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Knitting as Protest: The Pussyhat Project

January 10, 2017 by Sarah White

Pussyhat Project knits together protest and politics.Regardless of your political leanings, I think it’s always cool to see handcrafts used as part of a political statement, and that’s happening in a big way with the Pussyhat Project.

The idea is to outfit as many women as possible in cat-ear hats for the Women’s March on Washington happening on January 21. The project is the brainchild of Kat Coyle, Kristen Suh and Jayna Zweiman, and the pattern — a simple flat hat with ribbed edges — quickly became one of the most popular patterns of the year at Ravelry.

I knit one, and I have to say I completely misinterpreted the directions and messed it up pretty royally (I didn’t get that the hat was supposed to be folded in half and only seamed along the sides, so I ended up making my own version with a three-needle bind off at the top). I’m planning to make some more — a friend requested a blue one — but I think I’ll do a normal knit in the round pattern with a bound off top instead of working it the way the pattern suggests.

The idea behind the hats is great, combining traditional women’s work and the color pink and a play on a word the president-elect has used to refer to women in a derogatory way, in a way reclaiming it as our own.

Even if you aren’t going to Washington or don’t know anyone who is, you can mail your hats to D.C. if you get them done in time. There are crocheted and sewn versions of the pattern as well. I hope to get a few more done and pass them on to whoever can use them from my state’s marching delegation. And I might make one for myself, too.

Have you knit any pussyhats? I’d love to hear about it.

[Illustration by Aurora Lady, via Pussyhat Project.]

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Comments

  1. Marina says

    January 10, 2017 at 10:18 am

    I love your blog but I hate that u r promoting igly on president elect I have to take my name off your list my political preference is mine the vote has been cast and people won’t let the country heal

  2. Stephanie E. says

    January 10, 2017 at 12:15 pm

    I knit four hats in various shades of stashed pink yarn and sent them off a few days after the holidays.

  3. Lin Shultz says

    January 10, 2017 at 1:00 pm

    I agree with the comment by Marina. I don’t believe a blog, unless it is political in nature, is the forum for political discourse. If I want politics, I will go to a blog dedicated to that. Marina is right, it is time to come together and support the candidate the people elected.

  4. Aubrey says

    January 10, 2017 at 1:05 pm

    Does anyone know where I can find this pattern in crochet?

    Aubrey@greeble.org

    P.s. – Is craftgossip promoting a A certain political idea or are they just posting a pattern for a cute hat?
    Also, the pussy hat project is about women’s rights not a political agenda.

  5. Pammi says

    January 10, 2017 at 1:49 pm

    My daughter is 10 and a very artistic soul. She paints, draws and creates worlds of her own. All political affiliations aside she enjoys wearing her kitty hat (for the last 4 years) because she is different. Much like other organizations that take common place things that already exist, this is making a fun light hearted child’s hat into an adult political statement.

    People feel very strongly about their Political beliefs and I would never send my daughter or anyone else’s child out in something that can be misconstrued into a statement they themselves are not old enough to make. The consequences of this emotionally upsetting someone who does not know how to treat children is too big a risk after the things I’ve seen on both sides after this election.

    Its sad that Adults are so busy trying to make their point they are willing to use anything to empower themselves while taking away the symbolism that may already be empowering another group, in this case, children.

    I support the idea, I support the feeling behind all of this, I just wish there had been more thought into the expression of it.

  6. Vivianne Breault says

    January 10, 2017 at 2:56 pm

    This is not good. I knit to relax… Now your in politics? Pffff.

  7. Sharon says

    January 10, 2017 at 3:38 pm

    Will remove my name from your list also.

  8. Page Carlyon says

    January 10, 2017 at 5:21 pm

    This country needs to heal and unite. This is just another way of tearing it apart. Spot promoting this behavior.

  9. dana says

    January 10, 2017 at 6:02 pm

    It’s unacceptable for Peotus to say pussy but ok to wear a pussyhat. Look at my pussyhat. Do not say it. Its like a dare. Hypocrisy knows no bounds.

  10. Jenny says

    January 10, 2017 at 6:19 pm

    Marina, Vivianne–is it because it’s political or because it’s not aligned with your own political views?

