Thankfullycrafthasprovideduswithanexcusetospendsomequalitytimewithour friends where we can be open, honest, and relaxed and simultaneouslylearningnewthings.

When the days get hectic, there is comfort in knowing that once aweekormonth, there is a specific time cut out solely formaking somethingwithyourhands.Not time formendingor darningor fixing life’s rips and tears, buttime just for creating something new with other people. Though the culturalclimatehaschangedalotoverthedecades,thecompanionship,skillsharing,andcommunitygainedfromcraftingwithlike-mindedpeopleisstillimportant.

ÂÂÂÂSusanBeal

SUSANBEALISAWRITERANDCRAFTERINPORTLAND,OREGON,ANDTHE

AUTHOROFBEADSIMPLE.SHEALSOCOWROTESUPERCRAFTY,ANDKEEPSADAILYCRAFTBLOGATWESTCOASTCRAFTY.COM.

A fewyearsago, I started volunteering to teachart at aPortlandalternative school after the school system cut all art and musicclassesoutofthebudgetforgradesKthrough8.Figuringouthowbesttostretchmy$30budget(andtheunpredictableandrandomassortmentofdonatedartsuppliesthatwasupforgrabs)overanentire semester was quite a challenge, but teaching my fifthgraderseachweekwassorewarding.Ilovedmyownchildhoodartclassessomuchthatvolunteeringfelt likethemostnaturalwaytogivebacksomeofmycreativeenergy.Now,withworkandfamilycommitmentskeepingmebusierand

busier, I’m sad to say that I don’t have asmuch time todedicate tocraftivism that takesmeoutofmystudio.So I’vestarted organizing small fund-raisers for causes I believein—lately,sellingmyhandmade jewelry in limitededitionsonline,and dedicating the money to organizations like PlannedParenthoodorUnitedforPeaceandJustice. Ialso lovetodonatemyworktoonlineorlocalbenefitsthatotherpeopleorganize,andIpostaboutanyandallcreativefund-raisersIwanttosupportonmycraftblog,WestCoastCrafty,tohelpspreadtheword.I’m constantly inspired by my friends, like Faythe Levine,

whoraisesmoneyforherHandmadeNationdocumentarythroughanEtsyshop;JenniferMcMullen,whodonatesapercentageofhersales inherDishyDudsshoptoreliefefforts inDarfur;andCathy

PittersofBossaNovaBaby,whotirelesslyvolunteerstohelpwithart events and classes at her son’s elementary school. Somany creative people are so very generous with their time andtalents—the craft community is truly remarkable, and I feel veryluckytobepartofit.

GatheringOthersinYourCommunityAll this talk of gathering friends is great, but if none of your friends areinterested, it’s worth trying to find a group of other knitters. If you livesomewhereruralthatdoesn’treallyhaveacentrallocus,tryputtingflyersupatwork,yourchurch,oryourcommunitycenter saying thatyouwould like tostart a knitting group. If you are likely to get responses from people youdon’tknowpersonally,youcanalwaysplantomeetupinacoffeeshoporbookstore.Ifyou live inanactive townorcity (largeorsmall, itdoesn’tmatter), I

suggestgettingmorepersonal.Telleveryoneyouknowthatyou’relookingforpeopletoknitwith.Sendane-mailtoyourlocalfriends,andpassthewordtocoworkersandneighborsandanyoneelseyouknow.Askthemtopassitontopeople they thinkmightbe interested.Chancesarehigh thatyouwilldiscoversome people already in your life who knit in secret, as well as some youdon’tknowandneverwouldhavepeggedasknitters. Inotherwords, stoptelling yourself that no onewill be interested in setting up some sort of craftgroup. Asking around and seeing who responds is part of themagic—discovering people with similar tastes outside of your usual socialcircle. In expandingbeyond the “usual suspects,â€youmight bepleasantlysurprisedatjustwhoyoumeet.Another method of starting up a group is through direct action—taking a

portableknittingprojectwithyouasyougothroughoutyourday.Notonlywillmomentscropupwhereyou’reunexpectedlyboredandwaiting(sopullingoutyourknittingcanhelpyoucenterinsteadofbecomingimpatient),butpeoplewillcropup too.Often, thepeoplewhocommentonyourknittingareknittersthemselves,or theyknowaknitterandhave tipsabout localknittingresourcesand knitting groups. You may also get a story or two about people’smemories of knitting. Over the years, I’ve listened to countless stories ofsomeonelearningtoknitasachildorwatchingarelativeknititemsforwear.Inever get tired of hearing them. At first it may seem bizarre, but in reality

it’sdoingwhatpeoplehavedoneforcenturies,allowingyoutogettoknowindividualsinyourcommunityinsteadofwallingyourselfoff.Iftheseoptionsseemdaunting,thereisalwaystheInternet.Trydoingasearch

for “knitting†or “knitting group†and the name of your town orcommunity.

TakingYourKnittingtotheStreetsJustasmanyofusfeeldisconnectedfromthepeopleinourcommunity,wecanalsofeeldisconnectedfromourphysicalsurroundings.Getacquaintedwithyourenvironment by practicing random acts of crafting. Personalize yourneighborhood, and in turn, find a way to better engage with your neighbors.While the streets of your town might look a little boring, groups likeKnitta—whichstartedinHouston,Texas—showthatthereare(legal!)waysofmakingthingsalittlemorebeautiful.Started by two women with small children who never had time to knit

anythingbig,Knittagussiedupitstownbyknittingcoziesforlightposts,streetsigns,andcarantennae.Bybringingcrafttothestreetsweseeeveryday,wecanremindourselvesthatourcommunitiesareourown,andtheydon’thavetobe one long stretch of metal, concrete, and wood. We can individualize andsoftenthestreetswetraverseandexpandthenotionof“home.â€Weshouldbecomfortableandcozy inourowncommunities,becauseafterall, theyexistbecauseofourverypresencewithinthem.Andifthere’sonethingalmostallcitiescanuse,it’salittlebitoftenderlovingcare.While I have never knitted a cozy for a streetlight, I have participated in

various acts of public knitting. My first experience was with the Cast OffKnittingClubinthefallof2003.IhadjustmovedtoLondon,andbysheerluck,thecraftresurgencewasjustbeginningtoblowupinBritain.Thisgroup,startedby RachaelMatthews and Amy Plant, organized meetings and lessons in theunlikeliestofplaces,causingpeopletorethinkthelimitsofcraftbymakingthemthinkaboutcraftinthefirstplace.Whiletheyhadstartedtheclubseveralyearspreviously to promote the joys and pleasures of knitting, the enormous publicresponse allowed them to take knitting to places and people they hadn’timagined. They knitted in clubs, bars, subways, festivals, and parks. In thespring of 2004, Cast Off organized Craft Rocks! at the Victoria & AlbertMuseuminLondon,successfullymanagingtodragoutseveralthousandpeopletotryabitofknittinginpublic.Oneofthebenefitsofsocialengagementisthatyouknockpeopleoutoftheir

routine andmake them notice things they would normally overlook. You getthemtostopandsay,“I’veneverseen thatbefore,†insteadof lookingdownattheirfeetastheynormallydo.Whenyouseealightpolewithaknittedband of bright colors around it, you notice the pole itself instead of letting itblendintothebackground.Ourdailyactivitiescanbecomesobanalthatwegoon autopilot, but public acts of crafting can add a little prettiness to oursurroundingsandspotlightthingsweusuallymiss.Bymaking our surroundings a littlemore beautiful,we claim responsibility

for our environment.KatieAabergoffers a perfect example of individualizingpublicspaces.TomakehercommunityinOregonmorepersonableandinviting,Aaberg started creating tiny paintings on cardboard and taping them to streetsignsinherneighborhood.Shebelievesthat“itisuptopeople,especiallyinanurbanenvironment,totakestepstobeautifytheirsurroundings.Ilovetakingwalks and seeing people’s interesting front yards or how they’vedecorated theirhouses.Butotherareasneedbeautificationaswell.â€Differentcities have different personalities and ticks. “Coming from an extremelyurban environment (Oakland, California) that was visually cluttered byadvertising everywhere I looked, I was always grateful when some artist hadtaken the time/money/energy tomakesomething interesting to lookatand justleftitthereforotherstoenjoy.There’salsoagreatpowerinanonymousartdrops: they could be done by anyone, and you don’t know who did it.You’relefttowonder,whodidthis?â€Themostimportantthingistodonoharmwhileengaginginyourcommunity.

Enjoy it.Make it yours.Make it a prettier place to work and play and love.Citiesandtownsandvillagesareorganismsinthemselves—theyhaveapulse,andlikeus,sometimestheyjustneedalittleextraattention.

DefiningYourCommunityWhenYou’reAlwaysontheMove

Someofus,duetocircumstanceorchoice,arealwaysonthemove.Wegofromplace to place to place, and we are experts at packing quickly and fittingeverything in the car. But what does that mean to our sense of community?Whereis it?Ifyouaresomeonewhomovesa lot,nowis the timetositdownandconsiderhowtheconceptofcommunityappliestoyoursituation.Thinkofyourcommunityonalargerscale.Findsomethingthatenergizesyou

that you can share.Work toward using that gift for the greater good,whetheryour community is your block or the whole planet. I move so often that

sometimes there are long stretches where my geographic community is littlemorethanaplacewhereIrestmyheadforafewmonths.Thosearethetimeswhen I make items for a cause I believe in and center myself in the globalcommunity.They are also the timeswhen I remindmyself that even though Imay think I am without community, I never am. You might find yourselfmoving,but thatdoesn’tmeanyouneed to lose touchwith thepeopleandworldaroundyou.Ifyou’re transient,dowhatyoucanwhileyou’re inoneplace,even

thoughyoumaynotbeabletocommittoweeklyshiftssomewhereorscheduleanythingtoofarinthefuture.ItwasinmytransientyearsthatIlearnedhowthefluidityofcommunityhasbeenredefinedbytheInternet.Withtheeaseofonlinecommunicationallowingmetokeepupwithfriendsandcauses,Irealizedthateven though I had resisted it, I had been collecting a new sort of communityevenasImoved.Ihadamassedfriendswhowerevolunteeringanddoinggoodfor others both locally and globally, all of which served to enhance mycommitmenttoworktowardamorepositiveplanet.Ifinallyrealizedthatallmytravelingandlearninghadtaughtmethatcitywallsareasfluidaswechoosetomake them. We can work to make things better in our own backyard or inanothercountry.Do I think that getting involved in your local community is important and

vital?Yesandyes.There isnothinglikeshowinguptovolunteeratananimaladoption center and meeting people who share your interests. It’s likerediscovering where you live each time, without having to move; it’srecreatingthatwishandcravingIhadfornewexperienceswhenIkeptmoving.But I also think there are alternativeways to view your community.You canhelppeoplewhoaren’thighlyvisible.Youcanhelpthosewhohaveenduredthesameunfortunatelifeeventsyouhave.Youcanhelpjustbecause.Whetherit’syourblock,yourtown,oranothercontinent,yourcommunity

iswhereyoufindcommunionandwhereyoufeelathome.Itjustmaytakeyousometimetofigureoutwhat itsboundariesare.Asmycommunityboundariesextend across international borders, I am more convinced than ever thatengagingwithcommunity(especiallyinacreativecapacity)benefitsusallandisactivisminitspurestform.

Nomatter howwe go about it—whetherwe choose tomeetwith family andfriendsor toputoutacall toseewho’sinterested—publiccraftingletsusconnecttoourcommunityand,mostimportant,letsusgrow.Andnomatterhowwedefineourcommunity,wecanbetterconnectwithitbyfurtherexploringourcreativity.Thisconnectioncanbegrounding.

KnittingforGoodActions

|TakeThatKnittingPublic|

Knitsomewhereinpublic.It’snowherenearasdauntingaseatingatatableforone,soyou’reboundtoconquerthis!Knitinnearbyparksorcafésoronpublictransportation.Takeyourknittingwithyoutolecturesorifyou’regoingtobewaitinginlineatthepostoffice.Theideahereistojustgetoutandaboutinyourowncommunity.

|CozyUpYourCommunity|

Want to gussy something up, but don’t knowhow?Try followingKnitta’sexampleandgoafterplacesinyourcity.Findtreebranchesyoucantagorsignpoststhatneedsomecheeringup. Is thereanabandonedcaronyourstreet that’saneyesore? Itmight justneedalittlecreativeattention.Thebestwaytogetideasisbydrivingaroundandnoticingthelackofcolorinoneareaoranother.Remember,ourcitiesareourown.

Little’n’LargeCushionCover

DesignedbyAneetaPatel

Knowanyonewhoisbedriddenorhouseboundandmightneedsomecheeringup?Sometimespeopleinhospitalsorretirementhomesneedalittlecomfortinthosedrearybeds.Whatbetterwaytolivenuparoomthanabright,softpillow?ThisversatilepatternfromAneetaPatelisknittedwithabasket-weavestitchpatternandcan

beusedtomakeachunkycushionorascentedknitpillowforyourlinencloset.Youusethesamepattern,justdifferentyarn,needles,andfilling,dependingonwhetheryou’remakingthelargeorsmallversion.

|FINISHEDMEASUREMENTS|

LargeCushion:12"x12"SmallPillow:4"x4"

|YARN|

LargeCushion:RowanBigWool(100%merinowool;87yards/100grams):2skeinsSmallPillow:AnyDK-weightyarn(50grams)

|NEEDLES|

LargeCushion:OnepairstraightneedlessizeUS17(12mm)SmallPillow:OnepairstraightneedlessizeUS6(4mm)Changeneedlesizeifnecessarytoobtaincorrectgauge.

|NOTIONS|

LargeCushion:Threelargebuttons11/2"indiameter,yarnneedle,cushionpad2–4"largerthanthefinishedcushioncoversothattheknittingstretchestightlyoverthepad.(Thiswillshowoffthebasket-weavetoitsbestadvantage.)SmallScentedPillow:Threesmallbuttons11/2"indiameter,driedlavenderorpotpourri,anoldpairoftightsorsocks,yarnneedle

|GAUGE|

LargeCushion:8stsand12rows=4"(10cm)inpatternstitchSmallPillow:22stsand30rows=4"(10cm)inpatternstitch

|LARGECUSHIONANDSMALLPILLOW|

CO24sts.Rows1–5:K4,p4;repfrom.

Rows6–10:P4,k4;repfrom.Reprows1–10atotalof6timesortodesiredlength.Nextrow,buttonholerow:K4,[yo,k2tog,k5]twice,yo,k2tog,k4.

K1row.Bindoffknitwise.Weaveinends.

|FINISHING|

Withwrongsidefacingup,foldpieceatfoldlines(seechart)withtheshortendsinthemiddle.Sew side seams with back stitch. Turn piece right side out. Sew on 3 buttons oppositebuttonholes.

LargeCushion:Insertcushionpadintocover,pullingtightonthebuttonstoclose.SmallPillow:Cutthefootoffanoldpairoftightsandfillitwithpotpourriordriedlavender

andsewclosed.Usethistostuffpillow.

Reprinted from:KnittyGritty:For theAbsoluteBeginner,©AneetaPatel.PublishedbyA&CBlackin2008.Reprintedbypermission.

chapterfive

reachingouttoorganizations

SO NOW YOU KNOW WHY YOU SHOULD CONNECT WITH yourcommunity,butdoyouknowhow?Tryingtobalancehome,work,family,andfriends can make things difficult to say the least. But it’s in moments ofteachingandlearningthatwegrowandlearnandpassonourownenergy.Thispositivesymbioticrelationshipalsohelpstostrengthenoursocietalandfamilialties.Aswediscussedinthelastchapter,lookingatcreativityasawaytoconnectwithpeoplecanallowustoshedlightonpartsofourenvironmentthatwemayneverhaveseenbeforeorhaveoverlooked.Knowingaskill, suchasknitting,providesuswithawonderful tool tohelp

the peoplewe don’t know in our communities. By volunteering our time,knowledge,andattentiontothosewhoneedit,we’redoingaservicetoourneighborhoodandourselves.Althoughthefollowingexamplesarejustthetipofthe iceberg,youcanuse themasastartingpoint fordecidingwhereyou’dliketohelp.

Knittin’withtheKidsForyearsafterIgraduatedfromcollege,Ilaboredunderthemistakenbeliefthat,inmodernparlance,Iwas“downwiththekids.â€AsIgetolder,Irealizethatwith each year I age, the further I get from being able to relate to them on acultural level. I’m convinced that everyone must go through that rite ofpassage when they find themselves singing loudly and off-key to an anthemfrom their youth only to turn around and have someone much younger ask,“Whatisthat?â€Afterseveralmisguidedattemptsat tryingtoconnectwithyoungerpeople,I

triedwhat Ihad triedmany timesbefore, Ipulledoutmyknitting. It turnsoutthattheopportunitytocreatesomethingwithreallylongstringandpointythingsismuchmoreenticingtochildrenthanimpromptulessonsonseeminglyarcanemusic.Idiscoveredthatifyouhavetheopportunitytoteachachildtoknit,youhaveunearthedaseriouscreativegoldmine.Whenchildrenstartworkingthose

needles,there’snotellingwhatwillcomeoutofit.Lestyouthinkgivingyoungchildrensemipointyneedlesandaskeinofyarn

isanaccidentwaitingtohappen,studentswhogotoWaldorfschoolslearnhowtoknitaspartoftheirfirst-gradecurriculum.Knittingisbelievedtoaidhand-eyecoordination andkeeping trackof stitchpatternsmakes counting an action, sotheselittleonesareencouragedtofollowtheircreativityfromaveryyoungage.Ihavelearnedthroughtrialanderror,sowhenIteachknitting,Inowknowto

start out by likening the knitting needles to chopsticks, leading the childrentoward the notion that these tiny stickswill be put to use for a specific task.Afterthegeneralhandpositionshavebeenreviewedandtheknitstitchhasbeentaught,Ileavethelittleknitters-in-trainingontheirownforawhile;theyalwayspickupthecraftatanastronomicallyfasterratethanadults.Themomentwhentheyrealizethey’remakingsomethingrealandtangible,aswellasthattheycanmakewhatevertheywant,isanepiphany.Theircreativeforceisunleashed,andwithout fearof judgmentor failure, theycreate just tocreate.There isno“rightwayâ€thatsomethingshouldlookoncechildrenhaveavisionintheirheads of what they’re creating, it’s just wrapping and looping andwatchingtheircreationsgrow.Whereasadultstendtothinkaheadofthemselves,childrenthinkaboutwhattheycanmakeatthatverymomentandhowtheycanmanipulate theyarndifferently tocreatenewstitchesfromtheone they’vejustlearned.Inotherwords,theyfeelfreetogocompletelyoffthemap.ThroughtheyearsI’vetaughtnumerouschildrentoknit,eveninthemost

unusualofplaces.AllthescenariostendtobesimilartothedayItaughtachilichampion’sdaughtertoknitintheNorthCarolinaheat.MyfriendBarbara,whoisalwayscraftyin thecleverestofways,hadaskedmetoaccompanyher(and her pineapple chicken chili) to a local chili cook-off. I was entirely toocurioustosayno.Afterawhile,Ipulledoutmyknittingandsoonnoticedagirlofaroundnineorteninchingawayfromherdad,thechilichampion,andclosermywaytoseewhatIwasdoing.Iasked,“Doyouknowhowtoknit?â€towhichsheanswered,“No.â€WhenIaskedwhethershewouldliketolearn,she responded adamantly, “I can’tdo that. It looks too hard.â€When Ipulled out an extra skein and needles from my bag, she couldn’t resist.Within no time, we were off; she picked up the knit stitch in less than fiveminutes.Whenitwastimeforthechilicook-offresults,shestoppedknitting,Icast off her work, and she ran over to her dad’s tent. Beaming, she said,“LookwhatImade!â€Thebrillianceofhersmilemadethechiliseemblandincomparison.Teaching a child to knit is just a small way to pass along the tradition of

knittingandtosharethatcreativesparkweallcherish.Sometimesitjusttakesa

littleenergyandpassiontolightsomefires.I’malwaysexcitedwhenIgetthechancetoworkwithkidsbecauseIknowIcandanceandsingandplayandcreate. I also know that I’mmaking a positive difference when I see thesmilesontheirfacesasweknitandlearntogether.By existing in the moment, sitting down with yarn and needles in hand,

unconcernedaboutwhat’sforsupperoriftheelectricitybillhasbeenpaid,thesechildrenbecomepetiteremindersofhowfindingthe“nowâ€canhelpus to createwithout a pattern, to plunge inwith justwith our knowledge andimagination as resources. We can use this same energy when we work withothers in our community besides kids, taking note of our experiences withyoungerpupilsandapplyingthatknowledgeaccordingly.Theimportantpartofinvesting someofyour creative skills inyour community is that not onlywillothers get the chance to learn something new, but youwill learn and grow aswell.

