Ties That Bind or Exclude? Knitting and Craft Groups as Contested Spaces of Inclusion and Exclusion

Abstract

There is a body of research that identifies the social benefits that exist from participating in knitting and crochet as a leisure pursuit in collaboration with others. In this article, we draw on the concept of knitting hierarchies to interrogate the concept of craft groups as being welcoming, inclusive spaces. Drawing on a survey conducted with 243 Australian women we explore the dynamics and hierarchies that exist by contrasting experiences of community and belonging with those of gossip, judgment, and exclusion.