Craftivism!: The Possibilities and Problems of Craft as a Mode of Feminist Community Building and Social Action

Abstract

Craftivism! is a knitting collective that creates baby blankets to be given to mothers through the Healthy Aboriginal Babies Program run by the Katarokwi Native Friendship Centre in Kingston, Ontario. The group of students and community members come together to knit blankets with the aim of addressing and creating awareness about the material differences that Indigenous women experience. Craftivism! is a product of the do‐it‐yourself (DIY) ethic, a form of third‐wave feminism in which crafting is used to honour women’s history and work and to create feminist communities. While knitting has been embraced by third‐wave feminists, knitting is a luxury that many cannot afford. Although the DIY ethic provides women with a sense of self‐reliance and personal satisfaction, it is also self‐indulgent. Thus, Craftivism! aims to celebrate the domestic arts in a mindful way by acknowledging and acting on the material differences that Indigenous women experience. To account for material inequalities without victimizing Indigenous women further, blankets are produced in partnership with women participating in the prenatal program. While Craftivism! promotes purposeful knitting in the spirit of the feminist goals of empowerment, social justice and community building, the project also serves as space to think about the effectiveness of reclaiming craft. Using data from the Craftivism! project, this paper will consider whether or not the valuing of craft is a feminist act, if knitting reinforces stereotypes of femininity, if knitting is an apolitical form of consumerism, and when it is possible for certain groups to engage in knitting as a political activity.