ÂÂÂÂKariFalkTHINKKIDSDON’TBELIEVEKNITTINGISCOOL?KARIFALKTEACHESAFIBERSCLASSFORMIDDLESCHOOLSTUDENTS.

I teach a fibers/weaving class for eighth graders, and there havebeenasmanyboysasgirls (orperhapsmore) taking theclass. Ihaveevenbeen told that oneof theseboyshas taken to knittingwhilehisscienceteachertalkstotheclass.HestillisanAstudent,soshedoesn’tseemtomind.Ialsohavehadstudentsgettheirfamilymembersinvolvedinknitting.Iknowthatanumberofmystudentsinthepasthavefoundthat

art is anacceptableway toexpress themselves tootherswithoutfearofrejection.Teachingseventhandeighthgraderscanbehard,and it is usually difficult for them to see what is really good forthem.AtleastwhenitcomesfromwhatIamteachingthem,manykidstellmethattheydidn’trealizehowmuchtheylearneduntiltheyhavemovedtothenextlevel!Iusuallyteachthestudentsthebasicsofknittingandencouragethemtogofurther.

KnittingwiththeElderly

KnittingwiththeElderlySincemanywomennowintheirseventiesandbeyondlearnedtoknitatayoungage, they can be unique knitting companions within your community.Volunteering toknitwithsomeone ina retirementhomewhodoesn’thavemanyvisitorsmaygiveyouachancetoseewhatknittingislikewithapersonoutsideofyourusualcirclewhilesimultaneouslymakingthatperson’sday.Bycombiningcompanionshipandskillsharinginoneactivity,thereisamutualbenefit to knittingwhile you volunteer, resulting in a simultaneous zap to thecreativityofeveryoneinvolved.Much of my current work owes a great debt to the women of previous

generations.Learningcraftshastaughtmemoreabouthowwomenclothedandwarmedtheirfamiliesforhundredsofyears,hasallowedmetogetclosertomyolderfemalerelatives,andhas increasedmyrespectandappreciationfor thosewhocamebeforeme.Manyofthemhavesomuchtoteachus,butwetakeanddon’t thinkofgivingback.Sometimes just spendingyour time listening topeople talk can do untold wonders, especially when they may not have hadanyonetotalktoforquiteawhile.Ifyoucan’tengagewithanyelderlyrelativesorneighbors,seeifthereare

any senior centers, retirementhomes,orhospitals inyour area thatwould likevolunteerstospendtimewiththeelderlyintheirfacilities.Realizinghowlittleeffortitcantaketomakepeoplelightupisasheartbreakingasitisinspiring,butthatonlymeansthatwhatyou’redoingisverygreatindeed.

MakingtheInvisibleVisibleOnthefringesofourcommunitiesarethosepeoplewedon’tseebydesign:the incarcerated, the homeless, the hungry, the mentally ill, even homelessanimals.Whilethesegroupsareperhapsfurthestfromourconsciousness,aswellas our everydaydealings, they are the oneswho canperhaps use our help themost.Helping the invisiblemembersofoursocietyengage incraftbrings themto

ourattention.Insteadofbeingtuckedaway,theircrafteditemssaythatcreativityisn’tlimitedandthatpeoplewhoarehomeless,forgotten,orinprisonhaveideasandconcerns just like the restofus.Theycannotonly learnnew things,buttheycanmakeprettythingstoboot.

Prisoners

One thing that people inprisonhave is loadsof time, and as anyonewhohas

everknittedanythinglargerthanahatcantellyou,knittingtakestime.Prisonersmayseemlikeanoddthirdchoiceafterchildrenandtheelderly.However,therearemanyexamplesofthegoodprisonersaredoingwithcraftastheypaytheirrespectivedebtstosociety.Oneprogramthatbelievesprisonerscanbenefit fromlearninganewskill is

England’s Fine Cell Work, an organization that teaches needlework toinmates.Theparticipants in thisprogrambenefit innumerousways: theylearnsomethingnew,whichbringsasenseofpride;theirpiecesaresold,whichbringsthem a source of income; and in perfecting their needlework and embroidery,theyacquireaskilltheycanuseoncetheyreturntotheoutsideworld.Thejuxtapositionofgrittyprisonlifewithprettyembroideredpillowsseemsa

bit unlikely at first, but in a world where every day can seem the same, theabilitytowatchapieceofneedleworkgrowcanbeawelcomeaccomplishment.Andbeingabletousetheirenergyinapositiveandcreativedirectioncanhelpprisonersgainasenseofprideinwhatthey’relearningandmaking.Hardened inmates don’t seem like individuals who would dare find

themselvessittingdowntoneedlepointapilloworknitahatforaninfant.ButIbelievethisviewcomesmorefromourownstereotypesthananythingelse.Weperceive inmates as people who would be unable to sit down and createsomethingworthyofbeingcalledbeautiful.Butjustasnoteveryonewhoknitsishumbleandsweet,noteveryoneintheprisonsystemishardandgruff.Theseareboth constructs that we’ve created to make the order of life easier tounderstand.Inmates,asmuchasanyoneelse,canbenefitfromcraft.

ÂÂÂÂHeatherCameronHEATHERCAMERONISANARTTHERAPISTANDARTISTLIVINGIN

VANCOUVER,CANADA.ONHERWEBSITE,TRUESTITCHES.BLOGSPOT.COM,

SHEWRITESABOUTCRAFTANDCOMMUNITY.

Ihavealwaysmadethings.Upuntil fairlyrecently,however,Ihadonly knitted, embroidered, or spun yarn on my own. I knew thepleasure and satisfaction that came fromcreating somethingwithmyownhands,hadexperiencedthedeep,peacefulcalmofgentle,repetitivemovements.In2002,Ibegantrainingasanarttherapist,whichledmeoutof

the solitudeof the studio towardamoreengagedsocial practice.

Withclients,Isawoverandoverhowcreativeworkishealingandlifeaffirming,helpingpeopleofdifferentagesandbackgrounds tobecome happier and build better relationships with their familiesandcommunities.My current work with Swap-O-Rama-Rama (a community

clothingswapandDIYwardrobe refashioningevent) feels likearttherapyonabroaderlevel.Peoplewhoattendtheseeventscomeout with more than just some new clothes. They learn skills likesewing and knitting and needle felting; find resourceswithin theirneighborhoods;makenewfriends;andmost important,stepawayfrombeingpassiveconsumersandmovetowardbeingcreators!Another project—the East Van Revolutionary Knitting Front,

modeled after Grant Neufeld’s Revolutionary KnittingCircle—was founded after a local school board trustee made amedia splash when she appeared on the cover of the NationalFirearms Journal with her Colt .45 handgun. Shewas quoted assaying, “Some people knit. I like to shoot guns.†She alsoadvocatedthatwomenshouldbeabletocarryconcealedweaponsforsafetyreasons.NowIdon’tbelievethatcarryingagunmakesanyonesafer.

But I do know that knitting in public can start conversations andprompt smiles from strangers. I even once had a woman sittingnexttomeonthetraingivemeakissonthecheek,sayingitmadeherhappytoseemeknitting.TheEastVanRevolutionaryKnittingFrontisintendedtoprovide

arelaxed,supportiveplacetomeetandshareskills,withaspecialinvitation to community activists whomay need to recharge theirbatteriesandconnectwitheachotherinformally.Wealsoinstigatepublicknittingactionsasopportunitiespresentthemselves.

Survivors

Ofcourse,thereareothergroupsinyourcommunitythatyoucanworkwithtoo.Onethatmaynotbeobviousissurvivors.Thetermsurvivorscanbeappliedtoagiant range of things from refugees to victims of domestic violence to cancersurvivors,andgroupsthatcatertotheseindividualsarepresent,thoughoftennotreadily visible, in every community. Get involved by donating an item for a

charityraffle,with theproceedsbenefitingaspecificcause,orbyorganizingadrive for handmade items. Just start fighting for what you want to changethroughpositiveactions.

HomelessAnimals

Whileyoucan’tteachcatstoknitorcrochet,youcangivetheanimalsatthelocalpoundamorepleasantenvironmentbyknittingblanketsforthemtolieonwhile they’re waiting to be adopted. They can benefit from the tactilestimulation,andsinceanimalsareoftenconsideredpartof thefamily,whynotpartofthecommunitytoo?

Manydifferentgroupsofpeopleareunfortunatelysweptawayfrom thehustleandbustleofthenine-to-fiveworldandkeptentirelyseparate.Ifworkingwiththese overlooked individuals seems like something you might enjoy, trycontactingyourlocalvolunteeringofficeordoinganonlinesearchforcharitablegroups in your area. Sometimes just spending a little time acknowledgingsomeone’s abilities, humanity, and goodness canmake a bigger differencethan you may ever know. And when handcrafts are involved, your kindnessextendsbothinwardandoutward—inshort,everybodywins.

CommunityActivismAiding others in your community in whatever way you choose is a form ofactivism. It speaks to things you’d like to change by helping to eitherpromote a causeor improve anegative situation—akindofpositive activismunlike thecommon imageof fist-wavingprotesters.Activismcanbequietandhappy and joyful; it can fight without anger; and it can benefit everyoneinvolved.Whenyoulookatcraftonacommunitylevel,itreallycanbegintochipaway

theveilthatexistsbetweenyouandyourenvironment.Bytakinginterestinyourlocalcommunity,youhelpyourself,yourneighbors, thekidsacross town,andthe town itself grow.Howyou choose to engagewith others depends onyou,sincethereisundoubtedlysomesortofcause,sport,skill,orhobbythatinterestsyouandcanbeeitherpracticed,improved,ortaught.Sometimesit’snotsoeasytogetoffthecouch,butasweallknow,thehardestpartisjuststandingup.Onceyou’reonyourfeet?Pieceofcake.Themost important thing is to help foster community interaction, however

small,whetherthatmeansknittingwiththeelderlyinanursinghomeorleaving

a scarf on a park bench with a note that says, “Takeme home.†It’saboutmaking your community truly yours and bringing love and thought intoyourdailysurroundings.

KnittingforGoodActions

|ConnectwithaCause|

Makealistofcausesyoucareforgreatly.What’smostimportant?Thinkabouttherangeofgroupsthatmayneedyourhelp.Chancesare,whateveryourinterest,there’sagroup.Notsurewhatcausesyoucareabout?Trythinkingaboutwhatstoriesyougravitatetowardwhenyoupickupthenewspaper.Weautomaticallytendtoreadfirstaboutwhatweidentifywith,sothisisdefinitelyagoodstartingpoint.Althoughyourlistmayseemunwieldyatfirst,onceyou’vegotteneverythingdownonpaper,trywhittlingitdowntoacoupleofcausesthatyouconsiderimperative.Youcanalwaysexpandyourlistorinvolvementlater.

|BabyStepstoGettingInvolved|

Once you’ve identified a cause you’d like to support, use the Internet, the phonebook, or your ownsocial circle to findanorganizationor group in your community.Checktheirwebsitestoseeifthereisalistofneededitemsfordonation.Callandaskhowyoucanvolunteeryour time.Beaware thatyoumayhavean ideaorsuggestionabouthowtohelpthat they haven’t thought of. Actually taking a step toward involvement can help yourealizethatthehardestpartisgettingstarted.Concreteactiontakesyouonestepawayfromthoughtandclosertoinvolvement.

DogBasket/Blanket

DesignedbyNaomiJohnstone

Dogsneedalittleextracoziness,too.ThisroundbedofferscomfortandasenseofsafetyforanimalswhoneedalittleTLC.

|FINISHEDMEASUREMENTS|

30"diameterand4"high

|YARN|

SirdarCountryStyle(45%acrylic/40%nylon/15%wool;348yards/100grams):4balls#0502GeminiTweed|NEEDLES|One36"orlongercircularneedlesizeUS5(3.75mm)Onesetdoublepointedneedles(dpns)sizeUS5(3.75mm)Changeneedlesizeifnecessarytoobtaincorrectgauge.

|NOTIONS|

Stitchmarkers,iron-oninterfacinginastripapproximately4"x21/2yards,battinginastripapproximately4"x21/2yards|GAUGE|20stsand28rows=4"(10cm)inStockinettestitch(Stst)|CABLEPATTERN|C4B:Sl2ststodpn,holdatthebackofthework,k2stsfromtheleft-handneedle,k2stsfromdpn.C4F:Sl2ststodpn,holdinthefrontofthework,k2stsfromtheleft-handneedle,k2sts

fromdpn.

|BLANKET|

Withcircularneedle,CO438sts.(Tip:Placemarkerafterevery50or100ststohelpkeepcount;markerscanberemovedwhileknittingfirstrnd.)Placemarkerandjoinbeingcarefulnottotwiststs.Kallrndsfor4".P1rnd.

|CABLEBAND|

Workincablepatfor4".P1rnd.K2rnds.Continueasfollows,changingtodpnswhennecessary:Workinrndsfor1"asfollows:

Continueasfollows,changingtodpnswhennecessary:Workinrndsfor1"asfollows:K30,k2tog;repfrom.Kallrndsfor2".**Workinrndsfor1"asfollows:K20,k2tog;repfrom.Kallrndsfor2".Repfrom**untilyouhave10"ofknittingfromthelastpurlrow.Placemarker.***Workinrndsfor1"asfollows:*

K10,k2tog;repfrom*.Kallrndsfor2".Repfrom***untilpiecemeasures6"frommarker.K5,k2tog;repfromuntil10stsrem.Cutyarnandthreadyarnthroughsts.

|FINISHING|

Pressworklightlyonwrongside.Cut a strip of interfacing and a strip of batting 4" wide and long enough to go around thecircumference of the blanket. Iron the interfacing to thewrong side of the facing. Place thebattingagainst the interfacingandfoldthefacingunderandsewtheCOedgetothesecondpurlrnd.

©NaomiJohnstone.Reprintedbypermission.

chaptersix

knittingforagreatergoodcharitableknitting

IT’SNOTABOUTWHOWRITESTHEBIGGESTCHECK.It’saboutwantingtohelpothersfeelspecial,caredfor,orsimplywarm.Thoseofuswhoknitcanuseourneedlesandyarnstashesasawayofworkingtowardchange.Ifyousellyourcrafts,youcanalsohelpcharitiesbydonatingacertainpercentageoftheproceeds.CrafterDaynaMankowski,ofcraftyscientist.com,givespartoftheprofitsfromhercraftsalestocharityinsteadoftheactualitemsthemselves.“WhenIworkedforalargecorporation,Igavemoneytocharity,butitwasdifficulttodirectittocausesthatIwantedtodonateto.NowImakeitems(cattoysandmats) that are sold specifically forcertaincharities.Sonotonlydoesmoneygo to the charity, but I get tomakepeople (and their cats) happywiththeirpurchases!â€Whether you donate some of your proceeds or crafted items themselves

doesn’tmatter;it’smoreabouthowyoustartviewingyourcreativityasawayofgivingback.Using creative energy tohelp thegreater goodhelps toharnessthepoweryoucontrolwithjustyourowntwohands.Bymakingitemsforbothyourself andyour community, thus sharingyour creativitywith thosearound you, you are embodying the positive change you want to see in theworld.

Evenifyoudon’thave the time, interest,orability toengagedirectlywiththecommunity,knittingdonations is still agreatway tohelp them.Thisway,youcangivebasedonyourownscheduleandtimeavailable,aslittleorasmuchasyouwant.You can choose thedirectionofwhat the itemwill look like. Inotherwords, it’sagentlewayofeasingyourself intodonatingtocharity ifyou’reunsure,andagreatwayforyoutogivebacktothecommunitywithinthelimitsofyourhecticlife.Whenyoustarttoexplorecharitableknitting,youwillfindthattheboundaries

ofhowyoucanhelpcontinuallyexpand.Youcanchoosetoaidorganizationsinyour city or people across the world. You can see the boundaries of yourcommunityexpandandyourimpactontheworldgrow.

When you decide to help a charitable organization, there is no “wrongwayâ€togoaboutit.Themostimportantthingisthatyoudosomething!Whatyoucontributevariesmostlydependingonwhattypeoforganizationyou’reworkingwith;thepatternsinthisbookarejustastartingpoint.Anynumberoftoys can be created to give strength and hope and courage to both adults andchildren.Youcanmakedramatichatstocheersomeoneuporextra-longsockstokeepsomeone’skneeswarm.Youcanevencustomizeacozyforadailyaccoutrementthatcouldusealittlespicingup.WhenIstartedtoreallycomprehendthatbyknittingforcharity,Iwasknitting

foranindividualwhoneededalittleextracomfort,joyorlove,Ibegantogrowas a knitter.My sense of compassion grew aswell, because I started to thinkaboutwhatIwouldlikeifIwereinawarzoneoronthestreetsorlivingwithoutsomeoflife’smostbasicnecessities.Whatwouldbringmecomfortorhelpmedreamorkeepmefighting?Theprocessallowedmetoreallyseehowlittledifferencetherewasbetweenmeandtherecipientofmywork—wewerejustindifferentplacesorsituations.

