Crafting spaces and cultures

Massive Knit has organised a knitting gathering to remember Jane Jacobs. If you’re in NYC, you can go to Washington Square Park on Tuesday May 23rd to help knit the park together.

Wanna learn more about the spaces, cultures and politics of craft? Check out:

Jean Burgess‘ dissertation research on vernacular creativity

Betsy Greer’s MA Thesis, Taking Back the Knit: Creating Communities Via Needlecraft (pdf)

And these blogs & such:

Craftivism | Craftster | Craft Culture | Craft Gym | Craft Research | Designed Objects | Etsy | Extreme Craft | HobbyPrincess | Knitting News | MakeZine | Making Things | microRevolt | Redefining Craft | Revolutionary Knitting Circle | SuperNaturale | Thinglink

Update 30.05.06

Guardian: ¡Viva las craftivistas!

“Some see crafting as a stance against mass culture and consumerism: individuality triumphing over uniformity. And then there’s the green perspective: better to turn old fabric into something original instead of contributing to landfill. There’s the subversive, punk-rock DIY attitude…And then there’s the feminist perspective, a re-think of the 1970s equation that domesticity equals oppression. Now that crafting is a choice rather than a necessity (mothers no longer having to knit just to clothe their kids) its association with drudgery has disappeared. Where many second-wave feminists saw crafts as synonymous with the kitchen sink, today’s young feminists see them as a potent form of expression.”

3 Responses to “Crafting spaces and cultures”

  1. betsy Says:

    thanks for the link! i really enjoy the work that you all do, so links to my quasi-academic work is an honor!

  2. naomi dagen bloom Says:

    wonderful links…massive knit is on my calendar; hope there’s still enough light to get photos for my blog. saving betsy greer on “taking back the knit” to share with other activist needleworkers.

  3. Dennis Stevens Says:

    Thanks for the link too. I am enjoying your work here, as well.

    ~ d.

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