knittedwit

Discontinuing the Boy Who Lived Color Line

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We are discontinuing the entire Boy Who Lived color line, which was created to show love for the Harry Potter book series. The creator of Harry Potter, JK Rowling, has shown time and again that she is anti-trans and downright bigoted, and we cannot in good conscience continue to support her in any way. This last week she began tweeting virulently anti-trans statements (not the first time she’s done so, but she was much more bold in her bigotry this time), stating that gender is fixed and that being trans is not a valid plane of existence. She seems to see gender and sex as a zero-sum game, whereas it’s a spectrum that has been forced into a binary by a society that loves labels. This is very similar to the All Lives Matter folks who counter the very real pain and heartache that has inspired the groundswell of support for the Black Lives Matter movement (viva this revolution!) at this moment in time with an “all lives matter”.

Knitted Wit is against all forms of hatred and discrimination, and at the very core of our business is the knowledge that equity is tantamount. We believe in Trans Rights, we believe that Black Lives Matter. We cannot support folks who peddle in hatred and bigotry.

To that end, with the remaining skeins we have in the studio, we are going to donate 100% of our profits to Trans Lifeline, a trans-led organization that connects trans people to the community, support, and resources they need to survive and thrive.

We are going through the colorways and picking out our favorites, which we will keep and rename in a colorway set honoring voices in the LGBTQIA+ community.

Black Lives Matter

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Black Lives Matter

First things first: Black Lives Matter. Unequivocally. We at Knitted Wit are committed to anti-racism, and there is no place in our community for anything else. We are white women, so we are not the ones you should come to to get educated, but we do have some resources that we’d like to share with you, our fellow white women who are committed to anti-racism, too. As you are learning, make sure you pay for the labor that’s been done. Many of the educators we are sharing have books out that you can purchase, Patreons that you can subscribe to, Ko-Fis that you can donate to, etc. 

Why Black Lives Matter is important (and why saying All Lives Matter is dangerous):

Rachel Cargle (a wonderful anti-racist educator) wrote this piece in 2016: Why You Need to Stop Saying “All Lives Matter.” Read it, and then follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Patreon.

The workbook:

Layla F. Saad’s book White Supremacy and Me is THE resource for deep-diving into the deeply-ingrained racism. Follow her on Instagram, support her on Patreon, and buy her book.

Books to read and re-read:

Ijeoma Oluo’s So You Want to Talk About Race is a life-changing primer on racism in America. Purchase the book, follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and support her on Patreon. 

Ibram X. Kendi’s Stamped from the Beginning (a history of anti-black racism in America) and How to be Anti-Racist are must-haves on your anti-racism book shelves. 

People we follow on Instagram:

This is a list of Black women we follow on Instagram from whom we’ve learned a lot. Please remember that we are guests in these educators’ spaces, so our role is to listen and learn (and to pay them for the work they’re doing and the education they are sharing). This list is by no means exhaustive, but it’s a good start:

Organizations to donate to:

HerStory June 2020: Sophie Blanchard

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“Up, up, and away, in my beautiful balloon…” So goes the Fifth Dimension song from the mid-1960s. Adreamy song for a dreamy diversion, floating along in the basket beneath a hot air balloon. This month, we are honoring the first female aeronaut, Sophie Blanchard, who made a name for herself
floating across France before her untimely death at 41 with our Up, Up, and Away colorway. She had the distinction of being both the first female to pilot her own balloon AND the first woman to die in a balloon accident.

Madame Blanchard, as she was known, was the aeronaut of choice for two world leaders; NapoleonBonaparte named her “Aeronaut of the Official Festivals”, and, upon the restoration of the monarchy in1814, after performing for Louis XVIII, she was named his “Official Aeronaut of the Restoration”.

She married professional balloonist Jean-Pierre Blanchard in the late 1700s (who was by all accounts kind of an asshole who left his first wife and children to suffer in poverty so he could gallivant around Europe ballooning), and learned the profession from him. After he passed away in 1808, she continued in the family profession, working to erase the debts her husband had left her, and attempting even more daring feats of derring-do. The basket she used was tiny (seriously, the thought of standing in it
floating under a hot air balloon sends our heart a skittering), and she was a true performer, utilizing pyrotechnics and trick-flying, often at quite a cost. She passed out on at least 2 occasions due to the extreme altitudes at which she flew, and experienced very scary take-offs and landings on other occasions. She gained a huge following, and lots of support and enthusiasm, and her flights were always heavy on the wow factor, a fact that surely contributed to her demise.

Blanchard’s final flight was to be a night-flight, one of her favorites. Against the advice of many, the flight included a pyrotechnic display, as she floated in Tivoli Gardens in Paris. The fireworks caused an actual fire to start in her balloon, and, in trying to guide herself to safety, she became entangled in her ropes and fell out of the afore-mentioned teensy basket and to her death. She was 41 years old.

