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'Oh I Know Its KINDA Racist But I Knit So It's OK'
Note re caption: The caption of this t-shirt is tongue-in-cheek and not attributed to anyone. Thousands of people have understood that but for the few who may not, consider the matter clarified.
There’s something ill afoot in craftosphere, strains of a casual racism that I find deeply troubling. I’ve been remarkably self-censorial on the matter of the so-called ‘guerilla knitting collective’ Knitta Please because commentary on the group is (a) a rather sensitive topic for me and (b) lays slightly afield of my home decor blogging mission. Nonetheless, having run across Knitta on two gift guides this year, I’ve decided to make my views known.
I don’t care about artisans covering parking meters with knitted cozies, as these knitters do. What I do vigorously object to is the overtly racist and classist moniker of the group and at least some of it adherents, as well as its uncritical embrace in the blogosphere.
Apartment Therapy has called Knitta Please “the best-titled site we have ever heard of” and ends a glowing review by asking “Where my knittas at?”
Rarrar on Etsy is proud that she originated this phrase before knowing of the 'Knitta, Please' collective.
Design*Sponge thinks this is just dandy
The co-opting of the ‘n-word’ by African Americans was an attempt to fight the oppression of a racist word by diffusing it.
‘Knitta Please’ is nothing more than a lame pathetic[1] attempt by cultural elites to make fun of people they see as beneath them. With group members named Knotorious N.I.T. and P-Knitty, there isn’t any one shred of doubt as to who this collective treats rhetorically as Other and Lesser. Of course, white-washing black power symbols like the clenched fist is just the icing on the blackface cake.
And no, this isn’t just a ‘black thing’. The ‘hilarious joke’ of T& Asia soap is that it features faux vintage half-nude images of Asian women. Apparently, the essence of the Orient is “tea” and “a–”. Oh look! Asian women are powerless, caricatured, erotic images! How funny! And yet zen!
T and Asia Soap via Popink, censored to be work-safe
Want more? Check out Queering Domesticity’s excellent meditation on racism in the world of craft. It’s like in adopting the crafting and small batch production techniques of yesteryear, many of these people have also taken up a dormant strain of retro, socially acceptable racism.
So what do you think? Register your outrage, your ambivalence or your defenses. I know this is a sensitive topic so if you want to respond anoynmously, just enter a fake e-mail address and I will approve your post for viewing. All on-topic replies, pro and con, will be published.
[1] [Edit 12/16: A commenter on knitting site Ravelry.com pointed out that using 'lame' as a derogatory adjective is ableist language. While I did not intend it in this way and did not think of the phrase that way, she is absolutely right. I want to amend my statement and apologize for any harm or offense. I appreciate being both educated and held to account.]
UPDATE [12/17]: The founder of Knitta, Please Magda Sayeg, has responded. You can read her statement here.