TheHistoryofCharitableKnittingAlthough women knitted socks and donated clothing for soldiers in all theprevious wars, perhaps the era best known for charitable knitting is the oneencompassing World War II. During this time, pamphlets were produced bywoolcompaniestopromotetheirwoolandofferpatternstoknitforthetroops,thereweresongsaboutknitting“fortheboys,â€andwomenwereencouragedto“knittheirbit.â€Theeffortspentknittingforthewarwassosuccessful,itprovedthatsomethinghandmadecouldhelpthoseinneedandwasalsoavalidwaytocontributetothecommunity.PamphletsweredistributedtoinspireknitterstocontributeandkeepAmerican

soldiers overseaswarm as they fought for justice; the text of these pamphletswashighlypatrioticandassuredcraftersthattheywere“doingtheirpartâ€byknitting for the troops. As noted in Anne Macdonald’s No Idle Hands,quotingaWorldWarII–erapamphletfromthewoolcompanyBernat,claimssuch as “The Navy Department makes it official by voting this turtleneckpullover themostwanted sweaterbyeverymarinerâ€; “[A]ctualwardutiesprovedthatabdominalbeltskeptmanymenoutofthesickwardsbyprotectingthebodyagainstsuddenchillsâ€;and“Aknittedhelmet isamustforeveryfightingman.Hewearsitinhisplane,underhissteelhelmet,andtoprotecthimagainst the cold onguardduty.He’ll thankyoumany timesover for your

effort.†The strangest part tome is that the yarn companieswere publishingbrochures on what to knit with their own wool, thus gaining a profit whileencouragingwomentoknitmoreandmore.Ofcourse,theRedCrossalsoaskedforknitterstodonateitems,butitrealizednoprofitfromsuchefforts.Afterthewarended,peoplestill sawcauses toknit for,but theywere inamoreprivatearena.Nowgiven the fact that timeshavechangedandeverythingcanbemadeso

quicklybymachine,yarncompaniesno longerpublishbrochures toencouragewartime knitting. I think this extraction of the commercial element fromcharitable knitting helps to ensure that no one feels pressured into makingsomething they don’t want to make; that’s the beauty of charitableknitting—it’sallaboutthepersonalchoiceofwhatyoumakeforwhom.There is no fever pitch broadcasting onhowweneed to join thewar effort

now, but there is support if you decide to create something handmade for acause,whether it is themilitary or something else.Althoughdriveswere heldandcharitiesarrangedbeforetheInternet, itsinstantaccesstoinformationnowallowsword to be spread farther andwider tomore peoplewhomaywant tohelp.Theideathatmakingsomethingforsomeoneelsecanpossiblybetterbothourandtheirexistencehasgainedtraction.

ChoosingaCauseThere are so many charitable causes out there to contribute to, and since

thousandsofresourceslistcharitableorganizations,Iwon’tgointospecificshere.Whenselectinganorganizationtosupport, themost important thingis tofindacausethatresonateswithyoupersonallyandwillthengiveyourknittingmoremeaning.Itdoesn’tmatterifeveryoneyouknowisintentonknittingforoneparticularcauseandyou’vedecidedtoventureoutonyourown.Goforit!Takethetimetoconsiderwhatcausesmeanthemosttoyou.Makealistofsituationsorillnessesthathaveaffectedyourlovedonesorsocialissuesthathavereallybeenbotheringyou.Onceyou’vesettledonwhatgroupyou’dmostliketosupport, think

abouthowyourcraftcouldbenefit thoseaffected.Newbornsneedlittlehats tokeeptheirheadswarm.Peoplewhodon’tfeelgoodlikesomethingcozytowrap up in. The cement floors in animal shelters aremuchmore comfortablewhenthere’sahandmadeblankettosnuggleupon.It’sallaboutfindinganeedandthenseeinghowyoucanfulfillit.Ifyoualreadyhaveagroup inmind,contact itsheadofficeor localchapter

officedirectlyandseeifthereisawayyoucanhelpviacraft.Mostgroupshaveeitheraneedthatrequiresasolutionoralistofthingstheyneeddonated.Seasonandclimatemayfactorheretoo,asthereislessneedforwinterscarvesforthehomelessinMiamithanthereisinChicago.Maybe it was a coincidence, but duringmy first (and only)winter inNew

YorkCity, I learnedbothhowtoknitandhowtoappreciatescarves. I learnednewwaystowearthemandfullyrealizedthecomforttheycanbringonanextrachilly,windyday.After awinter of being comfortedby these accessories andsubsequentmonthsofcontinuouslyknitting them,Iwas intriguedwhenoneofthe women I knew from an online craft forum started by Jean Railta(getcrafty.com) wrote that a local shelter for battered women was collectingscarvestogiveto itsresidents.Presentedwiththeopportunity tocraftathomeonmyown timebetweenwork and school andother activities, I signedup todonate several scarves.Aside from the deadline for completion, the color anddesignwerecompletelyinmycontrol,andIlikedthat.A few evenings aweek, Iwouldwork on these scarves, surprised at how I

foundmyselftakingmorecareintheirconstructionthanIhadevenforscarvesI’dmadeformylovedones.Itseemedthatthesescarvesneededtobeextraspecial because they were going to women who were in need of somethingbeautiful.Iwaspainstakinglycareful,wantingthemtobeperfect,andIenjoyedthinkingabouthowtheywouldbewornbytheshelter’sresidents.When Iwas done, I carefullywrote and attached cardswith instructions on

howtocareforthem,makingsuremyhandwritingwaspretty.AfterIhadsentthem off, I came home and started yet another scarf. Upon its completion, IwonderedwhyIwassotakenwiththisproject,asIhadmadedozensofscarvesbefore.Ithinkithassomethingtodowiththefactthatwhenwegivesomeoneweknowandloveapersonalgift,it’smostoftenatatimeofcelebration—agraduation,abirthday,aholiday.Thesegiftsaregivenasactsof joyandmayendupinaclosetwithothersimilargifts,maybeneverseeingthelightofday.Inmakingthescarvesfortheshelter,Iwastakingthepersonalpartoftheequationout, as well as the calendar-based one. I wasmaking something for someonewhocouldreallyuseit.Iwasn’tdoingthistogivemyselfapatonthebackoratone foranymisdeeds,but for the loveofcreatingsomethingnewand forhumanity.Needplusloveequalsbeautifullycraftedresults.Charity knitting gives us a chance to try a new project or test a different

technique,tousesomeofourstash,toteamupwithfriends,tohelpacausewecareabout, toprovidestrengthand love toothers, to fighthelplessness,and tocomfort strangers. Perhaps you’ll discover even more wonderful benefitswhenyoustartdonatingyourhandmadecreationstothoseinneed.

ÂÂÂÂFaytheLevine

FAYTHELEVINELIVESINMILWAUKEE,WISCONSINWHERESHEISTHECO

OWNEROFTHEBRICKANDMORTARSPACEPAPERBOATBOUTIQUEANDGALLERYANDCOORDINATESARTVS.CRAFT,THELOCALINDIECRAFTFAIR.SHEISALSOTHEDIRECTORANDCOAUTHOROFHANDMADENATION,ABOOKANDDOCUMENTARYFILMABOUTTHEINDIECRAFTMOVEMENT.INHERSPARETIMESHESTILLMANAGESTOMAKECRAFTSEVERYONCEANDAWHILE.

By2002,IwaslivinginMilwaukeeandopenedFlyingFishGallery.Thesmallgalleryspacefeaturedlocalartistsandhadatinyspacewherewesoldhandmadeworkfromaroundthecountry.Iwasstillmaking things, and I knew otherswhoweremaking things, but Iwasn’ttappedintootheroutletstosellmywork,whenIheardaboutacraft fair inChicagocalledRenegade. Itwas for youngerartists, crafters, and designers, people who made “edgy,nontraditionalâ€items.Iappliedtobeavendorwithnoexperienceselling my work in a public environment and was accepted as aparticipant. I put together a bunch of work, including handbags,accessories,andpostcards,andsoldundermygallerynameFlyingFish.Thatwasthebeginningofmyromancewithindiecraft.When I arrived at the event, I immediately noticed that other

participantsembracedtheDIYethicsofmyteenyears.Therewereemergingartistswhowerecreatinganindependenteconomy,freefrom corporate ties, similar to my music scene. It was all aboutstressing the importance of artist-made goods and setting itselfapartfrommass-producedjunk.Allaroundmeweretechniquesoftraditionalhandiworkmixedwithmodernaesthetics,politics,punk,feminism,andart.Everyonetherehadtheirownagendas,butwiththecommonthreadofbeingmakers.I left theshow filledwithasenseofempowerment. Iwanted to

makealivingsellinghandmadeitemsandart,andIfelt likeInowhad a platform fromwhich to do so.Since I had little experiencewiththeretail/wholesalemarketandnoreal ideaaboutgettingmywork out there, I tapped into the online community that was

beginning to form around indie craft. Websites likewww.craftster.org and theswitchboards.com made me feel likeanything I set my mind to was possible. I participated in onlineforumsabouttopicslikestartinganonlinebusiness,wheretoprintbusinesscards,howtoapproachshops,howtopriceyourgoods,andsoon.ManyofthepeopleImetthroughthoseforumsarenowgood friends across the country. It has been so amazing to seeeveryonefigureouttheirnicheandmakeitwork.Flying Fish Design started with a small line of products that

includedmymost popular seller, theMessengerOwl.Thiswasafeltplushowlwithapocketon theback to tuckanote into.Eachowlhadtenhand-cutpiecesthatweresewntogetheronthesamesewingmachinemymomhad taughtme to sewon (I still use it)andstuffed.Afterreceivingafewwholesaleordersfor100+ofthesame item, I started to rethink my way of ordering supplies andstreamlinedmyprocess tomake it easier onmypocketbookandbody.Handcuttingthousandsofpatternpiecesreallytakesitstollonyourwristsandhands.Imadealotofmistakesalongtheway,butIalsomadealotof

friendsandlearnedhowtostartabusinessonmyownterms.Ialsorealized,afterworkingveryhardatFlyingFishforthreeyears,thatwhat I really wanted to do was help promote other people’sworkandfocusonmybrick-and-mortarshop,PaperBoatBoutique&Gallery,aswellasthecraftfairinMilwaukeeIstartedcalledArtvs.Craft. IknowIwillalwayshavethecreativedrivewithinmetowanttomakenewstuff,butIhavelearnedthatIdon’twanttomakethesamethingthousandsoftimes.AtleastIknowthatnow,andIwouldn’ttrademylearningprocessforanything.Iseewhatisgoingonnowwithinthecraftcommunity,andIam

soproud tobeapartof suchasupportive,growinggroup that isbasedoncreativityandself-motivation. Iknowthiscommunitywillsurviveandsustain.Whetheryoujustwanttocreateforthesakeofmaking or to start your own business, there is an accessiblenetworkatyourfingertipswaitingtoofferhelpandexperience.

CreatingSolidarityforaCause

Knittingcirclesarenotjustplacestocompareandcontrastknittingtechniques;when theymeet in support of a cause, they can be small circles of peace thatprovide a bit of positive energy to a negative situation.Whenwe gatherwithother like-mindedindividuals insupportofacause,wecanshareourconcernsandcomeupwithsolutionstogether.Whenourcommunities,cities,andnationsareunderstress,it’shardnotto

wearashellofeitherdefianceordenial.Dayafterdayofthesamebadnewsthatneverseemstoendcantakeitstollonus,eventhoughwemaythinkwe’rehandling the situation just fine. Personally, I can begin to gauge how I’mfeelingwhenIturnonthenewsorlistentotalkradio.SomedaysIturnitupandlistenintently,whereasotherdays,Ieithertuneitoutorturnitoff.Sometimesthere is somuch sadness to take in that it simply gets overwhelming.Havingcloseknittingcirclesthatwecanturntoisonewaytobuildasupportnetwork.We can also view charity organizations as extensions of our knitting circle.Whenweidentifywithagroupthatistryingtomakeadifference,evenifitisanorganizationoutsideofour immediatearea,wecanstart to feel lessaloneandhelplessinourdesiretocreatepositivechange.Afghans forAfghans is awell-known organization that gatherswarm items

for children inAfghanistan.By supporting their cause, I seemyselfmaking astatementagainstthewarbyknittingvestsorhatsforchildrenwhoareaffectedbythecurrentconflictinthatcountry.Inotonlydisseminatemyfeelingswhenpeople askwhat I’mmaking, but by adding to the number of donations, IknowthatIamnotalone.I’mnotgoingtosaythatI’vedonemysharetohelp theworldbymakinga few thingshereand there,but Iknowthat justbybeing aware of what’s happening and doing something, I am not sittingquietlyandokayingthings.WheneverIsenddonationsouttoacharity,Itendtoaskaroundamongothers

who knit to see if anyone wants to donate with me.Without pushing, I notewhen I’ll be sending thedonationsout and collect fromwhoeverwants toparticipate.WhenIsendoutthatpackagewithallofourdonationsinit,ithelpsmefeellessseparatefromtherestoftheworld.Ithinkthat’sreallytherootof any hobby or pastime—making that connection to a part of you thatresonateswithbothyourselfandothers.OneofthereasonsIbecameinterestedin knitting to beginwithwas because it was a portable, versatile craftwith aworldwidehistorythatdidn’thaveasteeplearningcurve.Iguess,inaway,youcouldsayI’mlearningmoreaboutthesubcultureofknitting,abouttheways unrelated people connect through a common interest. I think that’simportant,becausenotonlydoes itallowyoutoconnect, italsoallowsyou tokeeplearning.

OnthosedayswhenIturnoffthetelevisionortheradiobecausethereseemtobetoomanyproblemsandhorrorstoprocess,knowingthatthereissomethingIcando,howeversmall,tomakesomeoneelse’slifeeasieralleviatessomeofthose feelings of helplessness. I like the fact that I, as one person, can dosomethingforoneotherpersonandthenanotherandthenanother.Itcondensesthe world’s problems to a scale that I can relate to and helps makeeverythingfeelalittlelessoutofcontrol,eventhoughthemediaarestillgoingtoreporthorrorafterhorror.Knitting for charities encourages us to think outside of our own circle of

family and friends.As the days add up, so does our knowledge about certaincauses,aswellas thenumberof thingswehavedonated. In remembering thatwedon’texistinavacuum,wecanfeelmoreconnectedtopeoplefarawayfrom where we live. I know that somewhere, in places like Bulgaria andNorway, there is someone sitting and knitting just like me, that someone inAfghanistan is wearing something I made, and in a way—just for amoment—theworlddoesn’tseemsogigantic.I’mnottryingtoescapefromcomputersortechnology;I’mtryingtorememberwhatit’sliketounderstand that theworld ismuch larger thanmy immediate environment, yetnotsooverwhelmingthatIcan’tfeelapartofit.

ÂÂÂÂDonnaDruchunas

DONNADRUCHUNASISTHEAUTHOROFFOURKNITTINGBOOKS.SHEALSOWRITESABOUTCHARITYANDACTIVISTKNITTINGAT

SUBVERSIVEKNITTING.COM.

My grandmother knitted because she enjoyed feeling the yarn inher fingersas she formedstitcheswithherneedlesandbecauseshe loved to wrap her children and grandchildren in handmadesweaters and afghans to surround us with soft reminders of herlove.Fromtimetotime,friendswouldaskhertoknitformoneyorinexchange forothergoods,butshenever tookon the task.Herstitching was for herself and her family, an act of love andbelonging.When I started knitting more than a decade ago, I thought I

wouldfollowGrandma’straditionbyknittingformyselfandmy

family.Nothaving childrenorgrandchildren, however,meant thatmy family was quite a bit smaller than hers. I loved making thestitches and feeling the fiber in my hands, but simply filling myclosetswithlovelysweatersandaccessoriesdidn’tfeelfulfillingtome.I’ve since found satisfaction in using knitting to explore

political and social issues in several ways. All knitting, especiallymaking projects with hand-spun or organic yarns, makes astatement against the consumerism that is rampant in Westernsociety.EvenwhenIamknittingsomethingformyself,bycreatingsomething from scratch, something uniquely mine, I defy thestandards of mass production and conformity that we arebombardedwith inthemedia.Givinghandmadegiftsforbirthdaysandholidaysprovidesawaytosharethesevalueswithothers.Knittingforcharityallowsmetospreadthewarmthandlovethat

is captured in each knitted piece to others outsidemy immediatefamily.Offering freecharityknittingpatternsonmywebsiteallowsme to encourage others to do the same and to write about howknitting relates to social and political issues that concern me.Reachingout toothers,withstitchesandwords, ismyattempt tospread compassion and joy and to helpmake theworld a betterplaceoneperson—andonestitch—atatime.Knittingunusualpieces thatcarryavisualmessage, inaddition

to themessages intrinsic tobeinghandmade,allowsmetospeakmoredirectlyaboutmypassionsandthesocial issuesthatareonmymind.Becausetheseitemsarenotmeanttobereproducedbyothers,IfindfreedomincreativitythatisnotalwayspresentwhenIhavetowriteapatternforpublication.I plan to explore all of these ideas further in the future and to

work on knitted art pieces that convey political and socialmessages.BecausepoliticstoucheseveryaspectofourlivesandIbelievethatthepersonalispolitical,IfeellikeIamfollowinginmygrandmother’s footsteps, even though our goals may seemdifferenttothecasualobserver.

TheSecondaryBenefitsofCharityKnitting

Beyond making items for individuals or as donations, charity knitting has anumberof“secondaryâ€benefitsthatyoumightfindunexpected.Oneofthebestthingsaboutfindingthepleasingaspectstoyourworkisthatitfuelsyoutocreatemore!Thebenefitslistedherearebynomeanscomprehensive;feelfreetoaddyourown.

GettingRidofYourStash

Crafterstendtoaccumulatealotofstuff.Bitsandbobsofthread,needles,yarn,string,buttons,anythingthatmaycomeinhandyforafuturecreation.I’vemetfewcrafterswhodidn’thavearoomoraclosetoradrawerfullofthingsthey had acquired along theway, either by purchase or gift or the purging ofanothercrafter’sstash.Knittingforcharityisagreatwaytobustthatstashbecauseyou canmake avarietyof things, likehats, scarves, andmittens, thattakelessthanawholeskein.

TryingSomethingNew

Ifyou’veeverwantedtotryanewtechnique,knittingsomethingthatpushesyourskillsandwillbegiventosomeoneelseupstheante.Insteadofknowingthatyoucanhide thoseseams later,youknow thatonceyou’vegiven thisitem away, itwill actually be used; therefore, itwill need to be as strong andwellmadeasitcanpossiblybe.

TeamingUpwithFriends

Many charities call for blankets,which can easily be done as a groupproject.Thiscanalsoserveasastashbusterasknittersuseleftoverbitstomakesquares.

FindingClosure

Inchapter3, I talkedaboutknittingaftermygrandfatherdiedofcancer. Iwaslivingona farm inEnglandwhenhedied,andalthoughIhadseenhima fewmonthspriortohisdeath,Inevergottosayapropergood-bye.Imadeitbackforthefuneral,butIwasstillupsetatthelossandneededawaytoprocessmygrief.Iendedupmakingacapforachemotherapypatientthathehimselfmighthave worn, and I knitted bravery and strength into every stitch. The hours IworkedonthatcapIspenthavinghappymemoriesofhimandhisgood,strongqualities. Of course when I was done, I was still terribly sad, but throughknitting,Ihadprocessedhislossandremindedmyselfofallthegoodtimes.

WorkingwiththeStitch

Sometimes people want to do something for charity, but as they can’tcommittoaregulartimetovolunteerareatalossforhowtheycancontribute.Often when people start thinking about making something for charity, theyworryaboutnotbeingtalentedenough(“Whywouldanyonewanttowearmyill-knittedhat?â€).Butwhat they forget is that theycanworkon theirknittingtechniquesastheygoalong.Justbecausethefirstrowyouknithaslotsofholesdoesn’tmean you can’t unstitch it and start over. You’re on yourowndeadlineandareincontrolofwhatyouultimatelydonate,sowhatdoyouhavetolose?