Madame Blanchard’s death was indicative of the danger that ballooning represented, and the public nature of her death helped to usher in the beginning of the end of this golden age of aeronauts. Her legacy, however, lives on to this day. She and her fellow female aeronauts paved the way for women in all fields of aviation, and her fearless determination inspired young women in the early 1800s to realize there was a world outside of that which seemed to be prescribed for them. She was brave and shewas strong and she proved that women can fly high as a bird, up, up, and away, in a beautifulballoon… We hope you have dreams of floating in the clouds (in a safe and secure way, of course) as you knit with the balloon-inspired skein of Up, Up, and Away.

National Parks 2020: Pinnacles National Park

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It’s time once again to explore more National Parks through yarny goodness. Over the past four years, we have explored the United States through its National Parks, and in 2020, we will have represented them all. Many of these are lesser-known National Parks, and we hope you spend some time exploring them through the links we’ve shared.

Check out our Socks on Vacay/Socks on Staycay summertime sock knitting collaboration with our friend Shannon Squire, too: https://shannonsquire.com/socks-on-vacay-staycay-2020/

Thanks for exploring parks and making socks with us once again this summer! To get your yarn, check out our list of LYS’s offering National Parks (Parks yarn will ONLY be available at our LYS partners through the summer): https://knittedwit.com/

Where is this National Park located?

Pinnacles National Park is located east of the Salinas Valley in Central California.

Whose land does this National Park reside upon?

From the nps website: “Pinnacles National Park continues to learn about the history of Native peoples, but many archaeological records are incomplete. There was no written record prior to European colonization as most stories and knowledge were passed from generation to generation in an oral tradition. Unfortunately, this transfer of knowledge was disrupted by the arrival of the Spanish in 1769 and the introduction of the mission system which prohibited people from speaking their Native language or engaging in their cultural practices. During the process of colonization that continued with Mexicans and then early Americans, it was safer to hide one’s native identity and pretend to be Spanish. Some people retained knowledge from the time before the mission and many Californian Indian people are working today to ‘relearn’ as much of their traditional ecological knowledge as they can.”

Currently, Members of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band and Chalone Indian Nation volunteer, work, and participate in eco-cultural restoration projects at Pinnacles.

When was it established as a National Park?

January 10, 2013

Why is this park amazing?

A multi-volcanic eruption event 23 million years ago become Pinnacles National Park, and the landscape reflects this massive natural phenomena. You can hike through rare talus caves, emerging to witness huge rock spires teeming with life: prairie and peregrine falcons, golden eagles, and the inspiring California condor.

Why did we choose these colors?

The colorway we created for Pinnacles reflects the volcanic debris, the massive rock spires, the sky, the woodlands, all mushed into a skein-y representation of this breathtaking park.

For more information:

National Parks 2020: Hot Springs National Park

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It’s time once again to explore more National Parks through yarny goodness. Over the past four years, we have explored the United States through its National Parks, and in 2020, we will have represented them all. Many of these are lesser-known National Parks, and we hope you spend some time exploring them through the links we’ve shared.

Check out our Socks on Vacay/Socks on Staycay summertime sock knitting collaboration with our friend Shannon Squire, too: https://shannonsquire.com/socks-on-vacay-staycay-2020/

Thanks for exploring parks and making socks with us once again this summer! To get your yarn, check out our list of LYS’s offering National Parks (Parks yarn will ONLY be available at our LYS partners through the summer): https://knittedwit.com/

Where is this National Park located?

Hot Springs National Park is located near Little Rock, Arkansas.

Whose land does this National Park reside upon?

The main two tribes associated with the lands on which Hot Springs occupy are the Quapaw and the Caddo, both of which still consider the park area to be culturally significant. 

When was it established as a National Park?

April 20, 1832

Why is this park amazing?

The town of Hot Springs was built around the Hot Springs National Park, so it’s an urban park that contains natural hot springs, mountains, and trails. Soaking in the springs is only permitted in two of the bathhouses, but there are ample opportunities for outdoor rambling throughout the park

Why did we choose these colors?

We decided to honor the Native Americans that utilized the Hot Springs before colonization occurred, so we based our colorway off of the traditional garments worn during a tribal dance performance at the entrance to the park.  

For more information:

National Parks 2020: Indiana Dunes National Park

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It’s time once again to explore more National Parks through yarny goodness. Over the past four years, we have explored the United States through its National Parks, and in 2020, we will have represented them all. Many of these are lesser-known National Parks, and we hope you spend some time exploring them through the links we’ve shared.

