Seek peace and truth in 2019...

Sometimes things happen because of luck or good timing.  Canadians don't observe Martin Luther King Day, but as a dual citizen, I can't help but think about it, even as it's not an official holiday here.

The Jewish Independent just ran my piece:
Seek peace and truth in 2019

And this hearkens back to many things I've learned from studying Dr. King's words over the years.

(Note: Jews come from all over the world, and therefore we're a people of all colors.  Also, historically, in some societies, Jews have been seen as "People of Color" regardless of their skin colour.  We share this issue of discrimination and prejudice with King, and many others, even if the country, time period, and context sometimes differ)

An important and interesting conversation has sprung up in the knitting world about race, inclusion, and diversity.  It's all over the knitting web right now, but if you're on Ravelry, the knitting database with 8 million members, there's a good summary and discussion here. 

When I wrote Fiber Gathering and Knit Green, beginning in 2007, I was insistent that the models and designs address diversity--in women's sizes, skin color, and more.  This meant that my first book deal fell through, as that publisher didn't agree with me. I wanted to include models whose sizes looked more like the average woman's size 12.  I wanted to include People of Color.  I wanted the books to look representative of what I saw in our fiber arts communities.  When Wiley & Sons (the 2nd publisher) chose and published my books, they helped with this goal.

Unfortunately, what I noticed, over time, is that some of my favorite projects, when featured as Ravelry ads, did not seem to sell patterns.  For whatever reason, those designs were not selling.

Maybe the adverts or designs weren't good.  Or, was it because of the diverse models who represent what we see around us,  (beautiful knitters -and people- come in all colors)--but don't acknowledge--every day?

When I redid the advertisements so that skin color was less apparent... Guess what?  More people clicked through to see the designs.  To me, this informal ad campaign showed me that sadly, the knitting community, like all of us, still has lots to work on when it comes to loving and appreciating diversity.  Change and inclusion takes time.

This week, I chose to buy an ad on Ravelry again, to support their efforts in a small way.  The photos in this blog post are the ad images I am running.  This time, in 2019, and on MLK weekend, I hope more people click through.

Designs featured in this post:
Bandana
Tank Empire
Spire Smock

fixing a hole/we are one

Well, I apparently hit a hot topic with darning. In discussion with a writer friend, I realized the best illustration for darning I could find is in Therese de Dilmont's book, Encyclopedia of Needlework. I own a reprint of this oldie but goodie, but if you follow the link, you'll go directly to the section on mending knitting. It's no longer covered by copyright, so it's freely available on the web. Scroll down to the illustrations...you don't even need the text to see how to darn. The drawings are that good.

I spent most of the day working hard on a sample for book #2--knitting. On Tuesday, I will be driving up to Indianapolis for a photo shoot for this book; I'd like to finish this first. I was inspired by We are One, the inaugural concert...which I listened to on National Public Radio. I hear that if you have HBO, they will replay it again tonight on that TV channel. If you've got nothing else on, check out the concert! (I used my imagination, since I grew up in Northern Virginia, near DC. I know what the Lincoln Memorial looks like, and that helped while listening to the radio!)

I love the message of Martin Luther King Day, which we celebrate on Monday. When I was growing up in Virginia, we celebrated Lee-Jackson-King Day--a terrible contradiction that has since been fixed...but my family always emphasized why the combination seemed impossible. I loved teaching King's words when I taught high school in DC...they always captivated even the most uninterested teenager. In honor of King's words, in which we will one day all join hands, I found a few contemporary essays that display our diversity and complexity:

Just Like Pastrami

and our empathy and tolerance:

Mysterious Connections that Link us Together

and finally, that we must act on that tolerance to make the world a better place:

We Are Each Other's Business

So, if you have a chance to reflect, enjoy these fine examples of how we can all work together, in our complexity, empathy, tolerance, and actions. I am so excited by the next few days and the hope it ushers in for the United States. Meanwhile...as I listen to the radio...I'll be knitting over here.

Please leave me a comment if you've got thoughts on these essays or on anything in this post; I'd love to hear what you think!