ProvidingStrengthandLove

Althoughnotallcharitiesfocusonhelpingthosewhoarelessfortunate,manyofthemdo.Ifyoubelievethatthingssuchaspositivityreallydogointowhatyouknit,youcanchoosetoknitloveorstrengthorwisdomorhealthoranythingyouwish into each garment. In your own quiet way, you can bestow strength onothersinyourcommunitybyusingyourhandsandsomeyarn.

Therearemanyreasonsforyoutoconsiderdonatinghandmadeitemstocharity.Ultimately,whatyouaredoing isbringingsomecomfort,beauty,and joy intothelivesofothers,honoringthemandtheirspiritbymakingsomethingthatyouyourself would cherish. Different projects call for different types of yarn ordifferent types of garments, but that doesn’tmean you shouldn’t haveprideinwhateveryousend.Theremay verywell be a daywhen you’remaking something for your

favorite charityand someoneaskswhatyou’redoing;whenyou tell them,theywanttoknowwhy.SomehowIdon’tthinkanyonewouldeveraskwhyyou’re knitting a sweater for your mother or father; why should makingsomethingforsomeoneinneedbeanymoredifficulttounderstand?Ashumanbeingswehaveaneedforwarmthandcomfort,andbyusingourskillsatcraft,wecanhelpprovideboth.

KnittingforGoodActions

|CollectDonations|

Pickacharitythatneedsdonationsandaskyourfriendstohelpmakeitemstogive.Estimatehowmany items you think you’ll receive, and call the charity organizers tomake surethey don’t have enough already (sometimes certain charities can be inundated with

things,whileothersarelacking).Setadateforcollection,andifyourfriendsdon’tknowquitewhattoknit,provideapatternforguidance.Evenbetter,designateaneveningforyoualltoworktogetherontheitemstobedonated.

|SpareaSquare|

Perhapsyou’renotreadytomakesomethingforcharityonyourown.Whataboutmakinganafghanwithabunchoffriends?First,decidehowlargeyouwouldliketheblankettobe,whichwilllargelydependonthetypeofcharityitwillbegoingto.Thenusetheapproximatesizetobreaktheafghandownintoindividualsquares.Forexample,asmalllapafghanis24x 36 inches. Both numbers are divisible by six, whichmakes it easy to divide into 6-inchsquares;foursquaresacrossandsixsquaresdownareneededtomaketheafghan.Putoutthe word to those you know that you’re collecting squares (note size and color, ifappropriate).Onceyou’vecollectedallthesquaresyouneedandstitchedthemtogether,you’vegottennotonlyyourcommunityinvolvedincharitableknitting,butyourselfaswell.

Oatlion

DesignedbyKatieAaberg

Sometimesyoumaywant toknita toy,rather thanan itemofclothing, forachild.Giventhescarysituationsthatchildrencansometimesbeputinorarewitnessto,thistoylionknittedbyKatieAabergremindsthemtobestrongandbrave.

|FINISHEDMEASUREMENTS|

7"longx6"tall

|YARN|

BrownSheepCompanyCottonFleece(80%cotton/20%wool;215yards/100grams):1skeineach#CW310WildOrange(A)and#CW100CottonBall(B)(youwilluselessthan150yardsofeachcolor);smallamountsof#CW201BarnRed(C)and#CW145BlackForest(D).

|NEEDLES|

One36"circular(circ)needlesizeUS3(3.25mm)Onesetdoublepointedneedles(dpns)sizeUS3(3.25mm)Changeneedlesizeifnecessarytoobtaincorrectgauge.

|NOTIONS|

CrochethooksizeD,stitchmarkers,tapestryneedle,washablestuffing,whiteglue(optional)

|GAUGE|

28stsand36rows=4"(10cm)inStockinetteStitch(Stst)

|BUTT(MAKE1)|

WithBanddpns,CO72sts,divideevenlyonto3needles—24stseachneedle.Joinbeingcarefulnottotwiststsandk17rnds.Nextrnd:[K8,placemarker(M)]9times.Nextrnd:[Kto2stsbeforeM,k2tog,slM]9times—9stsdecreased.Nextrnd:K.Replast2rowsatotalof6times—18stsrem.Nextrnd:K2togaround—9stsrem.Cutyarnleavinglongend,threadthroughstsandpull

tighttoclose.Pullenddownthroughcenterandsecureoninside.

|LEGS(MAKE4)|

Note:Whenchangingcolors,usejoglessjog(seeAbbreviationsandTermsonpage146).WithBanddpns,CO24sts,Oatlion(Continued)divideevenlyonto3needles—8stseach

needle.Joinbeingcarefulnottotwiststsandk6rnds.WithA,k6rnds.WithB,k6rnds.Rearrangestssothatthereare9stsonneedle1,7stsonneedle2,and8

stsonneedle3.Nextrnd:[K1,k2tog]around—16stsrem.K2rnds,thenrearrangestssothatthereare6

stsonneedle1,4stsonneedle2,and6stsonneedle3.Nextrnd:K2togaround—8stsrem.Breakyarnleavinglongend,threadthroughsts,andpulltighttoclose.Pullyarnenddownthroughcenterandsecureoninside.

|HEAD(MAKE1)|

|HEAD(MAKE1)|

Mane:WithAandcirc,CO285sts.Workingbackandforth,workasfollows:Row1:K1,k2,slfirststover2ndstonright-handneedle;repfrom—143sts.Row2:P1,[p2tog]across—72sts.Row3:Knit.

Transfertodpns,dividingstsevenlyover3needles—24stseachneedle.Joinbeingcarefulnottotwiststsandk5rnds.Rnd6:Needle1:K24;needle2:K1,M1,ktolastst,M1,k1;needle3:K24—2sts

increased.Rnd7:Knit.Reprnds6and7atotalof8times.Reprnd6oncemore—90sts.Rearrangestsevenlyover3needles—30stseachneedle.K7rnds.Rnd8:[K10,placeM]9times.Rnd9:[Kto2stsbeforeM,k2tog,slM]9times—9stsdecreased.Rnd10:Knit.Reprnds9and10atotalof8times—18stsrem.Nextrnd:K2togaround—9stsrem.Breakyarnleavinglongend,threadthroughstsandpulltighttoclose.Pullyarnenddownthroughcenterandsecureoninside.

|MOUTH(MAKE1)|

Note:Workbackandforthusingtwodpns.Teeth:WithDanddpn,CO17sts.P1row.Startingwithakrow,work17rowsofchartinSt

st.P1row.Bindoff.Lips:With C, CO 8 sts.Work in St st for 8". Bind off. Sew ends together.With right sidesfacing,sewoneedgeoflipsaroundteethpanel,coveringedgesofteeth.

|EARS(MAKE2)|

WithA,CO12stsanddivideevenlyover3dpns—4stseachneedle.K4rnds.Rearrangestssothereare3stsonneedle1,6stsonneedle2,and3stsonneedle3.Rnd1:Needle1:K1,k2tog;needle2:Ssk,k2,k2tog;needle3:Ssk,k1—8stsremRnd2:Knit.Rnd3:Needle1:K2tog;needle2:Ssk,k2tog;needle3:Ssk—4stsrem.Breakyarnleavinglongend,threadthroughstsandpulltighttoclose.Pullyarnenddown

throughcenterofear,creatingroundedtop.

|TAIL(MAKE1)|

WithcrochethookandholdingtwostrandsofAtogether,makeslipknot8"fromendandch10.Makeonemorechain,drawingloopthroughuntil it is2"long.Cutyarnleaving2"attheend.Tieendandlooptogetherwithoverhandknot.Optional:Addadropofgluetoknot.Cut loopandtrimends.

|FINISHING|

Positionmouthovertheclosedendofthehead.WithD,sewtheblackpartofthemouthdownflattothefacealongtheinsideedgeofthelips;tackitdowninthecenteraswell.WithC,sewtheoutsideedgeof the lips to the face, lightlystuffing the lipsasyougo.WithD,embroidercirculareyesontheface.WithB,embroiderthehighlightsontheeyes.SewtheearsontotheheadusingtheCOtails.Stuffheadandbuttpiecesfirmly.Sewtheopenendofthebutttothe

head, stitching them together under the ruffled mane; stuff the body firmly before closingcompletely.UsingtheCOtail,sewthe3-rowopeninginthemaneclosed.Stuffthelegsfirmly,andsewthemontothebody,2behindthemaneand2infrontofit,placingthebacklegs2"apartandthefrontlegs1"apartsothattheOatlioncansit.Usingtheunchainedend,sewthetailintoplaceonthebutt.

©KatieAaberg.Reprintedbypermission.

partthree knittingfortheworld

chapterseven

makingstatementsaboutthewaywelive

KNITTING MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE. Forsome,itissimplyarelaxingandproductivehobby.Forothers,itmaybeanyorallofthefollowing:awayofexpressingloveandgratitudetoafriend,awayofsupportingindividualsinneed,awayoflesseningtheenvironmentalimpactofmass-produced goods, a way of protesting sweatshop labor, a way tomake alivelihood,orawayofsupplyingneededhouseholditems..Whateverourreasonforknitting,throughthecraftitself,weconstantlyhavetheopportunitytomakeprofoundstatementsaboutthewaysinwhichwelive.

SupportingHandmadeIbelievethatthepersonalispoliticalandthateverychoiceandactionwemakeaffects not only ourselves and our lives, but the lives of others as well.Handmadebringslifebacktoalevelwhereconnectionwithothersispossible.By knowing that a single person, rather than amachine, hasmade somethingunique injects the personal into more aspects of daily existence. It isn’tdifficult tomove towardhomemade.For example, I recentlydecided tobuy anew fooddish formycatbecause shehad thehabitof flippingherbowloverincessantly.Knowingwhatthelargerpetchainshadtooffer,IventuredintomylocalpetstoreoneafternoontoseeifIcouldfindabowlthatwasmoresuitedtomyspecialcat.On a shelf near the register was a display of handmade ceramic food and

waterdishesofdifferentsizesandshapesandcolors.IpickedthemupandfoundtheminstantlyheavierthantheoneIhad,thankstothetypeofclaythathadbeenused.BeforeIleft,Inoticedthatthedishesweremadebyaself-employedlocalartisan. Ibought twonewbowls,one for foodand theother forwater.Once Iwas home, I replaced the old dishes with the newer heavier ones and wassurprisedathowtheyinstantlymadethatcorneroftheroomlookmorelivedin

and more like “home.†The unique curve of the bowls, along with theirindividualglazes,made the room look lessantiseptic than the steelones Ihadbeenusing.Even theway theysoundedwhenmycatscooted themaround thefloor was more organic, an added joy given the fact that they were also tooheavyforhertotip.While this may seem like a silly example, it was just one of my many

everydaydecisions,andImadethisparticularonebecauseIhappenedtostopinmysmall,localpetstoreinsteadofalargeronewithperhapsmorechoices.Youdon’thavetomakehugechangesinyourlifetobringthehandmadeintoit,you justneed tobeopen to the idea thatbringing thehandmade intoyour lifemaychangeit,inthetiniestofways,forthebetter.Oneofthebiggestbenefitstotheresurgenceofhandmadeisthecreationofa

strongermicroeconomy,bothintheUnitedStatesandbeyond.Duetoourover-relianceonmass-producedgoods,wehavestartedtolookatwhereourproductscome from instead of merely seeing them, wanting them, and buying themwithoutthought.RachelHospodar,acrafterfromSanFrancisco,seescraftasaformofpassiveresistance:“Ithinkthehandcraftmovementisahopefulsignof a deeper rejection ofmodern society’s factory-driven lifestyle. Rapidlyescalating environmental and human rights concerns are showing people howpoisonous the mass-manufactured lifestyle is, and they are seekingalternatives.â€Thetripleoccurrenceofanincreasedinterestintheoriginsofdifferentgoods,

thequestfororiginality,andgreaterglobalawarenesshasgivenindividualsallover theworldabetterchance tohave theirgoodsexportedandsoldforafairpriceinsteadofapittance.Thisnewattitudeshowsnotonlyagreatercuriosityabouttheworldoutsideofourindividualbubbles,butalsothatourattentionisturning(evenifonlyslightly)awayfromthemegamarts,superstores,andeasy,instanteverything.Atthemostbasiclevel,therearetwowaysofkeepingthehandmademarket

successful: by buying items handmade by others, and by selling our ownhandmade items. Both are valuable ways of developing and supporting amicroeconomy that has a direct benefit for the individual, rather than lesspersonalcorporations,hereandabroad.Today with the craft resurgence in full bloom, websites such as Etsy.com,

which provides a place to sell your wares online, and craft fairs such as theBazaarBizarreandtheRenegadeCraftFairofferthepossibilitythatonedaywemightbeabletoquitourdayjobsandcraftfull-time.Forsome,themakingandsellingofcraftshasmadeself-employmentaviableoption.Butformanyothers,the hope of one day being able to quit their day jobs and become full-time

makersremainsagoalfor thefutureas theyworkvariousgigs topaythebillsandcraftintheirsparetime.You don’t have to peddle your handmade creations to participate

positively in handmade microeconomies. When you buy handmade, the craftnetworkgetsstronger,thedemandforhandmadeproductsbecomesgreater,andhopefullywe sendamessageabout thenegative effectsofmass-manufacturedgoods. By putting our hard-earned money toward something we believe in,we’re doing more than just acquiring a nice, new item—we’resupportinganindividualandhelpingsomeonegrowhisorherbusinessandworktowardbecomingself-sufficient.Bysupportingindividualswhoareworkingforthemselves,wearecircumventingbigbusinessbycreatingasystemthatsustainsourpeers andpeoplewhoseworkwe like.Bypurchasing thingsdirectly fromthemakers,weareensuringthattheygetthefullcostthattheydeserveforthoseitemswithout any commission held back.We are helping themmove towardtheirdreamsandnotalargecompany’sbottomline.Thefactthatthereisanetworkofliterallythousandsofself-employedcrafty

individuals in the United States alone speaks to not only good timing andcreativity, but also to the way a smaller economy can exist outside of themainstream—inthiscase,largelyaidedbycraftfairsandtheInternet.

ÂÂÂÂValerieSolesVALERIESOLESLIVESINBROOKLYNANDSELLSHERPRETTYHANDMADECLOTHESONDEARBIRTHDAY.COM.

Theprocessbywhich Iarrivedat thedecision tosell the things Imake was so natural and gradual that it hardly seemed to haveinvolved any actual decision making at all. There is definitely acompulsive element to my personality, an inability to keep myfidgetyhandsstill. I’vealwaysmadethingsandwould, infact,get in trouble at various day jobs for losing track ofmy assignedtaskswhilepreoccupiedwithlittlesideprojects.ThemoreImade,the more I started to think about the act of making itself—theprocess, the time involved, the effort expended, and so on.Examiningpieces I hadcreated, Iwouldcompare them tosimilarstore-bought pieces and wonder, naturally, how I could afford tobuy a pair of jeans or a sweater somewhat regularly with my

modest salary. I realized that if I were making such things andselling them, I would not be able to support myself if I chargedprices thatwere competitivewith those of the retail chains.Whathadstartedoutasaverynatural,unexaminedactivity,becameforme an exploration of ethics and personal politics aswell. After alittleresearch into thesordidpractices involved inbringingmethevariousitemsandproductsIuseeveryday,itseemedonlynaturaltotrytodistancemyselffromthat.It often sounds excessively lofty or preachywhenmakers start

extolling thevirtuesofself-sufficiency throughmaking. Itcanbeadifficult subject to broach; as with most topics that suggest theimportanceofalifestylechange,itishardtomakethepointwithoutalienatingyourpeers.Butitshouldn’tbethatwayatall;infact,the opposite should be true. The greatest thing about crafting ormakingorwhateveryouwanttocallitisthatitisbyitsverynaturean inclusive act; it’s empowering to know that with patience,determination, and a little research, anyone canmake just aboutanythingsheneeds.Notonlyareyoubuckingthesystemwhenyoudo so, but it’sapowerful self-affirmationand just a really bignerdythrill!At thesametime, it’sunrealistic toexpect thatmostpeople

thesedayshavethetimetomakeallof theirownthings,whichiswhyit’ssoamazinglywonderfulthattherearesomanyoptionsfor buying handmade or ethically produced necessities. I thinkI’ve been very lucky that my inquiry and exploration into thehandmade versus the mass-produced market has coincided withan increased public awareness and appreciation for the sameethicalconcernsthatbroughtmehere.I’vefoundthat,althoughI have to charge more for a dress than most retail stores do,customers have a better understanding of where their money isgoing, and most of them just love the fact that their dress washandmade—itjustfeelsmorespecial.

SupportingGlobalMicroeconomiesOnce you start thinking about howmicroeconomies are supporting your peers

andyourlocalcommunity,it’sanot-so-giantleaptomicroeconomiesonthegloballevel.Whilecommunityandglobalmicroeconomiesdifferinmanyways,bothhavethesamegoal—toprovideincomeandasenseofeconomicstabilityforthosewhorelyontheirownskillsandsavvytosurvive.Microeconomieshelpmothers(whocankeeptheirchildrenwithinarm’s

reach instead of across town) turn their kitchen tabletop operations intosuccessful ventures that pay the bills. They also help individuals in poverty-strickenareaswherejobsarescarceprovidefortheirfamilieswithoutresortingtoworkinginsweatshops,relocatingacrossborders,breakingthelaw,orsimplygoingwithout.Thepowerofthemicroeconomyisthatproducersmakeawagethat is satisfactory to them and of their own devising, instead of relying onsomeoneelsetodecidehowmuchtheirtimeisworth,andtheycanmakeamorelivablewage.Givingproducersasayinwhattheyearnbreedsasenseofprideandself-worthinsteadofhopelessfeelingsaboutadesperateeconomicsituation.With greater job satisfaction comes harder work, which means a greater andmore diverse production of goods, which pushes makers to put in their bestcreativeefforts.Microeconomies are all about individuals striving to make their living

conditions better for themselves and their loved ones.Whenwe discover thatpeoplearemakingproducts fromtheirownsweatand tears,wecanfeelmuchbetter supporting them and their work, rather than fueling some mass-marketbusiness.Incountriesplaguedbyhunger,drought,weather-relateddisasters,andwar, thesemicroeconomies can slowly help rebuild lives inways that factoryjobs never can. In places where people’s spirits have been robbed byinjustice,beinggiventheopportunitytoworkonsomethingoftheirownchoicecanmeantheworld,whetheritisthroughagrantoragiftfromanorganizationoracharity.Bysimplygaininganawarenessofwhereourproductscomefrom,wecancreatesignificantchangeinotherpeople’slives.

