WHEN KNITING MEETS ACTIVISM!

For a few years already, knitting has been shedding its dusty and (wrongly) pejorative image as a hobby for grandmas to become a hip crafty skill. As we all know now, the “DIY era” as they call it, is fun and instagramable! Knitwear is no exception and today, it has the wind in its sails.

Brought up to date by some passionate innovators, the numerous initiatives flourishing in the knitting world over the past few years are a pleasure to watch: modern knitting kits for beginners; independent knitters publishing their own patterns; social networks for knitting; communication agencies for knitting, etc.; the range of possibilities seem endless and it’s for the best!

TO KNIT: the act of knitting at first seems trivial, then maybe a bit technical; but it actually challenges several aspects of the fashion industry and can lead to more awareness of critical issues.

Here is an unexhaustive list of things that you question as a knitter, without even realizing.

Production time

To knit means to give your time and effort. It goes beyond losing countless hours on a project. You are actually making visible the reality of the production. A piece doesn’t suddenly appear. Someone thought of it, then designed it, then made it. It means that this piece has an economical, human, and ecological cost. To give your time and effort to even one part of this process is to fight against the misconception that to buy clothing is a simple act with no consequences.

Seasonality

To knit a unique piece that pleases you before anyone else is to free yourself from the dictate of seasonal fashion. You attach an emotional value to an object that you made yourself. This value is far superior to the artificial affection placed on the countless “must-haves” created for every season and collection.

Standards

Of course, the majority of existing knitting patterns are still following ready-to-wear standards (xs,s,m,l). But only after a few hours of practice, you already have the ability to adapt your clothes to your body. To crop here, to widen there, becomes an act of resistance; it starts by putting your body first! It is no coincidence that the knitting and sewing community are already very advanced on subjects like body positivity and size-inclusivity.

Materials

Last but not least, knitting also gives you the time to think about materials and where they come from. To be honest, you don’t necessarily have to care. I still struggle to figure out what I want to prioritize:

Cheap materials make knitting accessible, but you never really know how they are produced. Expensive but high-quality and sustainable materials might turn knitting into an elitist hobby. Synthetic materials are less expensive and can be vegan, but like acrylic for example, they are not totally green. The ideal solution is probably impossible to find but it is crucial that we become mindful of our choices.

Industrial and handmade projects could look like two peas in a pod, but they would still tell two different stories.