Across the country, hot pink yarn has been selling out left and right. Knitters are buying up different hues of the color ahead of the Women’s March on Washington on Jan. 21. They’re making “pussy hats” for participants to wear – knitted caps with cat ears to protest President Donald Trump’s comments toward women.
The hats are part of a larger movement marrying crafts and social activism: craftivism.
Betsy Greer is the author of “Knitting for Good!” and the editor of “Craftivism: The Art of Craft and Activism”. She’s also a knitter and crafter herself and says that craftivism is nothing new. It’s been around for hundreds of years and has grown increasingly popular as a means of raising awareness about social causes.
Craftivism using yarn got its start here in Texas. The yarn bombing movement, a form of craftivism that uses knitted and crocheted yarn to decorate urban landscapes, was started by Austin textile artist Magda Sayeg.
“For people that may not feel like they have a voice or feel steady in that voice, or feel like they can make a difference – even by just creating a hat they are taking agency and they are stepping up and making their views known,” Greer says.
What you’ll hear in this segment:
– Popular forms of craftivism and what social causes they have been used to promote
– How can something as simple as hot pink hats make a difference?
Written by Molly Smith.
