I've been making my square or cat hats for about five years now, and people are often pleasantly surprised by their unique shape. But during the last holiday craft fair and festival circuit, I had several women ask me if I'd heard about the Pussyhat Project for the Women's March in Washington, D.C. I hadn't heard of it yet, and in the rush of the fair/festival circuit, I didn't have time to find out more beyond word-of-mouth. Women told me the project was in response to Trump's awful comments about grabbing women. Any hat with even a little pink in it was gone by the circuit's end, and though I received requests for more, I was too busy at the time to be able to knit any.
After a break, in which I usually start to build up my inventory for the next holiday circuit, I looked more into the Pussyhat Project and the Women's March. I decided it was something I wanted to be a part of, but with only a week and a half before the march, I knew I wouldn't be able to put out a call for orders on my website because I simply wouldn't have time to make enough hats or ship them. So I decided to go small and take hat orders for marchers in my area. I put out a call on Facebook to a couple of my town's groups, expecting to get about 10 hat orders. I then logged off and worked on some other things. When I logged back on, I had 10 orders...and a whole lot more. They started snowballing quickly...20, 30, 40, 50, 60...soon I was facing an avalanche. So many women needed a hat for the march, and I was determined to get to as many as I could.
So I enlisted the help of my sister. I asked her to keep me organized, track requests, and set up hat deliveries while I, well, knitted. Knitted like never before. KNITTED FOR REVOLUTION! There were days I knitted for 14 hours straight, and the last two days I functioned on 3 hours of sleep each night. And worked at my day job. Modern Mouse, a charming and wonderful boutique shop full of local artisans and craftspeople, offered to help me by serving as a pick up location for the hats; their generosity allowed me to get so many more hats done. By the time the march started, I had knit a total of 84 pussy hats. In one week.
After a break, in which I usually start to build up my inventory for the next holiday circuit, I looked more into the Pussyhat Project and the Women's March. I decided it was something I wanted to be a part of, but with only a week and a half before the march, I knew I wouldn't be able to put out a call for orders on my website because I simply wouldn't have time to make enough hats or ship them. So I decided to go small and take hat orders for marchers in my area. I put out a call on Facebook to a couple of my town's groups, expecting to get about 10 hat orders. I then logged off and worked on some other things. When I logged back on, I had 10 orders...and a whole lot more. They started snowballing quickly...20, 30, 40, 50, 60...soon I was facing an avalanche. So many women needed a hat for the march, and I was determined to get to as many as I could.
So I enlisted the help of my sister. I asked her to keep me organized, track requests, and set up hat deliveries while I, well, knitted. Knitted like never before. KNITTED FOR REVOLUTION! There were days I knitted for 14 hours straight, and the last two days I functioned on 3 hours of sleep each night. And worked at my day job. Modern Mouse, a charming and wonderful boutique shop full of local artisans and craftspeople, offered to help me by serving as a pick up location for the hats; their generosity allowed me to get so many more hats done. By the time the march started, I had knit a total of 84 pussy hats. In one week.
This was one of the most exhausting and touching experiences of my crafting career. I met so many wonderful women, and their gratitude, enthusiasm, and enjoyment of my hats filled my heart to overflowing. My heart glowed every time someone posted pictures of herself and/or loved ones online in the hats I made. I received so many beautiful, kind, and touching messages on Facebook, messages that renewed my hope for the future. Because I was knitting non-stop, I didn't have time to make a sign for the march. But one sweet lady was thoughtful enough to bring me one when she picked up her hat. Each new happy face chased away the dark clouds of inauguration day and reminded me that we are legion.
And we showed the world that on January 21 when we marched all across the nation and world in the largest protest in U.S. history. We did that. All of us. And it started so small. The founders of the Pussyhat Project, all two of them, are Krista Suh and Jayna Zweiman, and their project literally knit together a community of women; learn more here. And the Women's March, which saw a turnout of nearly 3 million people, was sparked by one woman, Teresa Shook, and a Facebook post (read more here). One person can make a difference. You can. I can. We can. We all have our part to play, no matter how small it may seem at the time. Thank you to all the women who ordered a hat and left kind messages on Facebook for me. Thank you to all the women who fought and continue to fight. Thank you to all the people who marched in solidarity. Let's keep this movement going! Stay square and stay catty, my friends.
And we showed the world that on January 21 when we marched all across the nation and world in the largest protest in U.S. history. We did that. All of us. And it started so small. The founders of the Pussyhat Project, all two of them, are Krista Suh and Jayna Zweiman, and their project literally knit together a community of women; learn more here. And the Women's March, which saw a turnout of nearly 3 million people, was sparked by one woman, Teresa Shook, and a Facebook post (read more here). One person can make a difference. You can. I can. We can. We all have our part to play, no matter how small it may seem at the time. Thank you to all the women who ordered a hat and left kind messages on Facebook for me. Thank you to all the women who fought and continue to fight. Thank you to all the people who marched in solidarity. Let's keep this movement going! Stay square and stay catty, my friends.
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