Knitting somehow seems to make its way into all aspects of life if you pay attention. There are knitters who knit for fun, to clothe their families and other loved ones in warm garments, and those who knit to support a cause or to make a stand against overseas garment production.
There are knitting grannies in several places protesting fracking with knit ins, and there’s The Yarn Mission in Ferguson, Missouri, a group of knitters who sit and knit at a local coffeshop, giving protestors a respite from what’s happening on the streets, and giving knitters a chance to talk about social justice with people who might not otherwise talk to them.
Group member Taylor Payne told the Guardian:
If someone asks me what I’m doing, I say, ‘I’m knitting for black liberation.’ Sometimes they respond and sometimes I just get ‘Oh, my grandma knits,’ like the person didn’t hear me. But at least it opens the door to talking about my experiences.
They also make the point that people simply don’t see a lot of black knitters, so it raises the profile of diversity in the craft as well, which is always a good thing. And knitting is a great way to start conversations — even difficult conversations — among people who might not have much or anything in common beyond that “Oh, my grandma knits” kind of statement.
I kind of want to send them yarn, but if you’re local you can buy some of their knits at MoKaBe’s, a coffee shop where the group often meets. You can also follow the Yarn Mission on Facebook.
[Photo via the Guardian.]
Knitting and communication ~ priceless. God bless your movement.