TheMeaningofHandmadeWhatdoes the riseof themicroeconomymean tous, themakersandcrafters?Microeconomies help show those of us who wish to live off of our creativeefforts that we can be simultaneously autonomous and actively involvedwithour own growth. This is especially important in countries where personalfreedom—which so many of us take for granted—is new or still on thehorizon. For individuals in these countries, being allowed the chance to helpthemselves, their communities, and their nationgrowbrings a little lessworry

aboutthefutureastheyrealizetheyhaveapossiblewayoutandawayforward.Inthelargerschemeofthings,theriseininterestincraftsmaynotseemlike

much. But crafters are showing by example how people the world over canhopefullyonedayhelp themselvesbyusing resources like the Internet toearnincome. As we watch people become successful ethically and on their ownterms,wegrowstrongerasindividuals,ascitizens,andashumanbeings.Eachtimepeopleprovideforthemselvesandtheirfamiliesbasedonworktheyhavedonethemselves(andnotforanyoneelse),thenetworkofmicroeconomiesgetsstrongerandindividuals’voicesgetlouder.Thecruxof themicroeconomy is thepersonalaspect.Assmallnetworksof

crafters help support one another to keep their own businesses afloat, and astheseactsofchoicegainmomentum,thehopeisthatever-moreconsumerswillsee the value of alternative economies. Given the ethical nature that is oftenassociatedwithit,supportinganeconomyoutsideofmassproductionisonlyafewstepsawayfromcreatingforcharitablecauses.Anditisinthiscontinuousconnection to individuals and creative growth that craft’s healing powersshine the brightest, thanks to theway it allows us to interactwith others bothdirectlyandindirectly.

ÂÂÂÂCatMazzaCATMAZZAISANARTISTLIVINGINTROY,NEWYORK.LEARNMOREABOUTHERWORKATMICROREVOLT.ORG.

Craftonitsownisnotradicaloraformofactivismorapoliticalact.FortheworkthatIdowithmicroRevoltthequestionis“Whatisthe political potential of craft?†Artists, entrepreneurs, andactivistshaverecentlyusedcraft(notforthefirsttimeinhistory)asamediumtoengage.Sincecraftlendsitselftohobbyistgroupsthatmeet regularly and have rotating members, it can be a way ofcirculatingideasaswellasprovidingacommonspacefordialogueand exchange. Though “craftivism†seems to be associatedwith left-of-center politics, various agendas and messages havemanifestedthroughcraft.Forexample,whereasin2005pro-choiceactivists planned to litter the steps of the Supreme Court withknitted wombs to protest the Court’s conservative bent,antiabortionactivistscrochetedgownsforunbornfetuses.

Icametoloveknittingasareactiontoworkingsointenselywithtechnology and became inspired by it as a preindustrial skill. Ithelped me consider the wide gap between handcraft andmanufacturingandgotme interested inearly industrialcapitalism,thedawnofsweatshops,andthesubsequentlabormovement.Thepoliticalforceofthismovementroseoutofthelaborexploitationbythe clothing industry whose technology in many ways replacedhandcraft.Whenconsidering thisquestionof thepoliticalpotentialofcraft,itisn’tcraftalonethatispowerful,butthescopeofthepeoplewhoengageinit.

ConsideringOurGlobalImpactWhenyouliveinaworldwherethere’salwaysfoodandwaterandshelterandclothes(nottomentionmoviesandcarsandMP3players), it’shardtothinkoflifeinanyotherway.Youturnonthetap,watercomesout.Yougotothe gas station and fill up your tank.Youwalk through the grocery store andhaveyourpickofliterallythousandsoffoods,mostofthemonlyamicrowavezap away.When there’s no reason to doubt the perpetual existence of allthis,there’snoconstantreminderofjusthowluckyweare.But formillionsofpeople, life isverymuch theopposite.Theirchildrengo

hungry; theywalk by example formiles to getwater; they go to sleep to thesoundsofgunfireandexplosions.Weallinhabitthesameplanet,eventhoughitseemslikesomeindividualscomefromsomewherecompletelyandtotallyalien.WhenIwasachild,Iusedtostareatthetelevisionfootageaboutdroughtsandfaminesandhavenorealconceptthatthepeopleexperiencingthosethingswerejust likeme. It seems silly now, decades later, but it seemed like a play or amoviewherepeopleplayeddressupanddidn’treallydieofhungerorcoldorthirst.WhenIgotolder,IwonderedwhatIcoulddotohelp.Ifeltpowerlessinthefaceofsomuchpainandhorrorandtriedtopushawaytheharshrealitiesofothers’livesbydeadeningmyownemotions.Neitheroptionwashelpful,althoughIcansaythatchildishinnocenceismucheasiertoforgivethanapathy.In1999whentheAlbanianrefugeeswerefleeingKosovolikeariver,Iwas

shockedtowatchpeopleliterallycarryingalltheirbelongingsontheirbacksasthey left theirhomeland for somewherenewand relatively safer.Thecameraswould get so close that you could see every emotion on their faces, and thereporterstendedtoleavemuchofthedramatospeakforitself,asanear-silent

processionextendedintothehorizon.Apathyandchildishinnocenceconvergedas I began to internalize the sheer number of people involved and how, givendifferent circumstances, I could have been on the other side of the camera assomeonefarawaywatchedme.IcarriedthoseimageswithmewhenIstartedknittingitemsforcharity.Itook

themomentwhere“thatcouldbemeâ€andstartedtomakethings,knowingthat theywouldhelponepersonata time.Although itdidn’talwaysseemlike “enough,†I knew I was doing something toward relievingsomeone’scoldbonessomewhere.AndIhopedthatmyscarveswouldwraparound themandconvey,even if justa littlebit,asenseofhopeand loveandkindness.OnceIstartedthinkingaboutthingsIcoulddoonamoregloballevel,Istartedfindinggroupsthatwereusingcrafttoelucidateproblemsofepidemicproportions.Asawaytosubvertthetraditionalformofthepetition,whereittakesonlya

few seconds to sign your name, one knitting group started a project with theorganizationWateraidtobringattentiontothenumberofpeoplewhodon’thaveregularaccesstocleandrinkingwateroradequatetoilets.Theproject,Knita River, asked for donations of knitted six-by-six-inch blue squares that wereusedtoforma“riverâ€thatvisuallyshowedbothhowlargetheproblemwasgloballyandhowmanypeoplesupportedthecampaign.Insteadofcollectingamassofsignednamesinprotest,theriverwasdisplayedatvariousfestivalsandevents.It’seasytoignoreapetition,butnotsoeasytoignoreamassiveseaofbluesquaresthatblocksyourpathandleadsyoutowonderwhatitspurposeis.It is this asking of questions that is one of the most important aspects of

helpingraiseawarenessofneedsor inequitiesacross theglobe.Forme, itwasthenews,notunderstandingwhatcouldhavehappenedtohavecausedthousandsof people to flee their countrywith just a few (if any) possessions. Itwas anexodus, something I had never seen on such a scale before, happening rightbefore my eyes, where I couldn’t ignore it or stop myself from askingquestions. Projects like Knit a River accomplish the same thing by makingpeoplecuriousandencouragingthemtolearnmore.Raising our sense of awareness not only helps us stay informed of world

events,italsohelpsusbetterunderstandthespecificrolethatwearetoplayinthoseevents.Whatresourcesdowehave?Whatideascanweshare?Whatcanwe give? By not alienating ourselves from our immediate surroundings, wegather compassion and empathy as well as understanding. We ask morequestions,envisionmoreideas,andinitiateconversations.Wecandoallofthisandmore,justbyremainingpresentandopentotheworldaroundus.

KnittingforGoodActions

|MakingChoiceswithOurWallets|

Doyouknowwhereyourmoneygoes?Onanotepad,jotdownthelasttenitemsyouspentmoneyon.Didyoubuytheseitemsatbig-boxretailersorfromalarge-scaleproducer?Ordidthey come from more independent businesses? If your list contains mostly big-box retailnames,isthereanywhereelseyoucanpurchasethesameitemslocally?Ifthelistcontainsmostly independent businesses, was supporting them a conscious act of ethicalconsumerismoranactofgeographicconvenience?

|GettingLocal—EvenIfOnlyforaCupofCoffee|

I fullyadmit todrinkingentirely toomuchcorporate-chaincoffee. Ialso fullyadmit toa full-blown coffee addiction. With a giant coffee store chain outlet (almost literally) on everycorner,it’saprettyeasyhabittokeepup.Butwhataboutthelittleguys?UntilIactuallypried myself away from one certain giant chain, convinced that I was never going to beadequatelycaffeinatedagain,Istartedcheckingoutthelocalcoffeeshopsinmyarea.Iwasoverjoyed to findsuchnicetiesasmorecomfychairs, freewi-fi,and locally roastedcoffee.Someof theshopsevenhadcoolermugsandplayedmusic they liked insteadofhawkingCDsby theregister.But itwasn’tuntil Istarted looking for theseplaces that theyweretrulyonmyradar.Do youhave somesort of habit that is currently fulfilledonly bya chainor franchise?Try

goingtolocalplacesinyourarea,ifonlytoexperiment.Seewhetherthereareanysurprises.

ManosSilkBlendSocks

DesignedbyJaniceBye

Ihadnoideaofthejoyofhandmadesocksuntilafewmonthsago,andmyfeetmayneverbethe same! Socks keep our feet warm and dry and cozy, and when they’re donated tocharity,theycanreallymakesomeone’sday.

|SIZES|

Women’sonesize

|FINALMEASUREMENTS|

6"xdesiredlength

|YARN|

Manos Silk Blend (70% merino wool/30% silk; 150 yards/50 grams): 1 skein each #3117Violets(color1)and#3071Wisteria(color2).

|NEEDLES|

Onesetdoublepointedneedles(dpns)sizeUS4(3.5mm)Changeneedlesizeifnecessarytoobtaincorrectgauge.

|NOTIONS|

Stitchmarker

|GAUGE|

26stsand36rows=4"(10cm)inStockinettestitch(Stst)|NOTE|Firstsockisworkedwithcolor1asAandcolor2asB.Secondsockreversescolors.

|SOCKS|

WithcolorA,CO60sts.Distributestsasfollows:15stsonneedle1,30stsonneedle2,and15stsonneedle3.Joinrnd,beingcarefulnottwiststs.

Joinrnd,beingcarefulnottwiststs.Workk1,p1ribfor1",thenworkinStst(kallrnds)for1"more.ContinStst,work2"incolorB,then2"incolorA.ChangetocolorBandknitonernd.Nextrnd:K2tog,k3;repfromaround—needle1:12sts;needle2:24sts;needle3:12sts.K6morernds.Nextrnd:Kstsonneedles1and2.

|HEELFLAP|

Note:AlwaysslipstasiftopurlandcarrytheyarnontheWS.Workingbackandforthonneedles3and1,workasfollows:Nextrow(RS):Sl1,k1;rep

fromacrossrow,turn.Nextrow:Sl1,purlacrossrow,turn.Replast2rowsatotalof12times.Nextrow(RS):Sl1,knittoendofrow,turn.

|TURNHEEL|

Row1(WS):Sl1,p13,p2tog,p1,turn.Row2:Sl1,k5,k2tog,k1,turn.Row3:Sl1,p6,p2tog,p1,turn.Row4:Sl1,k7,k2tog,k1,turn.Row5:Sl1,p8,p2tog,p1,turn.Row6:Sl1,k9,k2tog,k1,turn.Row7:Sl1,p10,p2tog,p1,turn.Row8:Sl1,k11,k2tog,k1,turn.Row9:Sl1,p12,p2tog,turn.Row10(RS):Sl1,k12,k2tog—7stsremonneedle3and7stsremonneedle1.

|FOOT|

Withneedle1,pickupandk12stsalongrightsideofheel—19sts;withneedle2,k24stsforinstep;withneedle3,pickupandk12stsalongothersideofheel,thenk7stsfrombottomofheel—19sts.Markthecenteroftheheelforthebeginningofthernd.Rnd1:Knit.Rnd2:Needle1:Ktolast2sts,k2tog;needle2:Knit;needle3:Ssk,ktoend.Reprnds1and2untilthereare12stsonneedle1and12stsonneedle3.Conttokallstsinrnduntilfootmeasures2"lessthanlengthoffoot.Slipstsontoasparepieceofyarnandtryonthesockifdesired.

|TOE|

CutcolorBandchangetocolorA.Rnd1:Knit.Rnd2:Needle1:Ktolast2sts,k2tog;needle2:Ssk,ktolast2sts,k2tog;needle3:Ssk,k

toend.Reprnds1and2until10stsremonneedle2,endhavingworkedrnd1.

Kstsonneedle1.Slidestsfromneedle3ontoneedle1—10sts.Cutyarn,leavingan18"tailforgrafting.GrafttoeusingKitchenerstitch(seeAbbreviationsandTermsonpage146).

ForSock2,reverseallcolors.

©JaniceBye.Reprintedbypermission.

chaptereight

theuniversalvoiceofcraftusingcraftstoexpressemotion

AS YOU BEGIN BRINGING YOUR KNITTING OUT INTO YOUR localcommunity, you may soon find that craft has a remarkable ability to helptranscend cultural differences. Soon after I started knitting in public, Idiscovered it couldcross languagebarriers,making foraprofoundexperience.OneafternoonIwashelpingoutwithacharityyardsale,andwhenfoottrafficgotslow, I tookoutmyknitting.Afewmomentsafter Ibegan,awomanwhohad been sifting through the clothes hesitantly walked over to me, her eyeslockedon themovementofmyhands.Whenshegotupclose, shesmiledandmimicked themotions ofmyhands knitting. She reachedout and touched thescarfIwasmakingandsmiledagain,thenspoketomeinSpanish.Thoughwecouldn’t verbally communicate, we had a common understanding andconnectionthroughknitting.Craft can be a profoundway to transmitmessages and emotions across the

globe when we cannot communicate verbally or through writtenword—whetherdue to languagebarriers, lackof resources,or censorship.Bychoosingtocraftspecificitems,suchaspoliticalbanners,memorialblankets,orpictorial tapestries,we are adding yet another layer to our crafting. Instead ofjust something to use forwarmth or utility, craft can also take on a symbolicmeaning. The triple use of intention, agenda, and end product creates amultitieredworkthatexpressesourviews,wants,andaestheticsallatonce.Handmade objects are able to resonate deeply with people because craft

allows us to transform emotion into a tangible object. Just as music turnsemotionintosoundandwritingturnsemotionintotheprintedword,craftturnsitintosomethingwecanholdinourhandsandwraparoundus,trulycomfortingoursoul.Icanholdtheafghanyouknittedrowafterrowinthenameofpeace;Icanholdyourdissent inmyhands.Wecanshout,wecancry,wecanscream,but converting those energies into something real that we can grab onto is auniquewayofturningfeelingsintosomethinguseful.Itsubstitutesforallthosewordsyoucan’tquiteform.Thischapterexplorestheemotionthatcanbeexpressedthroughourknitting

andotherneedlecrafts:howitcanbeusedtospeakoutwhenwecan’t,helpus findsupportwhenwefeelalone,andgiveus thestrength to fightwhenweseeinjustice.

ÂÂÂÂRaynaFahey

RAYNAFAHEYLIVESINAUSTRALIAANDBELIEVESINTHEPOWEROF

SEDITIOUSSTITCHING.LEARNMOREATRADICALCROSSSTITCH.COM

I’m one of those people who totally believes that everythingyoudoispolitical.AndI’dbeenanactivistforabouttenyearsbefore I started crafting. I started doing crossstitch when I waspregnant, after I’d read all my books, couldn’t standwatchingTVanymore,andcouldn’treallymovemucheither.Ithoughtcrossstitchwouldbeanice,repetitive,boringthingformetowastethemonthson.Butafteraboutaweek,Icouldn’thelpmyself, and I started coming up with ways of politicizing mystitches.One thing led toanother,andverysoon Ihadawebsiteandapileofpatternsmadeforradicalcrossstitch.Alotofmyworkhasanovertlyradicalpoliticalmessage.I’m

notreallyintobeingcleverorwitty.Ijustlikecrossstitchesthattellpeople how to run their lives! Most of what I create is of ananarcho-feminist nature, but there’s also a strong indigenoussovereignty component inmy stuff, because those are the thingsI’mmostinto.Thestuffthatdoesn’thaveanovertpoliticalmessageisusuallymadeoutofreclaimedandupcycledmaterials,so I’msaving stuff from landfills. I think that’s subversivetoo.Wemustbewaretheexcessiveconsumerismofcrafting!As a women’s studies graduate, I got to learn all about

women’shistoryandall theseamazingpeopledoingamazingstuffthatwejustdon’thearabout.Ofcourseoneofthethingsyou never learn about iswomen’s political art and craft. Andthere’ssomuchof itout there,datingbackcenturies.SoI tryand draw on this herstory as much as I can. I’m stitching aseries of feminist posters fromdifferent eras, because I think the

artistsofthosetimesneedtobehonoredasmuchastheactivists.The latest piece I designed and am currently stitching is an

antique-inspired floral border surrounding the text “Don’tbleed on the carpet.†It’s meant as an ironic tribute to allthose revolting “Home sweet homes†out there. But it’salsomylittletributetoalltheamazingwomenintheworldwhorunhouseholds.It’ssuchhardworkandthanklesslyunpaid.Butitgoesonnomatterwhat,becauseit’ssuchimportantwork.Weallneedaplacetocallhome.Somewherewherewecanstopandbesafe.This piece ismostly dedicated to women living in themidst of

war,who despite all obstacles still strive to provide a clean, tidy,safespacewhere their lovedonescan restbefore facinganotherday. The women who sew together scraps for their wee onesbecausetheyknowhowimportantitisforatwo-year-oldtohaveacuddlyfriend.Thewomenwhodressinblackandmarchforpeacedespitebulletsandteargas,all thewhilecarryinggianthandbagswithkeysandsnacksandhankiesforsmallrunnynoses.

AngerSomewherealongtheline,Iforgottogetangry.Despitemybeliefsinfeminism,at some point inmy life, I had begun to believe that showingmy anger wasimpolite,unacceptable,andunfeminine.AlthoughIcandefinitelybepushedtosayangrywordswhenheavilyprovoked,Ialwaysregrettheirharshness.Somethinghappenswhenwestarttouseourhandsinsteadofourvoicesasa

waytoworkthroughtheanger.Whilewordsalltoooftencomeunpreparedandunscripted,wemustplanourknittingorneedlework.Bycraftingouremotion,we create a conscious plan to express the feeling we are trying to get acrossand/orevoke. Insteadofscreaming,ourworkwillhitviewers’eyesbeforetheirearsandallowadifferentsensoryprocessofstorytellingtoemerge—withluck,onethatcanmorepeacefullyfacilitatechange.Chile’sarpilleristasprovideaprofoundexampleofhowcraftcanexpress

angerinpowerfulandmovingways.DuringthereignofAugustoPinochet,thearpilleristas of Santiago made arpilleras (elaborate tapestries) to let peopleknowabouttheinjusticeshappeningtotheirlovedonesandtheircountry.Whentheir family members started disappearing, these women turned to their craft

(because speaking out was too dangerous) to illustrate how they felt. In herbook, Scraps of Life, Marjorie Agosin writes about the two reasons for the“evolution of the arpilleristasâ€: “[T]he women have become morefocused as to their direction and intentions and their horizons have widenedbecauseoftheiractivity.Theirintentistousethearpilleraasanalternativewayofcommunicatingsincenormalchannelsareblocked.â€Using scraps of fabric andbits of thread, themothers, sisters, andwives of

Los Desaparacidos (The Disappeared) depicted stories and dreams about asituation entirely beyond their control.The only answers they could get aboutthose who had disappeared without explanation was that no one knewwherethey were. As days became months and months became years, they heardnothing about thewhereabouts of their loved ones.Unable to get closure andunsurewhetherthemissingwerestillalive,beingtortured,orkilledandburiedsecretly, thearpilleristascreatedtheircolorful tapestries tohelp themcontinueon.Textilesgavethesewomenavoice;whentheyweren’tallowedtospeak,

they could communicate their emotions through color, expressing their hopesand fearsandanger stitchbystitch.As theirarpillerasweresold illegallyandshippedoutofthecountryforsaleonothercontinents,theyinformedpeoplehalfaworldawaythatinChile,peopleweredisappearingatanalarmingrate.Craftbecameawaytocopewiththeirextremesituationandreachoutforhelpbeyondtheirculturalandgeographicalboundaries.

GriefHowcanwerememberpeoplewe’velostifwedon’thaveaphotograph?In parts ofAfrica (and as part ofAfrican-American culture),memory jars arecreatedtokeeplovedonesintheheartsandmindsofthoseclosetothem.Smallitemsbelongingtothedeceasedareeitherplacedinajarorpot,orattachedtoit.Thecreationofthememoryjarensuresthatitemsofpreciousnostalgiaarenotlost, and that lovedones arenot forgotten.There’s something I really likeaboutgatheringtangibleitemsfromsomeoneyoulovedwhohaspassedon;theyholdadifferentenergythanaphotographandpresentasortofthree-dimensionalmemory.I’vediscussedhowknittingcanhelpusworkthroughouremotionstohelpusprocessloss,heartbreak,andgrief.Thissameprinciplecanbeappliedonalargerscale.Wecanknitorsewtohelpothersprocesstheirgrief,whetherindividuallyorinalargergroup.In times of emotional upheaval, handmade objects can provide a wealth of

comfort,especiallybecausewesometimesshyawayfromgrief,internalizingourown, ignoringothers’,generallypushing it away.Byhonoringandstayingwithourfeelingsofsadness,wehavetheopportunitytohealandmoveforward.Manypeople find thatmakingbereavementquiltsmade from the clothesof

their deceased loved one helps them to process the loss and cherish thememories.AccordingtoartistSherriWood,thisprocessgivesthequilter“acontainer toenter ingrief foraperiodof time.†Itbecomesa tangible,visualway towork through sadness and a flood of emotions during a difficult time,puttingmoremeaningintotheendproduct.Themakercan(hopefully)comeoutoftheexperiencewithadeeperunderstandingandappreciationofsomeonewhoisnolongeraroundbutisstillhelddear.Theideaoftakingoldclothesandbreathingnewlifeintothemisanotherway

oftakingtimeouttohonorsomeoneandtheirlife.Unlikeaprizedicechestorheirloomsideboard,clothesretainthesmell,feel,andshapeoftheirowners.Apatchwhereasmallholewascovered,atearmendedbyhandsyearsago,worn-out knees. More than idle castoffs, clothes reflect a person’s taste andcharacter,andholdmuchmoreofhisorheressencethanmostotherpossessions.When pondering how to best remember someone, having a look at his or herwardrobe might be a good first start. You might want to consider using thegarmentstocreatesomethinglikeapilloworablanket.Youmayfindthatcraftingwithothertypesofbelongingsismoreappropriate

toyourownsituation.Maybeyourlovedonelikedmodelairplanesandyoucanmake them into a mobile. Maybe beads from a bracelet can be turned intoanotherbraceletor anecklace.Maybe there is something specialyoucan takefromtheirpossessionstotransformintosomethingnewtokeepthememoryofsomeoneyou’velostalwayscloseathand.

ÂÂÂÂOttovonBusch

OTTOVONBUSCHSPLITSHISTIMEBETWEENSWEDENANDTURKEY.YOUCANFINDHISWORKATSELFPASSAGE.ORG.

Central to my practice is how to engage with fashion, to“hack†it in some way. Fashion is both a liberating and anoppressivesystem. Itcanhelpus todressapartand tocelebratethepossibilityforchange,bothpersonalandsocial.Butitisalsoa

nonparticipative and “interpassive†system, dictating thedecrees of the constant new. It thrives on being unattainable,constantly somewhere else, just beyond reach, something thatcreates anxiety and a sense of constant lack. Nevertheless, it isthis paradox that is the dynamic energy of the fashion logic thatpowers thesystem.Thismakes it fascinating toworkwith.Not tooverthrow,resist,ordefyfashion,butinsteadtotrytotuneit,bendit, hack it—to liberate some of the positive energies within. Anengagedactivismofcraft,afashion-affirmingcraftivism.Central to this “hacking†is the development of

craftsmanship and sharpening the tools for action. We can usefashionasaworkshopforcollectiveenablement,wherecommunitymemberssharetheirmethodsandexperiencestobecomenotonlygoodcraftersbutalsogoodfashionistas.Wecanuseitasawayofunderstandingthehands-onskillsrequiredtomakethings,aswellas the imagemaking, styling, and logic thatmake fashion run sopowerfullyinoursociety;wecanplugintothisvividenergywiththeaim of social change. We can also use fashion to create smallscenes, base communities of fashion and craft, and from thereopenourpractices into largercommunities.Wherewetakeactioncan range from the kitchen table up to the factories within thefashion industry itself.Thiswaywemight liberatepartsof fashionfrom a phenomenon of cultural dictations and anxiety to insteadbecomeacollectiveexperienceofempowermentthroughengagedcraft.Thesewingmachinecanbecomeaninstrumentforliberation,and the development of fashion-related craftsmanship a path tofreedom.

JoyAlongwithemotionsthatcanweighusdown,wealsoneedtoexpressourmorefestivemoods.Knittingcanbedone in thenameofanewbaby,awedding, abirthday, or anyother occasion thatmight beworth remembering.While craftcan help us process sadness and confusion, it can also be a celebration of thegoodness that life can hold. Use your knitting to help bring joy into astranger’s life at times of great happiness. Children’s charities collect

handmade items such as clothing, blankets, and toys forwee ones around theworld.Unfortunatelythereisalwaysagreatnumberofchildreninneed,sotheneed for donations is universal. Perhaps you have a bit of yarn that can betransformed into a knitted toy, a scrap of fabric that canmake a nice doll, orsomerandomoldsweaterstobefeltedandgivenanewlifeasacozyblanket.Many hospitals have programs that collect caps for newborns.While some

babiesare instantlyshoweredwithpresents from that firstbreath,manyothersdonothave that luxury.Thepresentationofasofthat,madebyhandwith thecelebration of life in mind, is a wonderful way to be welcomed into thecommunityandtheworld.Hatsforinfantstakealmostnotimetomakeandcanbewhippedupinanhourorsowithlessthanaskeinofyarn.Ifthisideaappealstoyou,checkwithlocalhospitalstoseeiftheycollectcapsfornewborns;iftheydon’t,youmightevengetthemtostart.Theonlylimittoaprojectsuchasthisisthatthehatshouldbemachine-washableandmadefromyarnthatwillnotbeitchy.

Sometimes it’s hard to even think about how to express what you’refeeling, but you can project your emotions outward with your hands. Start apiecewithasparkofanideaandthenworkouttherestintheproduction.Youcanfollowtheemotionthatyou’refeelingandworkwithoutknowingwhatthe outcome will be. While this has enormous therapeutic and meditativebenefits, it can alsomooryou toyourbeliefs.Craft canbe reflexive, amirrorbetweeninsideandoutside,goinginbothdirections.Whatyoumakeshowstheworld what you’re feeling, and what you take from the world, youinternalizeinyourcraft.Inthisrespect,creativitycanreallybecomeachannelofpositivityandspiritasyouworkwithoutpremeditation.

KnittingforGoodActions

|ExpressingYourEmotionthroughKnitting|

What would a tapestry of your life look like? Consider the stories and scenes you’dillustrate, thecolorsyouwoulduse, thematerials thatwouldbestexpressyourpersonality.Wouldyoudivulgesecretsorstaysafe?Wouldyouwanttoshowit justtoyourfamilyortothepublic?

|UsingEveryScrap|

Notonlydoesusingupyouryarnstasheliminatewasteandclutterinyourhome,butitcanalsobe turned intosomething thatbrings joy toothers.Go throughyoursupplyandcollectleftoverbitsfromskeinsandabandonedprojects.Whatcouldyoumakewiththem?Astripeytiny blanket for a preemie? Leg warmers for a greyhound? A squishy toy for a baby tocuddle?Trythinkingaboutyourstashasasourceofopportunity insteadof just looseodds

andends.

ManosAsymmetricVest

DesignedbyJudithShangold

Clothingthatcanprovidesubstantialwarmthisalwaysneededbyvariouscharitiesaroundtheworld.Makinganddonating this vest canhelp keepsomeone layeredupandwarmagainstchillywinterwinds.

|SIZES|

Petite(Small,Medium,Large)

|FINISHEDMEASUREMENTS|

Finishedchest:33(37,41,45)"Finishedlength:201/2(221/2,24,26)"

|YARN|

ManosdelUruguayWoolClÃsica(100%wool;138yards/100grams):4(4,5,5)skeins#53Mulberry(MC);1skein#55Olive(CC)

|NEEDLES|

OnepairstraightneedlessizeUS9(5.5mm)Changeneedlesizeifnecessarytoobtaincorrectgauge.

|NOTIONS|

CrochethooksizeF,onebutton11/2"indiameter(buttonshownfromzecca.net)

|GAUGE|

16stsand24rows=4"(10cm)inpatternstitch

|BASKET-WEAVESTITCH|

Row1andallWSrows:Purl.Rows2and4:K2,p2,k2;repfrom.Rows6and8:P2,k2,p2;repfrom.Repeatrows1–8forpat.

|BACK|

WithMC,CO66(74,82,90)sts.Work rows 1–8 of basket-weave st 9 (10, 11, 12) times, end having worked row 1 ofpat—piecemeasuresapproximately12(131/2,15,161/2)".Shapearmholes:Keepingtopat,bindoff6stsbegofnext2rows.Dec1steachedgeeveryRSrow4timesasfollows:K1,ssk,workinpattolast3sts,k2tog,k1—46(54,62,70)stsremain.Workeveninpatuntilarmholemeasures8(81/2,81/2,9)",endWSrow.Shapeshoulders:Bindoffknitwise10(13,17,20)stsbegofnext2rows.Bindoffremsts.

|LEFTFRONT|

WithMC,CO34(38,42,46)sts.Workinpatuntilpiecemeasuressameasbacktoarmhole,endrow1ofpat.Shapearmholeandneck,nextrow(RS):Keepingtopat,bindoff6sts,workremsts.Dec1steachedgeeveryRSrow4timesasfollows:K1,sskworktolast3sts,k2tog,k1.ConttodecatneckedgeonlyeveryRSrow3moretimes,thenevery4throw7(8,8,9)times—10(13,17,20)stsremain.Workeveninpatuntilpiecemeasuressameasbacktoshoulder,endWSrow.Bindoffknitwise.

|RIGHTFRONT|

WithMC,CO26(28,30,32)sts.Work inpat,CO1stbegofevery4throw18(20,22,24)times,addingnewstsintopat,endrow8ofpat—44(48,52,56)sts.Shapearmholeandneck,nextrow(WS):Keepingtopat,bindoff6sts,workremsts.Next

row:Bindoff10sts,worktolast3sts,k2tog,k1.Dec1steachedgeeveryRSrow3timesasfollows:K1,ssk,worktolast3sts,k2tog,k1.ConttodecatneckedgeonlyeveryRSrow4moretimes,thenevery4throw7(8,8,9)times—10(13,17,20)stsremain.Workeveninpatuntilpiecemeasuressameasbacktoshoulder,endWSrow.Bindoffknitwise.

|FINISHING|

Sewshoulderandsideseams.Edging:WithcrochethookandCC,rightsidefacing,startatrightshoulderseamandworka

rowofsinglecrochetacrossbackofneckandaroundfrontandbottomedges,working3scintocornerspaces;slstintofirstsc.Rnd1:Ch4,skip3sc,scintonextst;repfromaround,slstintofirstst.Note:Iflastrepeatisnot4sts,workfewerchandskipfewersc.Rnd2:Ch1,work(sc,ch2,dc,sc)intoch4space;repfromaround,slsttofirstst,cutyarn

andpullendthroughloop.

Armholeedging:WithcrochethookandCC,rightside facing,startatsideseamandworkarowofscaroundarmhole,slsttofirstsc.Workrnd1ofedgingasabove.

Cutyarn,pullendthroughloop.

Sewonbutton,aligningitwithoneofthecrochetedgeeyeletsforbuttonhole.

Handwash garment inwarmwaterwith small amount of dishwashing liquid.Rinse.Wrap intoweltoremovewaterorrunthroughthespincycleinwashingmachine.Layflattodry.

©JudithShangold.Reprintedbypermission.

chapternine

dropstitches,notbombsactivismandknitting

ONEOFTHETHINGSTHATIHAVEBEENDEEPLYINVOLVEDinoverthepastfewyearsisthepromotionofcraftivism,whichisthepointwherecraftsandactivismmeet.Bytakingtwoseeminglydisparatewordsthatarenegativelystereotyped in their own ways (craft can be seen as dull or old-fashioned,activism as violent or radical) and combining them to create a new word,craftivismstrikesoutintonewterritory.In2003,Istartedusingthetermafterafriendcameupwithitduringaknittingcircle.Isoondiscoveredthatothershadalsocomeupwiththeconcept,pointingtoasharedfrustrationaboutissueslikeconsumerism, materialism, anti–green living, a lack of personal expression,and overconsumption. It was a topic that had piqued interest. The fact thatseveraldifferentpeopleingeographicallyseparatepartsoftheworldhadsimilarideasaround thesame timespoke to thefact that thisconvergence, ifproperlyharnessed,couldbemorepowerfulthanweeverthoughtpossible.TheoristNicoleBurisch sees craftivismas “emergingoutof the renewed

interest in social justice/activist issues that came in response to global tradeissues/antiglobalization politics of the early 2000s (and increased mediaattentionfortheWTOprotestsinSeattle,andtake-back-thestreetsparties,etc.,at that time). Alongside those, it seems there was a lot of interest in usingalternativestrategiesforprotestandaction:oftenthosethatemployadegreeofhumor,accessibility,andplay(costuming,streettheater,raginggrannies,radicalcheerleaders,etc.).â€

ÂÂÂÂSageAdderleySAGEADDERLEYISATATTOOARTIST,CRAFTER,ANDMOTHERWHORESIDES

INGEORGIA.SHEALSORUNSSWEETCANDYDISTRO(EYECANDYZINE.COM),

WHICHSELLSZINESANDHANDMADECRAFTS.

Creatingwithmyhandshasalwaysbeenoneof themostnatural

ways to express my thoughts and emotions. When I craft, I amreleasing the energy within myself that needs to be channeledoutward.Crafthasbeenapowerful tool inmylifeandhascarriedmethroughphaseswhenIwasdealingwithmajorissuessuchasdomesticviolence,singleparenting,andpoorbodyimage.NotonlydidImotivatemyself,butImotivatedothersaswell.Inthepastfewyears,Ihavefoundacommunityoffellowcrafters

who have similar feelings about the power of craft. We havegatheredtogether;eachofusbusywithourchosencraft.Youcanfeelthepowerweradiatetogetherwhileourmindsandhandsstayfocused. To craft is to empower ourselves to be heard. Ouropinionsarevital,andwithourcraft,wecanimpactourcommunityinapositivemanner.Mychildrencraftwhen theywant to tella lovedonesomething

special orwhen they feel theworld needs to hear their small butimportant voices. Through craft, we can support each other inpersonal and political gatherings. We craft for ourselves, forcharities,andforabettertomorrow.

StartingOutWhatcanyou,justoneperson,dofortheworld?Facedwithsuchanenormousquestion,youmayverywellanswer,“Notmuch.â€ButIthinkweoweittotheworldandtoourselvestouseourcreativityandpassiontofosterandbuildkindness.Therearealwayschangeswecanmakeinourdailylivesthatpositivelyaffect

others,whether directly or indirectly.Karina Tipton and Jenn Sturiale believeit’s the small things that help us create lasting change. Their website,Tinychoices.com,isbasedonthesmallchoiceswecanmaketohelptheplanet.Theirmessage:“Choosetoconsumeless.Choosetomakeyourownthings,ifyoucan.Choosetosaveyourmoneyforaseasonbywearingyourolderclothesalittle longer inorder tosaveupforsomethingofhigherquality thatmaylastlonger and that is made from materials you feel confident aboutenvironmentally.†Once we get in the habit of making tiny ethical choices,perhapswe’llbeabletograduatetolargerandmoreinfluentialactions.Beyondprovidingpeoplewithbasicneedssuchasfood,water,clothing,and

shelter,creativity is themost important thingwecanpasson to those inneed.

Being able to embrace your own creativity is just a step away from hope.We’veseenhowwecanuseourcreativeenergytoimproveothers’livesby teachinga skill, forming relationships, andmakingdonations. Isn’t thatgoodenough?Ofcourse!Justbycreatingoneitemanddonatingittocharityyouarehelpingsomeone,whichisworkingtowardthegreatergood.Whenwemake the leap to connectour immediate community to theglobal

community, itcanseemabitdaunting.But theglobalcommunitycomes fromthe same place as any smaller community, it’s just not as geographicallylimited.The key toworking toward the greater good is knowingwhat to giveandwhen to give it. Some of us burn out after an hour or two of tutoring ormentoring; others volunteer in poverty-stricken locations for hours, devotinground-the-clockcaretothesickandhungry.Onceweknowwhatwecangive,ourpowerliesinthatsphere.Ifwe’relucky,thatspherewillbecomelarger,expanding our capacity towant and need towork towardmaking theworld abetterplace.Whatresourcesandtalentscanyousharetomakeafewpeople’slivesa

little better? Although writing a check is a good thing, what if you eitherdon’tbelieveinthrowingmoneyataproblemordon’treallyhavemuchmoney to throw around? Consider the basic needs that we all have—food,water, and shelter. Create items that address these needs. In realizing howgratefulyouaretohaveawarmsweatertowraparoundyourself,youunderstandhowfullydeliciousitfeels,andyoucanstartthinkingaboutsharingthatwarmthwith others.When you bring it all back to a level of humanity, suddenly thevastnessbeginstofallaway.Knittoexpresstheneedforchangebyknittingaprotestbannertohang,share,

or wear; have a knit-in at a protest; share your cultural/political feelings in apiece you create; or talk to other people in your community about using theircreativegifts towardthegreatergood.Whenyoucan,knit tocreatechangebymaking items for charities that help support your cause, starting your owncharitableorganization, or using a skill set youhave tobenefit others. Just gowhereyourheartandhandstakeyouandholdon.You can use a cultural stereotype (that craft isn’t dangerous) to help

further amessageofyour choice.Use it towakepeopleup, to lead them intoaction.Byshiftingtheparadigm,yougetthemtothink,whichisalargepartofmoving toward change.Change is something thatwe have to allow internallybefore we can express it externally. If we feel passionate about a cause, andespeciallyifweunderstandandhaveprocessedthatpassion,wewillbeabletodomorethanjustyellslogans;wewillbeabletoincorporateitintoourlivesandwork in other ways to get conversations about the problem and solutions

flowing. The joy of finding causes you really believe in is discovering howothers feel about the same things.Once you’ve expanded your ownmind,you can then listen to others and build and grow and change and evolve.You’vejustgottowantit.Sowhat ifyouwant it?Whatdoyoudo?What ifyouhave theenergy,but

don’thavetheideas?Startreadingthenewsandpayingattention,seewherethere are needs in this world, and what needs you can best help to meet. Itdoesn’t matter if you can only fill a tiny bit of a giant hole; you arecontributing something,whichmoves everyoneone step closer to the ultimategoal.

