Skepticism

Skeptiknits?

I’ve been thinking that I want to change directions in my knitting and focus more on stuff that is subversive instead of on writing about technique and patterns. I’d like to build a network of non-religious charity and activist knitters, create a ‘zine where the proceeds are given to various secular charities, and design knitting projects that encourage critical thinking.

I wrote a couple of blog posts that are related to this recently:

  • Here (About balancing my interests in knitting and atheism)
  • On my personal blog (About focusing my own blog on more important issues)

Would anyone else be interested in participating in this as more than a reader? I am just in the early stages of thinking about what to do and how to do it, and I won’t start anything at least until September, possibly not until January 2009, so you don’t have to make a decision right away.

I’d love to talk to anyone who is interested in this general idea to brainstorm and get the creative juices flowing.

Writerdd

Donna Druchunas is a freelance technical writer and editor and a knitwear designer. When she's not working, she blogs, studies Lithuanian, reads science and sci-fi books, mouths off on atheist forums, and checks her email every three minutes. (She does that when she's working, too.) Although she loves to chat, she can't keep an IM program open or she'd never get anything else done.

Related Articles

11 Comments

  1. I would be very interested in such a project.

    I’m not a very good kntter (I only “knit” on a loom), but I’m very prolific, and I’m always looking for secular organizations to donate my hats and scarves to.

    I’m located in Parker, CO.

  2. I missed your earlier post this week…how’d that happen?

    Anyway, I don’t knit or crochet (anything other than plain, one color, straight scarves, that is), but I do just about everything else. So maybe a Skepchick Craft group for those of us non knitters, who still are artists and craftsfolk? I’d be interested in that.

    I have some science based pieces that have been milling around in my head for a while that I’m planning to try out as actual goods by the end of this year (though they won’t be knitting projects).

    I know that flickr hosts both a SANE Street team group (Secular Atheist Naturalist Etsy) and an Etsy Freethinkers group (which is bigger, but probably not quite as related). Maybe you could stop by those groups and see if those folks might be interested?

    I would also suggest posting a call for interest (or donations) on craftster.org or craftzine.com. I know the subversive / DIY craft movement and the Skepchicks have quite a bit of overlap of interests and causes, but I don’t know if those spheres of interest have really ever been united under the same banner.

    Anyway, just some thoughts…

  3. I knit. A lot.

    I did a pattern for a Flying Spaghetti Monster (suitable for anyone who goes to a school with Creationists)

    http://www.parody.org/knitting/patterns/fsm/index.html

    I would knit these on my commute (long commute on a train). People would ALWAYS ask me what I was knitting. They expect an answer like “scarf” or “sweater.” They don’t expect “Flying Spaghetti Monster.” I carried FSM brochures so I could give them something to read after explaining the FSM.

    I’m currently working on a pattern for a blue & white stripe shadow/illusion knitting pattern. This will only make sense for those from Utah or with Mormon friends/relatives. Generally speaking, a Book of Mormon is blue. That’s why I chose blue. The white may look like a stripe but it’s a hidden white salamander. Version 3.0 looks good. I’ll write it up and post it. I can think of some skeptical Mormons who would get the joke.

    I’ve been trying to think of a pattern which would demonstrate evolution/natural selection using yarn from Kansas, of course) but I have yet to have a revelation for this one. Maybe God doesn’t want me to knit a Darwin sweater.

    I believe in knitting-in-public and telling people what I’m knitting and why. FSM was easy but I now have WAY too many of these. The white salamander only makes sense in Utah.

    I would be interested in participating in some project that involves knitting/skepticism in a creative way.

    Maybe there should be a Secular Sock Movement.

  4. OK, everyone. I’ve spoken to Rebecca and we’re going to make this an official skepchick project. I’ll start working on it when I get back from Lithuanian in August, but I may post a bit more about it — especially to get ideas from our readers — over the next couple of months.

    Yes, you can all participate at some level, even if you’re only beginning in a craft.

    My focus will be on knitting, but we’ll definitely open it up for all different types of crafts as well.

    So keep posting ideas here, or email me via the contact form. I’m especially interested in creating a list of secular charities that we can donate handmade items to.

  5. so knitters that make JUST a scarf. The same scarf, over and over and over again…

    are welcome?

    If so, Hurray!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Back to top button