Check out our Socks on Vacay/Socks on Staycay summertime sock knitting collaboration with our friend Shannon Squire, too: https://shannonsquire.com/socks-on-vacay-staycay-2020/

Thanks for exploring parks and making socks with us once again this summer! To get your yarn, check out our list of LYS’s offering National Parks (Parks yarn will ONLY be available at our LYS partners through the summer): https://knittedwit.com/

Where is this National Park located?

Indiana Dunes National Park is located near Westchester Township, Indiana.

Whose land does this National Park reside upon?

This land has been home to native peoples for thousands of years, but the most recent native tribes known to have settled here are the Miami, Mascouten, Shawnee, Mahican, and Potawatomi.

When was it established as a National Park?

It was authorized by Congress in 1966 as the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, the name by which it was known until it was designated the nation’s 61st national park on February 15, 2019.

Why is this park amazing?

The park stretches along 15 miles of the southern shore of Lake Michigan, and contains an incredible diversity of wildlife habitats; it’s among the most biologically rich in the nation. The dunes are only a part of what it has to offer. 

Why did we choose these colors?

We wanted to showcase everything this park has to offer, so used an image that included the green-blue waters, the sandy beaches, and the rolling tree-covered hills.

For more information:

National Parks 2020: Theodore Roosevelt National Park

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It’s time once again to explore more National Parks through yarny goodness. Over the past four years, we have explored the United States through its National Parks, and in 2020, we will have represented them all. Many of these are lesser-known National Parks, and we hope you spend some time exploring them through the links we’ve shared.

Check out our Socks on Vacay/Socks on Staycay summertime sock knitting collaboration with our friend Shannon Squire, too: https://shannonsquire.com/socks-on-vacay-staycay-2020/

Thanks for exploring parks and making socks with us once again this summer! To get your yarn, check out our list of LYS’s offering National Parks (Parks yarn will ONLY be available at our LYS partners through the summer): https://knittedwit.com/

Where is this National Park located?

Theodore Roosevelt National Park is located in western North Dakota, where the Great Plains meet the rugged Badlands.

Whose land does this National Park reside upon?

Even though it’s known as the badlands, this region has been inhabited for thousands of years. From the NPS website: 

“A rich diversity of cultures utilized the badlands region during historic times. The most significant groups were the Mandan and Hidatsa, whose traditional bison hunting grounds included the Little Missouri River basin. West of the badlands, the Hidatsa’s close relatives, the Crow, also utilized the badlands at the eastern edge of their territory. Many other tribes including the Blackfeet, Gros Ventre, Chippewa, Cree, Sioux, and Rocky Boy came to western North Dakota in the early 19th century mainly for hunting and trading, often at Fort Union Trading Post. These groups did not necessarily seek out the badlands in the way the Mandan, Hidatsa, or Crow might. The Assiniboine occupied a large area of the Northern Great Plains north of the Missouri River. The Arikara entered western and central North Dakota and several bands of the Lakota (Sioux) expanded their range into western North Dakota in the 19th century. Each group has its own history, traditions, spirituality, stories, and uses associated with the badlands. Eagle trapping, bison hunting, and other spiritual purposes were among the traditional uses.”

When was it established as a National Park?

November 10, 1978

Why is this park amazing?

Theodore Roosevelt came to this area to hunt bison in 1883, and his adventure in this remote and unfamiliar place would forever alter the course of the nation by helping him shape what was perhaps his greatest legacy: his conservation policy. The park itself is a habitat for bison, elk and prairie dogs, and the park has 3 distinct sections linked by the Little Missouri River.

Why did we choose these colors?

Known as the badlands region, this area is singularly beautiful in spite of (because of?) it’s ruggedness. We found an image that showcased the richness of colors to be found in the rock formations, the scraggly flora finding footholds where they can, and the vastness of the sky here.

For more information:

HerStory May 2020: Janet Guthrie

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Check out our May colorway, Vroom Vroom! Named so because we are zooming around the racetrack for our May HerStory. May is the month when the Indianapolis 500 typically takes place (although in very atypical 2020, it has been rescheduled for August…we planned this all out waaay before there was even a hint of a global pandemic, so there you go ;)). Vroom Vroom is racecar green, with speckles representing sponsorship stickers sprinkled all over. 

This month, we are honoring Janet Guthrie, a woman who chalked up a lot of firsts in American auto racing. She was the first woman to compete in the Indianapolis 500. She was the first woman to compete in the Daytona 500. And, she was the first woman to lead a lap in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. 

Janet Guthrie was always interested in moving fast and taking risks. Her parents (both airplane pilots) encouraged her fearlessness, and, with hopes of becoming an astronaut, she studied engineering in college. The astronaut thing didn’t pan out, but she worked as an aerospace engineer for a time, and was both a pilot and a flight instructor. Feeling restless, in the 1960s, Guthrie set her sights on auto racing.