ÂÂÂÂWendyTremayneWENDYTREMAYNEWRITESTHE“RE:FITTEDâ€COLUMNINCRAFTMAGAZINE,WHICHFEATURESINNOVATIVEDIYREUSEPROJECTS.SHEISALSOTHEFOUNDEROFSWAP-O-RAMA-RAMA—AWORLDWIDE,NONPROFIT

CLOTHINGSWAPANDSERIESOFDIYEVENTSDESIGNEDTODEPOPULARIZECONSUMERISM.

In2000,Ileftmylast“jobâ€andbegantoliveonmyowntermsandworkonlyformyselfdoingprojectsthatweremeaningfultome.I was specifically interested in where meaning is derived in asociety that is 100 percent commodified. Since it’s throughconsumerism that we as individuals experience thiscommodification, I began to deeply examine consumerism, and Imade a commitment to “deconstruct the consumer.†Thisultimately ledme to createSwap-O-Rama-Ramaandbroughtmetomyconclusionsaboutmeaningandvalueandmycredothat intoday’s time the “maker†(the personwhomakes his orherworldratherthanbuysit)isthemodernrevolutionary.Tounderstandconsumerismandvalue,Idecidedtoliveforone

yearonbarter,nomoney.Foreachareaofmylife,IhadtobeverycreativeabouthowIwouldgetwhatIneededwithoutusingmoney.Asamusician, Iplayedgigsatvenuesthatservedfood; IworkedoutarrangementswithroommatesthatIwouldprovidethingsotherthan rent money. I wound up making them a lot of stuff likeblankets,creatingagarden,andsoon.Formywardrobe,Ichose

to create a clothing swap. After organizing a few swaps in myapartment, it seemedclear that therewasan impulse tobemorecreative.AndtheseswapsbecamethemechanismthatIwoulduseformytaskofdeconstructingtheconsumer.Contemplationledmetosomekeycomponents:The store environment reduces intimacy. People either go

shopping alone and stay alone, or they gowith a friend and talkonlytothatperson.AtSwap-O-Rama-Rama,therearenomirrors;thisistoremedythedistancetheshoppingmallhascreated.Whenpeoplerealizetherearenomirrors,theyturntoastrangerandask,“HowdoIlook?â€Thenanotherstrangerfromacrosstheroomwillsay,“Thisissoyou!â€andholdupagarment.Brandingisdivisive.Currentbrandingonclothingcreatesdistinct

socialgroupsthatdividepeoplebythesizeoftheirwallet,notthebreadthoftheircreativity.AtSwap-O-Rama-Rama,weprovidenewlabels that say “100% modified by me†to cover existingbranding and mark the newly transformed garments with acelebrationoftheirnewowners’creativity.Shopping isnot creative.Onlya few rarepeople inour society

arecreators:engineers,clothingdesigners,scientists,andsoforth.This is counterintuitive and ultimately reduces human beings tocogs. Every human being was born a creator. Swap-O-Rama-Ramainvitespeopletobecomecreatorsagain.Consumer goods lead to trash. A hundred years ago, we

made—or someoneweknewmade—everythingweownedandtherewasnotrash!Objectswere imbuedwithmeaning.AtSwap-O-Rama-Rama,wetransformthestalemanufacturedgoodsmadebymachinesintothingsthathavemeaningbychangingthemandaddinghumanintention.Makingbuildsknowledge.Makersdonotmakegoodconsumers.

Commodified culture breeds ignorance. All makers quickly learnthattheymustexplorematerialsandbecomeeducatedaboutthem:theirorigins,howthey’remade,wherethey’remade.

StepstowardChange

Herearesomeideasaboutwhatyoucandotochangetheworld.

Explore

Travelacrossthecountryoracrosstheglobe.Byseeingyourselfasatrueentityoftheworld,youcanstarttoidentifythewaysyoucanhelp.Maybeyoucangohomeandtellpeopleaboutthenewthingsyousaw,orreturntoacountrythatspoketoyoutodovolunteerwork,ormakesomethingforneedypeopleyoufindinyourtravels.Thefirststepinhelpingtheworldbecomeabetterplaceistoseeyourselfintheworldandtodecidewhatyoucancontribute.

LearnaboutOtherCulturesandCrafts

Oneof the things thatsurprisedmemostaboutknittingwas to learn that therewere different ways of approaching the craft in different parts of the world.Whilethismayseemnaive,IwasstartledtofindthatpeoplepurleddifferentlyinIcelandandthatsomepatternswerepartofacountry’sculturaltradition.Suddenly each sweater from Ireland or yard of fabric from South Americaopenedupawealthofinformationabouttheneedsofdifferentculturesandhowthe utility of craft allows for subtle changes to bemade out of necessity andavailability. Something about looking at handmade cloth around the worldsolidifiedtheinherentlikenessesweallshareinsteadofthedifferences.Which,whenyouthinkofit,isprettymagical.

ExpressYourIntentionsandBeliefs

Useyourcrafttoexpressyourbeliefs.Throughtangible,handmadeobjects,wecanbetterconnectwiththosearoundus,whomightnotknowhowtostrikeupaconversationatrandombutcancertainlytalkaboutwhatyou’remakingorhavemade.Oneofthegiftsofthehandmadeisthatbypracticingit(orwearingit)inpublic,youprovideanopportunityforconversationwithpeopleofsimilarinterests. Taking the time to knit a protest sign—rather than make aposter—reinforces your voice and actually shows that not only do youmeanwhatyousay,youmeanit.Ittakesyourfeelingsandturnsthemintosomethingotherthanapieceofcardboard.Itwilllastlongerandspeaklouder.Someof themost successful protest pieces I have seen at rallies have been

madebyhand.It’seasiertotalktosomeonewhoiswearingahand-knitted,antiwarsweaterorstandinginthemiddleofacardboardtankthanitistooneofthethousandsofpeopleholdingpreprintedsignsthatprotestersliketohandout.Ifyou’relucky,youmightevengetthechancetotalkwithsomepeoplewho

don’tfeelthesamewayasyouabouttheissue.Notthatyou’regoingtonecessarily change their minds, but conversation is a way forward, especiallywhenitcomesto“hotbuttonâ€issues.

LiveFiercelyandBravely

Thankstoamixtapefromafriend,IdiscoveredthemusicofNusratFatehAliKhan.Atfirst,IjustlikedthefactthatsinceIhadnoideawhathewassayinginUrdu, Iwouldn’t get distracted. But as I began to listen to twenty-minutesongsthatallbuiltupinthesamefashion,butwithdifferentbeatsandwords,Iwas curious aboutwhat compelled thismusic that seemed likebottled energy.After listening for awhile, something inme justwanted to spin and spin andspin, like a whirling dervish, and to create energy. After a little research, Ilearned that Khan was a singer in the qawwali tradition, a Pakistani form ofworship.Eachsongwascomposedofdifferentpartsandbuiltupasthesenseofprayeranddevotionheightened.Theyweren’t singing for financial gainor fameor anythingbesides joy

and devotion. Why they were doing it was an integral part of the wholeexperience;itwasmorethanentertainmentorpractice.AndtherewasasenseofbraveryandfiercenessbehinditthatwasmoreadmirablethannearlyanymusicIhadeverheard.Itwasloudtoexpressfaith,notloudjusttobeheard.Withoutfail, somewhere around the fifteen-minute mark of the longer songs, I wouldalwaysbeovercomewithanalmostoverwhelmingsenseof joyandpeaceandthemagicthatcomesfromgettinglostincreativity.Despitespeakingadifferentlanguage and practicing a different religion, the singers’ message camethroughboldlyandwasaclearremindertoliveandcreatebravely.Let thecreativeprocess takeyou.Youmaybeginwithone ideaandendup

withsomethingtotallydifferent,orbeleftwithatotalmess,butbyfollowingthegenerationofanewthought,youaredaringtotrustandbebold,ifonlyforafewmoments.

Whatcanwedofortheworld?Wecanbeinit.Wecantrustourcreativityandourpassionenoughtohonoritandshareit.Inexploringculturesandexpandingyourknowledge,youareworkingtowardtheperpetuationofcraft;bynotbeingafraidtomixyourinfluences,youarelettingcraftbreatheofandonitsown.

ProjectsforaBetterPlanetThere are currently individuals doing works of radical craft all over the

world—entirelytoomanytowriteabouthere.Buttogiveyouanideaofwhatpeople are doingwith their political craft—how they’re using it to voicetheiropinions,gainemployment,andstandup—herearejustafewexamplesofsomeartistsandcraftersIgreatlyadmire.

OttovonBusch

By providing tutorials on how to re-create our wardrobes, and therefore“hack†into theproductionofclothing,vonBuschhasmanaged tohelpustrytochangethewayswelookatclothesandtextileproduction.Whilehisworkis highly theoretical, it stems outward to things we can all fight against. Byencasing his tutorials in a theoretical framework, von Busch is holisticallychallenging the system, both the producers themselves (by restructuring theirclothes) and themakers (by forcing them to think aboutwhy reconstructing awardrobe is a liberation of both mind and body). We are all masters of ourwardrobe,inasense,ourownfactoriesaswetackleourclothes.Inaninterviewwith online zineWe Make Money Not Art, von Busch states, comparing thewardrobehackerswithheretics, “Theheretic isnot anatheist, but someonehacking the institutional and hierarchical interpretation of the faith. Like thehacker,modder,ortinkererthehereticiskeepingthepoweron,notrenouncingor opposing the core or energy of a system. Using faith for liberation andempowerment. This approach can also be taken in fashion. Not boycottingfashion or scorning it as ‘the emperor’s new clothes,’ but insteadcelebratingthemagicanddesireflowingthroughthatsystem,reconnectingittoempowerinsteadofregardingitasanenslavingculture.â€VonBuschwantsusto use the energy drifting through modes of mass production for our ownexperimentsincreativity.By wrapping up what we can do to fashion in modern culture, von Busch

stresses the importance of making our wardrobes our own. Instead ofconcentrating on what the factories give us and their negative sides, hehighlightsthejoythatcancomefromalternativemodesofproductionandshowsushowwecanretooltheseinourownlives.WecanusevonBusch’sworkas inspiration to discoverwhat goes into the production of our clothes. Is it asystemweagreewith?Arethereelementsofproductionthatcauseusfrustrationorsadnessorglee?Whatcanwetakefromopeningupandlookingintotheinnerworkingsoffactoriesandbigretailers?Doesitseemliketheworkofpeopleormore like cogs moving on a machine? What could make the process lessalienating?

StitchforSenate

StitchforSenate

Artist and theorist Cat Mazza created her website, microRevolt.org, to“investigate the dawn of sweatshops in early industrial capitalism†and toinform others about “the current crisis of global expansion and thefeminization of labor.†Her most recent project is Stitch for Senate, whichspeaks out against the conflicts in Iraq andAfghanistan by combining theorywithvisualart.Byjoiningintricatethoughtswithhandmadeitems,Mazza’swork helps viewersmake connections between their personal experiences andthoseof individualswhoareexperiencing injustice, thuselucidatinghowalikewe all are. The Stitch for Senate project mixes history with present-dayscenarios, linking two similar situations. During the world wars of the lastcentury,womenknitted as away to support the soldierswhowere fighting incolderclimates.Theyproducedsocks,hats,sweaters,andhelmetliners.ForthecurrentconflictsinIraqandAfghanistan,MazzaiscollectinghelmetlinersbasedonaWWIIpattern,oneforeachsenator.(Intheinterestoffulldisclosure,Ihavealreadyknittedmine.)Whatstruckmemostaboutthisparticularprojectwasthebridgebetweenpastandpresent.Eachlinerwillbesenttoastatesenator,whowillthenbeaskedtoeitherkeepthelinerordonateittoasoldieroverseas.Bycreatinggarments for individual soldiers, she’sputting a faceon the

war.Bycreatingonapersonallevel,thesepiecesservetoremindusthatinsteadofsomethingthat’sjusthappeningonourtelevision(andcomputer)screens,thewar affects the livesof real, breathingpeople—not pawns in a game, buthumanbeingsjustlikeyouandme.The strength of this project lies in the personal connection it forces us to

make.What I saymaygo inone ear andout theother, orbedrownedoutbythosearoundme(whetherthey’reagreeingordisagreeing),butactsofcraftresonatedeeperthanwords.Crafttakesmoreprocessingasourmindstranslatewhatwe’re seeing.We can ignorewhatwe hearmore easily thanwe canignoreavisualpieceofart.Mazza attacks the problems of the currentAmerican conflict by bringing it

down to a level that is easily understandable—using history’s pastexperiences of knitting for war and creating items that soldiers need. Byproducing utile objects that have political purpose, her project garners moreattention. And by using an item as simple as a helmet liner to symbolize theproblems with conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, she’s bringing us just alittlebitclosertoaworldthatseemsfarawayandremovedfromoureverydaylives.

PenguinJumpersProject

PenguinJumpersProject

Althoughthisprojectisnolongertakingdonations,it’sagreatreminderthatnot just people need helpwhen disasters take place.When the callwasmadeonlinefordonationsofknittedsweaterstokeepinoil-spillresponsekitsontinyBruny Island in Tasmania, the response was huge. Especially when peoplerealizedthattheseweren’tjustanyknittedsweaters,buttinyversionsfortheisland inhabitants that can be harmed in the event of an oil spill—penguins.Thisprojectmanagedtodoseveraldifferentthings:itforesawaneed,filledit,andraisedawarenessforthedangersanimalsfacebecauseofoilspills.The project was so successful because it asked for a creative solution to a

potential problem. The unusual nature of the request (small sweaters forpenguins)ledtorapidlyincreasedinterest.Thisincreasedawarenessextendedtowhatcanhappentoanywildlifeduringanoilspillandhighlightedthefragilityofourenvironment. Insteadof just showingphotographsof injuredanimals, itofferedanexampleofhowhumanscanhelpdirectly.

CondomAmulets

NaomiDagen Bloomwants to talk about sex. After learning about the risingnumberofwomenoverfiftywhowerecontractingAIDS,DagenBloomdecidedtoraiseawarenessaboutaproblemthatmanypeopleneverevenknewexisted.While there ismuchmedia attention given to the need for younger people tohave safe sex andhowcontinents likeAfricaneedmoreHIVeducation, therewaslittleabouthowwomenof“acertainageâ€needtobesafetoo.Inherzine,KnitaCondomAmulet,sheremindsusthat,“accordingtothe

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of Americansover50whoare infectedwithHIVhasgrownover5 times (16,300people in1995, to 90,600 in 2003).While seniors represent about 14% of people withHIV,seniorwomenrepresent18%.â€Sheprovidesindividualswithapatternforknitting a condom amulet (a pouch to be worn around the neck that holds acondom).Theamuletsareawake-upcall.WhileIhaveanideaofhowrapidlytherate

ofHIVisgrowinginAfrica,Iwasflooredtolearnaboutthegrowingrateofthesamedisease inolderAmericanwomen.DagenBloommakespeopleawareofthisissueandalsofightsagainstthecommonperceptionthatonceyougetold,sexstops.Sheishelpingwomenkeepsafeandensuringthatthewordisspread,insteadofHIV.

WhileIhavetriedtocaptureafewexamplesofthepoliticalcraftthatspansthe

globe, it can never be close to the scope of what’s out there. Right nowpeoplearecreatingworksofpoliticalartthattheycan’tshowoutoffearofbeing hurt, ashamed, or worse. We may think that problems like the peopledisappearing inChile (see chapter 8) are in the past, but similar activities arehappeningsomewhere,andpeoplearecreatinginordertofighttheinjusticeintheirownquietway.Itmaytaketimeforustoseetheirworkssowecanbeginto understand more about their experiences, just as the tapestries of thearpilleristashadtobesmuggledoutofChilebeforetherestoftheworldknewwhatwashappening.AlthoughIknowthereissomeamazingpoliticalworkoutthere, I also know there are loads of pieces Iwon’t see—andmay neversee—giventhepoliticalclimatesofsomeplacesintheworld.That’sthehardpart.Knowingthatsomewheresomeoneismakingthings

thatarebornoffrustrationandanger,butduetogeography,theyareunabletoexpress these feelings publicly. I gain strength knowing that somewheresomeoneisknittingorweavingorsewingortyingorgluingorbeadinginsecret,andit ismyhopethatonedaytheywillbefree.It isfor themthatImakemyfeelings known via the handmade, because these struggles are hard-won andarduous, and just because we can ignore them, doesn’t mean they’lldisappear.Knowingthatthereareorganizationsandgroupshelpingpeoplefindwaysto

makealivingoutofsomethingoftheirowncreationmakesmethatmuchmoredeterminedtoworkoncreatingahandmademicroeconomywhereIlive.Ihopethat although itmaynot be fully sustainable, itwill help spread theword thatthereareotherwaysoflivingthanjusttheeasyroute.Askingquestions,needingtoknowanswers,lookingfortruth,wantingothers

tohavetheirbasicneedsmetaswedo—allthesethingsfacilitatepoliticalcraft.I’vementionedafewgroupsherethatdogreatwork,butit’sjustasmallsamplingofwhat’sgoingon.Brokendownintotinypieces,theworldisfullofpeople,not just separateentitiesmany timezonesapart.Andaspeople,wehave the chance to work toward a better world, and that thought is keptmanageableanddoableonceweseethatalthoughtheproblemsoftheworldarevast,therearesmallwayswecanreachoutandstarttohelppeople.Imayonlyknittenscarvesinoneyearthatgotocharity,butthatmeansthatsomewheretenmorepeoplearewarmer.Whenit’salladdedup,wecanmakeadifference.

KnittingforGoodActions

|FindingtheActivistWithin|

Most of us are activists, even thoughwemay not label ourselves as such. Butwhymust

activistbesuchadirtyword?Thinkaboutpastissuesthathavecausedyoutospeakout,actout,orbeotherwisecompelledtomakeachange.Theycanbeastinyasgettingyourfamilytoturnoffthewaterwhiletheybrushtheirteethorwritingalettertotheeditortovoiceyouropinion.It’snotaboutthesizeoftheaction,it’saboutwhatcausedyoutotakeactioninthefirstplace.Is there anything at work or at home that you’d like to change for ethical, political, or

consumeristreasons?Maybeincorporatepaperrecyclingintoyourcurrentrecyclingregimen?OrgetyourcompanytousemoresustainablecupsinsteadofStyrofoam?

|It’sAllintheDetails|

Now that you’ve comeupwith a few ideas for things you could change tomake yourenvironment,house,community,orplaceofemploymentalittlebetter,picktheonethatmostappealstoyou.Committoactuallydoingitforaweek.Whentheweekisover,seeifthatonetinychangemadeadifferenceinhowyouthinkaboutotherpossibletinychanges.Hopefully,itwill!Ifitdoesn’t,you’vechangedyourhabitsforthebetterforashorttime,andallthosegoodactionsaddup.