    I’m glad to see this post; I hadn’t heard of it before. I’m not a fast enough knitter to participate at this point, but I can sew a fleece hat fast enough and I see there are sewing (and crochet, Aubrey) patterns at the site as well. Thanks!

  11. Dot says

    January 11, 2017 at 12:55 am

    I made one to send to a young cousin, I knit it in the round with 92 stitches, using 2 circs with 46 sts on each circ, with 4-1/4″ of ribbing, and 4″ of stockinette. Then I just Kitchenered together the stitches from the two needles. LIke a big wide sock toe. It worked very well.

  12. Shari Harniss says

    January 11, 2017 at 6:58 am

    Stick to what you are here on this blog for-entertaining. If we want political views, it will not be from you or anyone else in the entertainment field.
    Doesn’t take much imagination to jump on another’s bandwagon.

  13. Barbara says

    January 11, 2017 at 8:04 am

    Thanks for posting! I went out last night and bought 2 skeins of hot pink yarn!

  14. Jodi says

    January 11, 2017 at 1:00 pm

    Thanks for posting. The patterns linked to from the site are really cute.

  15. Vivianne Breault says

    January 11, 2017 at 1:47 pm

    Jenny, I have no ”political agenda” I live in Canada. I come to this site to learn about knitting. Not to be fed feminism and/or politics.

  16. michelle says

    January 12, 2017 at 8:04 pm

    Poor choice of an article, gotta tell ya….

  17. Rebekah says

    January 15, 2017 at 4:25 pm

    As a knitter AND as a woman, this kind of crap embarrasses me.

  18. Pam Jennelle says

    January 26, 2017 at 2:42 pm

    As a crafter and a woman, this kind of crap encourages and energizes me. Thank you so much!

Have you read?

Summer T-Shirt Knitting Patterns

Knitters are always looking for ways to continue to knit and to wear their knits even when it’s hot outside, so there are tots of great T0shirt knitting patterns to choose from. I love knitting short-sleeved shirts because they feel so much faster than sweaters, and you can wear them on top of dresses or even longer-sleeved items when it gets cooler.

There are lots of different styles of knit tops, from the basic to the more detailed. On the more basic side are things like the Perfect T-Shirt from Originally Lovely, a basic raglan tee with nine sizes and worked in worsted weight yarn; Paper Bloom by Yvonne Hugo (free on Ravelry), available in six sizes and worked with cotton and silk yarn for extra coolness; or Iris H’s Amelia Top, also on Ravelry, a slim fit, DK weight top with nine size.

Jazz it up with a bit of lace like on the Athens Lace Hem top by Sarah Hatton (Ravelry). This otherwise simple project has a bit of lace at the bottom, which is an easy way to make a project more interesting without a ton of work. This one uses fingering weight yarn and comes in nine sizes.

Another simple embellishment is to emphasize the lines of your top with different stitches. The Spring Lines top uses twisted ribbing at the center front and V-neck and along the raglan lines to give it a slimmer fit and more interest. This design from Turquoise Toque Designs has 11 size options and is available on Ravelry.

Silfurberg by Joji Locatelli uses both of these elements, with lace panels at the center front and back and purl ridges throughout to make it a little more fun to knit and to wear. The pattern uses fingering weight yarn and comes in 10 sizes. Learn more on Ravelry.

Keep it simple or add puffed sleeves (and/or long sleeves) to the slim fit Knitty Committee top by Lily Kate France. This one has two length options, waist shaping and optional bust darts to fulfill all your curvy top dreams, and it comes in nine sizes. You’ll find it on Ravelry.

Take it even more romantic with the Daphne Top from Friday Knits, which has puffed sleeves and applied I-cord to emphasize the bust and sweetheart neckline. It comes in eight sizes and uses DK weight yarn.

Or add some sweet flowers with the Gigio pattern from Emilie Luis. This pretty pattern found on Ravelry has cable panels running up the front with the option for adding sweet embroidered flowers. You can also add decorative buttons if you like. It comes in 11 sizes and calls for sport weight yarn. 

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