Dialogue City episode #010: Knots of Love YYC

A conversation with Branka Cavar and Emma Dooley of Knots of Love YYC. They knit and crochet for charitable causes.

L-R: Dialogue City co-host Grant Neufeld, Branka Cavar, Emma Dooley.

[Note: Unfortunately, this discussion was cut short by time constraints. Hopefully we’ll have a chance to continue it again at some point…]

Groups and resources mentioned

• Knots of Love YYC, on Twitter: @knotsofloveyyc
• Inn from the Cold, a Calgary organization providing supports and shelter to homeless families.
• Revolutionary Knitting Circle, on Facebook.
• Calgary Public Library.
• Youth Volunteer Corps, connecting youths (12–18) with community agencies and events.

Terminology

• Fair Trade: The discussion brought up that crafting our own goods is a way to avoid the exploitation of workers for the goods we use. There are certainly more questions to be looked at, and discussion to be had, about how craftivism might support efforts to bring about fair trade. Wikipedia defines fair trade as “a social movement whose stated goal is to help producers in developing countries achieve better trading conditions and to promote sustainable farming. Members of the movement advocate the payment of higher prices to exporters, as well as improved social and environmental standards.” (Further to this topic: In the third podcast episode taken from the election day livestream we did in partnership with The Sprawl, we had Erin Bird from Fair Trade Calgary as part of the discussion.

Peace Knits banner crafted by Revolutionary Knitting Circle members in 2003.

• Craftivism: “is a form of activism, typically incorporating elements of anti-capitalism, environmentalism, solidarity, or third-wave feminism, that is centered on practices of craft — or what can traditionally be referred to as “domestic arts”. Craftivism includes, but is not limited to, various forms of needlework including yarn-bombing or cross-stitch. Craftivism is a social process of collective empowerment, action, expression and negotiation. In craftivism, engaging in the social, performative and critical discourse around the work is central to its production and dissemination.” [from Wikipedia]

More Questions

We welcome your contributions to the discussion on these questions, in the comments below.

• What are other ways crafts could be applied to “making a better world”?
• What are the ethical considerations that come with creating goods through crafts? What about the materials used? Impacts on labour economics?
• The discussion considered places like public transit, schools, libraries, pubs, activist meetings — and even protests — as public settings that where just the act of someone (or a group of folks) knitting can change things. Where else could we bring crafts to change a social, or group, setting?

Further Reading

Our Town: High School students knit tuques to warm homeless hearts and heads

The Revolutionary Knitting Circle Proclamation of Constructive Revolution

End Notes

We thank Branka and Emma for taking the time to share their perspectives with us. You can connect with them on Twitter at @knotsofloveyyc

You can find this episode and more on iTunes, Google Play, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and TuneIn. Reach us on Twitter, Facebook, and via email at dialoguecity@gmail.com.