MossyJacket

Designedbyfawnpea(f.peadesigns)

Whenever I see a pattern for a baby something or other that says it’s a very specialsomethingorother,thatusuallymeansitishyperruffled,tiedwithahundredribbons,ormadefromartisan-spuncashmere.Ithinkthislittlejacketisaveryspecialbabygiftbecauseit’sjustreallynice.Ithasafunky,off-centerbuttonband;it’scute,colorful,fairlyquicktoknit,andmadefrommerinowool—alittlebitchichi,butnotridiculouslyso.The jacket isknit top-down,all inonepiece,andtheyarn isknit tightlyonneedlesslightly

smallerthancalledfortomakeanicewinterjacketforaninfant.Usingjusttwobuttonsmakesiteasytogetonandoff.(Note:Iamareallylooseknitter,sotheneedlesizemightnotworkforyou.Makesureyoudoaswatchtogetthecorrectgaugeforthisproject.)|SIZES|6mos(12mos,18mos)

|FINISHEDMEASUREMENTS|

Finishedchest:21(23,241/2)"Finishedlength:10(111/2,13)"

|YARN|

ClassicEliteBeatrice(100%merinowool;63yards/50grams):3skeins#3215AspenGrove(MC);1skein#3285AutumnHillside(CC)|NEEDLES|One26"circularneedlesizeUS9(5.5mm)One26"circularneedlesizeUS10(6mm)Onesetdoublepointedneedles(dpns)sizeUS9(5.5mm)Onesetdoublepointedneedles(dpns)sizeUS10(6mm)Changeneedlesizeifnecessarytoobtaincorrectgauge.

|NOTIONS|

Scrapyarnasstholdersforsleeves,twobuttons1"indiameter,stitchmarkers,tapestry

Scrapyarnasstholdersforsleeves,twobuttons1"indiameter,stitchmarkers,tapestryneedle,pinasmarker|GAUGE|14stsand20rows=4"(10cm)inStockinettestitch(Stst)withlargerneedles|NOTES|Garmentisworkedinonepiecestartingattheneck.Makeallincreases(inc)byknittingintothefrontandbackofthestitch.

|SEEDSTITCH|

Row1:K1,p1;repfrom.Row2:P1,k1;repfrom.Reprows1and2.

|JACKET|

StartingatneckandusinglargerneedlesandMC,CO3stsforRightFront,placemarker(M);CO8(8,9)stsforRightSleeve,placeM;CO14(15,16)stsforBack,placeM;CO8(8,9)stsforLeftSleeve,placeM;CO1stforLeftFront—34(35,38)sts.

Row1(RS):Incinfirstst,slipM,inc,kto1stbeforenextM,inc,slM,inc,repfromtolastst,incinlastst—9stsincreased.Row2:Purl.Row3:Kto1stbeforeM,inc,slM,inc,repfromtolastst,incinlastst—9stsincreased.Row4:Purl.

Reprows3and4oncemore—61(62,65)sts.Nextrow(RS):Placepinatbeginningofrowandworkrow3again,CO4(5,6)stsatendof

row—74(76,80)sts.Nextrow:Purl.Nextrow:K,inc1stbeforeandaftereachM—8stsincreased.Replast2rows5(6,7)moretimes—122(132,144)sts.

|DIVIDEFORSLEEVES|

NextRSrow:K11(12,13)stsforLeftFront,removeM;place28(30,33)sleevestsonalengthofscrapyarn;CO1st,removeM,incinnextst,knitrem33(36,39)stsforback,removeM,place28(30,33)sleevestsonscrapyarn,CO1st,removenextM,incinnextst,krem20(22,24)stsforRightFront—70(76,82)stsforbody.

|BODY|

ConttoworkinStst,untilpiecemeasures9(101/2,12)"fromCOedge,endWSrow.CutMC.Nextrow(RS):ChangetosmallerneedlesandCCandk1row.K4rowsinSeedst.Bindofflooselyinpat.

|SLEEVES|

Slipstsonholdertodpns,distributingthemevenlyon4needles.JoinMC,pickupandk1stattheunderarm,kremsts—29(31,34)sts.Placemarkerandjoin,beingcarefulnottotwiststs.K3morernds.Nextrnd,decrnd:Ktolast2sts,k2tog.K3rnds.Repdecrndonevery4thrnd5moretimes—23(25,28)stsrem.Workevenuntilsleevemeasures6(61/2,7)"ordesiredlengthfromunderarm.CutMC.

ChangetosmallerneedlesandCC.K1rnd.Work4rndsinSeedst.Bindofflooselyinpat.Repeatforsecondsleeve.

Repeatforsecondsleeve.

|FINISHING|

ButtonBands:WithsmallercircularneedlesandCC,RSfacing,startatpinandpickupandk30(34,39)stsalongleftfrontedge.Work4rowsinSeedst.Bindoff inpat.WithRSfacing,pickupandk30(34,39)stsalongrightfrontedge.Work2rowsinSeedst.Nextrow,workbuttonholes:Keepingtopat,work2sts,yo,work2tog,work5sts,yo,work2tog,workremsts.Work1morerow.Bindoffinpat.

Collar:WithsmallerneedlesandCC,RSfacing,pickupandk4stsfrombuttonholeband,10(12,12)stsacrossrightfrontneckedge,8(8,9)stsacrosstopofrightsleeve,14(15,16)stsacrossbackneck,8(8,9)stsacrosstopofleftsleeve,6(7,8)stsalongleftfrontneckand4stsalongtopofbuttonband—54(58,62)sts.Work3rowsinSeedst.Bindoffinpat.

Sewonbuttons.Weaveinlooseends.

©fawnpea.Reprintedbypermission.

afterword

DURING AN E-MAIL DIALOGUE ABOUT CRAFT AND ITS strengths,environmental artist BryantHolsenbeckwrote, “think about it—a hundredyearsago,manymorepeoplehadtoweavetheirclothes,kill theirsheep,choptheirwood.Therewasnoneedforgyms,peopleweregettingplentyofexercisejust living their lives. Forme,making, understanding how things aremade orgrowforthatmatter,hasbeenalife’spassion.Iliketopickupaleafandseehowtheveinsgrowfromthestemorhowayoungflowerunfurlsfromitsbud.My own work has grown from being a craftsperson—potter turned basketmaker to someone who does work that chronicles the waste stream. Myutilitarian craft has become art. I think every act of making is an act ofrevolution. It is stopping the rush of time—timehere, time there—hurry up,hurryup.Andtakingtimetounderstandhowsomethingismadeandmakingitwithmeditation.â€Even thoughImetBryantas Iwas finishing thisbook,herapproachtocreativitywasatestamenttothepowerofcraft.AndIbelievethatifyoucanendaprojectasstronglyasyoustartedit,you’reontherightpath.Eachactionwe takehas thepossibility togainmomentum,both inourown

actionsandinthoseofothers.Bytrulybeingthechangewewanttoseeinthisworld, even if it seems like the smallest of changes, we are putting energytowardthatmomentum,helpingitgainspeed.Bystartingoutwithsmallthings,suchaswhatonepersoncando,it’stheneasiertobuilduptobigthings,likewhatawholeplanetcando.Ifyoutrulyparticipateinactsofchangeorgoodnessorcharity,thenit’s

notaboutrallying the troopsandgettingeveryonetosee thingsyourway.Thetruestaspectofagooddeeddoesnotneedreciprocitytocompletetheprocess.Giveifyouwanttogive,howyoucangive,asmuchasyouwanttogive.Theideaofthisbookistogetyouthinkingaboutsmallchangesyoucanmakeortinyideasyoucanusetomakeyourlifeandthelivesofothersabitbetter.Thegoalis to explore different ways to view and express your creativity.When askedabouthowcraftaffectsherlife,authoranddesignerTsiaCarsonwrites,“onapersonalleveltworeasonsfuelmymaking.Oneisthepromiseofthealchemicaltransformationofturningbasematerialsintogold.Icantakesomethinglikeyarnandturnitintosomething,anythingalmost—alampshade,ascarf,anopeningupofimagination.Theotheristhattheactofmakingasaspiritualpractice.Itis

divine in its essence. It is the process that carries the intentionality. In theintentionisthepower.â€Byexpandingyourownviewsofwhatitmeanstocraftandbecreative,youhavemoreroomtogrowandexploreandseewhereittakesyou.Byallowingitspossibilitiestoinspireyou,itcantakeyouonajourneyifyou trust it. Hopefully you now have even more ideas than the ones I havesuggestedhere,andyouareexcitedaboutthenotionthatthetiniestofchangesstillworkstowardthegreatergood.Startmaking thisworld a better place slowly, even if it’s just stitch by

stitchbystitch.Eachofyouractionscausesarippleeffect,justaseachmoveofyour hand around the needle causes a stitch—they create something thatwasn’ttherebefore,sendingcreativity,hope,andlightoutintotheworld.

abbreviationsandterms

Beg=BeginningCC=ContrastingcolorCh=ChainCirc=CircularCO=CastonCont=ContinueDC=DoublecrochetDec=DecreaseDpn(s)=Doublepointedneedle(s)Inc=IncreaseJoglessjog=Whenchangingcolorsatthebeginningofaround,lifttherightsideofthestitchbelowontotheleftneedleandknitittogetherwiththestitch.

K=knitK2tog=knittwostitchestogetherKitchenerstitch=Insertyarnneedleintofirststonfrontneedleasiftopurlandpullyarnthroughleavingstonneedle.Insertyarnintofirststonbackneedleasiftoknit,pullyarnthroughandleavestonneedle.Insertyarnintofirststonfrontneedleasiftoknit,pullyarnthrough,removestfromneedle.Insertyarnneedlethroughnextstonfrontneedleasiftopurl,pullyarnthrough,leavestonneedle.Insertyarnthrough1ststonbackneedleasiftopurl,pullyarnthrough,removestfromneedle.Insertyarnneedlethroughnextstonbackneedleasiftoknit,pullyarnthrough,leavestonneedle.Repeatfromuntil1stremainsoneachneedle.Cutyarnandpassthroughstonfrontneedleastoknit,andremovestfromneedle.Passthroughstonbackneedleastopurl,andremovestfromneedle.

M=PlacemarkerM1=Make1stitchbypickinguphorizontalstrandbeforenextstandknittingintobackofit.

MC=MaincolorP=PurlP2tog=Purl2stitchestogetherpat=PatternRem=RemainRep=RepeatRnd(s)=Round(s)RS=RightsideSc=SinglecrochetSlst=SlipstitchSsk=Sl2sts,oneatatimeastoknit;insertleft-handneedleintofrontsofbothstsfromlefttorightandknitststogetherinthisposition.

St(s)=Stitch(es)Stst=StockinetteStitchTog=TogetherWS=WrongsideYo=Yarnover

Yo=Yarnover

bibliography

Agosin,Marjorie, andColaFranzen, trans.Scraps ofLife:ChileanArpilleras.Trenton,N.J.:RedSeaPress,1987.

Beal, Susan.Bead Simple: Essential Techniques for Making Jewelry Just theWayYouWantIt.Newtown,Conn.:TauntonPress,2008.

Beal, Susan, Torie Nguyen, Rachel O’Rourke, and Cathy Pitters. SuperCrafty:Over75AmazingHow-ToProjects!Seattle:SasquatchBooks,2005.

Chödrön, Pema. The Places That Scare You. Boston: ShambhalaPublications,2002.

Dagen Bloom, Naomi. “History of the Condom Amulet Project.†Knit aCondomAmulet.www.knitacondomamulet.com/history.html

Goldberg, Carey. “The Power of Om.â€The BostonGlobe, November 21,2005.

Gordon,Debra. “VirtualRealityPainDistraction.â€AmericanPain SocietyBulletin15,no.2(2005).www.ampainsoc.org/pub/bulletin/spr05/inno1.htm

Levine,FaytheandCortneyHeimerl.HandmadeNation:TheRiseofDIY,Art,Craft,andDesign.NewYork:PrincetonArchitecturalPress,2008.

Macdonald, Anne.No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting.NewYork:BallantineBooks,1988.

Manning, Tara Jon.Mindful Knitting: Inviting Contemplative Practice to theCraft.Boston:TuttlePublishing,2004.

Pooley,Sue.“OurFamilyHeritage:AConversationBetweenTwoSisters.â€InWomenandCraft,editedbyG.Elinor,S.Richardson,S.Scott,A.Thomas,andK.Walker.London:Virago,1987.

Scott,Sue.“CountlessHours:Grandmother’sCrochet.â€InWomenandCraft, edited by G. Elinor, S. Richardson, S. Scott, A. Thomas, and K.Walker.London:Virago,1987.

Stoller, Debbie. Stitch ’n Bitch: The Knitter’s Handbook. New York:WorkmanPublishingCompany,2004.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Changes inWomen’s Labor Force Participation in the 20th Century.â€MLR: TheEditor’s Desk (February 16, 2000).www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2000/feb/wk3/art03.htm

We Make Money Not Art. “Interview with Otto von Busch.†www.we-

make-money-not-art.com/archives/009391.phpZimmerman,Elizabeth.KnittingwithoutTears.NewYork:Fireside,1971.

furtherresources

CharitiesandNonprofitsAfghansforAfghansProject:Afghansforafghans.orgAmericanRedCross:Redcross.orgFineCellWork:Finecellwork.co.ukPassageQuilts:Passagequilts.comPenguinJumpersProject:tct.org.au/jumper.htmStitchforSenate:Stitchforsenate.usSubversiveKnitting:subversiveknitting.comWaterAid:Wateraid.org.uk

CraftyPeopleandGroupsBryantHolsenbeck:Bryantholsenbeck.comCastOffKnittingClub:Castoff.infoChurchofCraft:Churchofcraft.orgCraftster:Craftster.orgCraftyPod:Craftypod.comDIYAlert:DIYAlert.comGetCrafty:Getcrafty.comHandmadeNation:handmadenationmovie.comKnitta:Knittaplease.comKnittingHistory:Knittinghistory.typepad.comKnittingSOS:Knittingsos.co.ukmicroRevolt:Microrevolt.orgTheMissabilityRadioShow:Missability.comObsessiveConsumption:Obsessiveconsumption.comRadicalCrossStitch:Radicalcrossstitch.comRevolutionaryKnittingCircle:Knitting.activist.caRevolutionaryKnittingFront:Knittingfront.org>Self_Passage<:Selfpassage.orgSheeptoShawl:Sheeptoshawl.comShowMeYourTitles:Showmeyourtitles.blogspot.comStitchlinks:Stitchlinks.comSuperNaturale:Supernaturale.comTheSwitchboards:Theswitchboards.comTinkeringTimes:tinkeringtimes.typepad.comTinyChoices:Tinychoices.comWeMakeMoneyNotArt:We-make-money-not-art.comWendyTremayne:Gaiatreehouse.comWestCoastCrafty:Westcoastcrafty.comWhyWaldorfWorks:Whywaldorfworks.org

CraftFairsArtvs.CraftIndieMarket:artvscraftmke.blogspot.comTheBazaarBizarre:bazaarbizarre.orgDIYTrunkShow:Diytrunkshow.comTheRenegadeCraftFair:Renegadecraft.com

ShopsBossaNovaBaby:Bossanovababy.comCinnamonCooper:Poise.ccCraftyScientist:Craftyscientist.comDearBirthday:dearbirthday.comEtsy:Etsy.comIKnit:Iknit.org.ukMediumReality:Mediumreality.comSweetCandyDistro:eyecandyzine.comTrueStitches:truestitches.blogspot.comZecca:zecca.net

aboutthepatterncontributors

KATIE AABERG brings fastidious craftsmanship and complex design theorytogetherinherworks,whichincludearangeofmedia:metalarts,bookmaking,comicsandzines,feltappliqué,toydesign,photography,fiberart,video,andpainting.ShelivesinEugene,Oregonwithherhusbandandtwosons.Youcansee more of her work at goblinko.com. The Oatlion will be donated to theWomenspace emergency shelter inEugene.Learnmore aboutWomenspace atenddomesticviolence.com.

LIBOESENworkedinthefieldofnonprofitmanagementforovertwenty-fiveyears, and appreciates the pairing of knittingwith charitable efforts. She liveswith her family in Vancouver, British Columbia. One of her scarves will bedonatedtoAPlacetoCallHomeHousingSociety,anonprofitsetuptoaddresstheneedforaffordablehousinginVancouver.

JANICEBYEworked formore than ten years in the computer business. Sheretired to stayhomewithher children, andpickedupknittingneedles tohavesomething to dowhile spendingmany hours in the playgroundwith her threesons. Janice has taughtmanyknitting classes at theGraniteStateKnit-in, andalso at some local shops and knitting guilds. Her socks will be donated toFriendsofBostonHomeless.Learnmoreaboutthematfobh.org.

NAOMIJOHNSTONEworksforTattyDevineinLondon.Whennottravelingaround the world, she can be found creating fabulous things while watchingMurder,SheWrotererunsanddrinkingtea.Herknitteddogbedwasmadewithher Border terrier, Ludo, in mind and will be donated to the Battersea DogsHomeinLondon.LearnmoreabouttheBatterseaDogsHomeatdogshome.org.

ANEETAPATELisanartistandknittingteacherbasedinLondon.ShestartedKnittingSOS in2005forknitters inneedofemergencyhelp.HerbookKnittyGrittywillbeoutin2008,publishedbyA&CBlack.YoucanlearnmoreaboutAneeta at KnittingSOS.co.uk. One of her large cushions will be donated to alocalassistedlivingfacility.

FAWNPEAisanenvironmentalactivistbyday,andaknitterallthetime.Shelives,hikes,andgrowsvegetables inNorthCarolinawithherpartnerand theirbig,hairycat.Youcan findmoreofherdesignsat fpea.blogspot.com.OneofhermossyjacketswillbedonatedtotheChildren’sHomeSocietyofNorthCarolina.LearnmoreabouttheChildren’sHomeSocietyatchsnc.org.

LINDAPERMANNisa freelancewriterandcraftdesigner.She loves toknit,crochet,sew,andbake.YoucanlearnmoreaboutLindaatlindamade.com.OneofherScrapsandStripeshatswillbedonatedtoHatsfortheHomeless.LearnmoreaboutHatsfortheHomelessathats4thehomeless.org.

JUDITH SHANGOLD started designing knitwear in 1976when she owned ayarn shop in Brooklyn, New York. She was the founder of A Bear inSheep’s Clothing, a fund-raising project that raised money for charitablecausesinthe1990sbysellingbearsdressedinsweatersdonatedbyknittersfromaround the country. Currently she develops new patterns for her pattern line,Designs by Judith. Seemore of Judith’swork at judithshangold.com. Theproceeds from the sales of Judith’s patternwill go to Heifer International(heiferinternational.org).

KELLYWOOTENisawomen’shistorylibrarianfromNorthCarolinawhohasbeenknittingforaboutfouryears.Herbasket-weaveblanketwillbedonatedtoProjectLinus.LearnmoreaboutProjectLinusatprojectlinus.org.

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