The Gender Politics of Knitting

Written By: Emma Wiltfong

Graphic By: Emma Wiltfong and Britney Spangenberg

Knitting is often thought of as a cozy, little craft done by grandmothers who sit in rocking chairs by a softly crackling fireplace. They have glasses with chains and use shades of blue and brown to make sensible cable-knit sweaters. While this is an accurate portrayal of some knitters, it is NOT a portrayal of them all.  

There are many, many young people who knit, this author included. And with an abundance of young people in the art of knitting, there also comes a new wave of ideas, creativity, and designs. One of the best examples of a young knitter making waves in the field is Kendall Ross of the Instagram account @id.knit.that. Her knits are covered in brightly colored words and commentary about her own personal experiences as well as societally placed injustices. One example of the latter is a vest that states “it’s just a craft until a man says it’s art,” which calls out the misogynistic view of fiber arts being silly and useless, especially considering that most people associate fiber arts with being a women’s only activity. However, that hasn’t always been the case. 

Knitting hasn’t always been seen as a women’s activity. In fact, it wasn’t until the Industrial Revolution and the boom of factory-made clothing that knitting gained that association. Before then, men would knit frequently because they needed to make their clothing too. There were actually men’s only knitting guilds in Europe until the 1700’s where knitting was a highly regarded skill.  

In more recent history, women have often gathered in groups or “knitting circles” to visit and, of course, knit. These women were usually stay-at-home wives and mothers, and these gatherings were the only times they had to talk with their peers and catch up on the news in their communities. Today this would be called gossip, which like knitting, has a similar history of misogynistic bias. Women used gossip to gain knowledge from each other, and eventually, men felt threatened by this shared knowledge and flipped the connotation of gossip from something that built community to something that was negative and harmful.  

In modern day, women are reclaiming the art of knitting. They are embracing the craft that has been used to belittle their contributions to their homes, families, and society in the past by embracing history and taking back their power from the men who were, and still are, afraid of strong women.