Knitting News

"Crafty Culture": The Possibilities and Politics -- Panel Discussion

"Crafty Culture": The Possibilities and Politics -- Panel Discussion
Press Release - October 14 2005

A panel discussion with local women active in the Chicago DIY (do it yourself) arts community: graphics professional and “craftivist” Cinnamon Cooper; Time Out Chicago magazine “Check Out” editor Annie Tomlin; and painter and poet Alejandra Velera [sic]. Moderated by Annette Ferrara, cultural content provider and managing editor of Flavorpill.net. Q & A follows.
Crafting – knitting, needlepoint, beading, scrapbooking, sewing and more – can be a hobby, a way to unwind and a creative outlet. It can also be a way to reclaim traditional women’s work with a modern spin, start one’s own business, save money, reject prepackaged/sweatshop-produced merchandise, recycle, raise funds or donate goods for charitable causes, and mobilize for political action. Columbia’s Institute for the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media presents a panel discussion that will explore the possibilities of “craftivism.”
While crafting is often a solitary activity, the popularity of such groups as Stitch ’n’ Bitch, indie art/crafts fairs, magazines like ReadyMade and Web sites such as craftster.org has helped likeminded women (and men) to network, exchange ideas and market their products. While these communities and media outlets mostly exist outside the mainstream media, there has been a less political, yet no less pervasive DIY lifestyle trend in mainstream media as espoused by Martha Stewart, Home Depot and the glut of domestic-themed cable TV offerings. [more]

Women’s Center weaves knitting, information

Women’s Center weaves knitting, information (via Google News)
Daily Nebraskan - October 13 2005

Beneath posters asserting that one in four college women encounter domestic violence in their lifetime, a small group of students protested this harsh reality.
But rather than shouts or fist pumps, these students used needles and yard.
The Women’s Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln wanted students to be aware of statistics related to domestic violence, so they held the Knit-In for Non-Violence on Wednesday in the Nebraska Union.
The knit-in was the first of a series of events for the Week Without Violence, an annual event the Women’s Center puts on to raise awareness of domestic violence. [more]