Knitters, crocheters, and all crafters are the Resistance! I should know; I am one. I started knitting as a child, learning from my mother and watching my grandmother knit, even when her hands were crippled by arthritis. Both were strong women, determined that their daughters would get an education and make their way in the world. My grandmother sent all four of her children (3 girls & 1 boy) to college during the Depression. All 7 of her grandchildren graduated from college. All four of my grandparents were immigrants; all four of them enriched this country and made it a better place.
Prior to the election, I was following the following categories of people and entities on Twitter: knitters, yarny things, Husker Softball, Husker Women’s Basketball, Husker Baseball, Husker fans, Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, Planned Parenthood Voters of Nebraska, Planned Parenthood Voters of Iowa, ACLU of Nebraska, and that’s about it. Little did I know that the resistance would begin with tweets from knitters. People who had only been tweeting about yarn and their latest project were now promoting resistance and knitting pink pussy hats, lots of pussy hats. The goal of the Pussy Hat Project – 1.17 million hats. Yes, 1.17 million hats, based on the estimate of the number of people who could fill the Mall in Washington, D.C. Kat Coyle posted the Pussy Hat pattern on Ravelry for free. Casey F, the co-founder and code monkey at Ravelry created the photo above, a composite of hundreds of knitters and their hats.
As we all know, they were largely successful – a grass roots effort to knit a million Pussy Hats. At the Women’s March, they were everywhere.
Image found on Twitter: @rmayersinger
This is the hat I wore at the Women’s March on Omaha.
Many people have made fun of the pink hats; some even questioned whether they had been made in China. The truth is they were made all over the world. People learned to knit to make them. People made them who were going to the march, people made them and sent them to a march with friends; people mailed them to the march. People are still making them. This video tells you everything you need to know about the project.
The hats are on the cover of Time Magazine and The New Yorker this week.
Randy Prine@randyprine put this on Twitter.
Judge Eckhardt of Texas wears her pussy hat in protest of Abortion and healthcare bill.
And knitters continue to lead the resistance.
Knit the Resistance is a free pattern from JanuaryOneKnits @January_one.
Bachi 