Revolutioknits: Combining Yarn and Social Activism

When I imagine a woman who enjoys needlework, my mind often creates the image of a demure, slightly introverted girl who seems to explicitly embody the idea of the perfect historical woman. On the other hand, when I think of a woman who is a fighter for social justice, I am compelled to imagine a more rugged woman with the ability to reject norms and defy social boundaries. When I’m told that both these personas can actually be embodied by one woman, I am shocked, but undeniably proud.

It’s an unfortunate, but not rare, assumption that social revolution and feminine artistic creativity are two distant worlds, and the recent growth of violent protests have separated these two realms even further. At Claremont, however, a group of students called the Armed RevolutionKnits strives to dissolve this false dichotomy between femininity and social power by using yarn graffiti as a provocative method of spreading ideas of female empowerment through means that are often falsely considered as domestic. By encouraging the once-esteemed act of knitting, the Armed RevolutionKnits, have reclaimed the inherent idea of femininity and feminine creativity while also proving that women are equally capable of transforming the world into a more female-friendly society.

While first learning about the Armed RevolutionKnits, I was slightly wary of the violent and aggressive connotations of the word “Armed” in the organization’s name; historically, it seems more prudent to stick with a more civil disobedience form of protest. I was wary, of course, until I realized that the campaign’s weapon of choice is “yarn bombing” – a fairly recent construct that aspires to use strategically-placed colorful swatches of needlework to spark the public’s interest and attention without being offensive or aggressive. On their blog’s manifesto page, the organization writes, “People may be surprised by the yarn graffiti disrupting the world around them, but we feel that this is the purpose of graffiti in the first place. Our yarn graffiti interrupts the normal environment by adding color and texture and by bringing to the surface issues that we feel should be discussed. Just because we don’t necessarily want to see something doesn’t mean we shouldn’t acknowledge that it is important. We do not want to be offensive or accusatory, but would like to promote a dialogue about the issues that we raise.”  It makes sense that an activist group would want to garner the public’s attention without seeming so provocative that their actions are actually counterproductive. Thus, by combining the feminine art of needlework and a resolute aspiration for female empowerment, Claremont’s Armed RevolutionKnits offers a novel solution to the continuing maltreatment of women.

The Armed RevolutionKnits primarily uses its Wordspot blog to spread awareness of controversial topics in current events that impact the treatment of women in modern society. What makes the blog unique is their focus on events in a woman’s life that many women have come to accept as natural and acceptable but which, in reality, propagate mistreatment toward women.

Recently, the RevolutionKnits posted a blog chastising the way that society accepts certain forms of teasing: young boys are not just allowed but expected to be mean to young girls whom they like. The blogger pointedly writes, “I think we also have to ask why boys feel the need to express themselves this way, if it’s true that they’re mean to the girls they like.” Other blogs similarly criticize song lyrics written by women that are truly offensive and insensitive, thus showing that just because such lyrics are written by women, rather than by men, does not make them any more acceptable. This organization aims to encourage women to reconsider their acceptance of such events and to recognize threats even when they seem harmless superficially.

One of the most striking, and possibly one of the most praiseworthy, aspects of the Armed RevolutionKnits is its view on the portrayal of the female body. While many women’s rights groups, even some in Claremont, seem to glorify the idea of exposing the female form in media and culture and almost encourage women to be comfortable in exposing their bodies to the public, the Armed RevolutionKnits takes a more conservative, and potentially more empowering approach to women’s portrayal of their own bodies. In an analysis and comparison of mainstream female singers, one of the organization’s primary bloggers praises Adele’s ability to capture the world’s attention through her musical talent rather than through corporal advertising. This preservation of female dignity and the belief that women are more powerful and more successful when they choose to respect their bodies is a fairly obvious goal, though it is not a perspective that seems to be supported by many women’s activist groups.

Another pleasant surprise from the RevolutionKnits was the way that, in the same post, the blogger chose to criticize Adele’s rejection of exercise. “While she does put talent and merit above appearance, she also is expressing that it is acceptable to not care about health,” wrote the blogger. “I think that it is reasonable to not want to be skinny…  But, is health something to be ignored, or underrated? Many people look up to Adele, and so by admitting that she doesn’t care about her health, she seems to be setting a questionable example for others.”

The Armed RevolutionKnits employs honest and often blunt criticism to bring attention to various events in media. Though still a relatively new organization, the Armed RevolutionKnits is already proving that it is not necessary to fight with weapons when the aggressiveness of words and creativity are enough to spark a reaction from the public. Using its novel approach to social revolution, the Armed RevolutionKnits is showing that society does not need to erect a false barrier between femininity and peaceful aggression. Rather, women have the undeniable capacity to embrace both sides to create an even more powerful persona.

For more information on the ArmedRevolutionKnits, visit: http://armedrevolutioknits.wordpress.com/