If you think auto racing now is a big ole sausage-fest, you should have seen it in the mid-1960s. All men, as far as the eye could see, and very little institutional interest in widening that gap. Guthrie didn’t let that deter her, however; for 10 long years, she worked hard, built her own cars, and even slept in her car when at the race track. Finally, in 1977, she gained sponsorship and was able to fully compete with her racing peers as a fully supported driver. Of course, she continued to face bucketloads of sexism and misogyny, but she kept competing, as long as the sponsorship held out (auto racing is prohibitively expensive without sponsorship). Her racing career didn’t last very long, but her legacy continues to this day. She inspired women like Lyn St. James, Sarah Fisher, and Danica Patrick to take up the mantle of Indycar racing. In 2019, she became the 5th woman inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame, which is awesome and also proves there is a long way yet to go in achieving equality in the auto racing world (the Automotive Hall of Fame was founded in the 1930s and has over 800 worldwide honorees).

In an ESPN special focusing on her life, Guthrie stated: “You can go back to antiquity to find women doing extraordinary things, but their history is forgotten. Or denied to have ever existed. So women keep reinventing the wheel. Women have always done these things, and they always will.”

National Parks 2020: Kenai Fjords

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It’s time once again to explore more National Parks through yarny goodness. Over the past four years, we have explored the United States through its National Parks, and in 2020, we will have represented them all. Many of these are lesser-known National Parks, and we hope you spend some time exploring them through the links we’ve shared.

Check out our Socks on Vacay/Socks on Staycay summertime sock knitting collaboration with our friend Shannon Squire, too: https://shannonsquire.com/socks-on-vacay-staycay-2020/

Thanks for exploring parks and making socks with us once again this summer! To get your yarn, check out our list of LYS’s offering National Parks (Parks yarn will ONLY be available at our LYS partners through the summer): https://knittedwit.com/

Where is Kenai Fjords National Park?

Kenai Fjords National Park is located just outside the town of Seward in south-central Alaska, 126 miles south of Anchorage.

Whose land does this National Park reside upon?

The Alutiiq (Sugpiaq) Native people survived here for centuries by following the natural rhythms of Kenai Fjords. They are a maritime people who traditionally hunted and subsisted on the outer Kenai Peninsula coast; they were able to adapt and survive for centuries in a place that later people would dismiss as rugged and inhospitable. Archeological evidence indicates they have used the Kenai Fjords area for more than 1,000 years. 

When was it established as a National Park?

December 2, 1980

Why is this park amazing?

At the edge of the Kenai Peninsula lies a land where the ice age lingers. Nearly 40 glaciers flow from the Harding Icefield, Kenai Fjords’ crowning feature. Wildlife thrives in icy waters and lush forests around this vast expanse of ice. Sugpiaq people relied on these resources to nurture a life entwined with the sea. Today, shrinking glaciers bear witness to the effects of our changing climate.

Why did we choose these colors?

Sunset + water + Alaska beauty = yarny perfection.

For more information:

National Parks 2020: Biscayne National Park

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It’s time once again to explore more National Parks through yarny goodness. Over the past four years, we have explored the United States through its National Parks, and in 2020, we will have represented them all. Many of these are lesser-known National Parks, and we hope you spend some time exploring them through the links we’ve shared.

Check out our Socks on Vacay/Socks on Staycay summertime sock knitting collaboration with our friend Shannon Squire, too: https://shannonsquire.com/socks-on-vacay-staycay-2020/

Thanks for exploring parks and making socks with us once again this summer! To get your yarn, check out our list of LYS’s offering National Parks (Parks yarn will ONLY be available at our LYS partners through the summer): https://knittedwit.com/

Where is this National Park located?

Biscayne National Park is located near Miami, Florida.

Whose land does this National Park reside upon?

This land was home to the Glades cultures (2500 years ago), and, as the continent was being overtaken by white settlers, the Tequesta, which, due to the fact that they didn’t have to rely heavily on agriculture for foodstuffs because of the bounty of the sea, was able to develop a more complex culture than many contemporary societies. You see, they had more time for leisure. As colonialists were arriving (and bringing their diseases), the Tequesta people were wiped out. Creeks heading to Florida from surrounding states gave rise to the Seminole and Miccosukee, who also resided in the Biscayne National Park area.

When was it established as a National Park?

June 28, 1980

Why is this park amazing?

95% of this park is covered by water! The park protects 72,000 acres of the northernmost range of the Florida Reef Tract. It’s home to many islands, some of which you can camp on, as well as over 600 native fish and 20 threatened and endangered species including sea turtles and manatees.

Why did we choose these colors?

The coral reefs of Biscayne National Park are breathtaking, and we knew we needed to capture the red-orange of the reefs against the blue-green of the ocean.

For more information: