Simply Crochet - UK (2019-12)

50 WWW.SIMPLYCROCHETMAG.COM

GOOD READ

F

ormanyyearstherehasbeenan
ongoingdebateaboutthelackof
diversity,representationand
racismintheknittingandcrochet
community.Thisconversation
reacheda crescendoonInstagramin
2018 withpeopleofcolour(POC)
sharingtheirindividual,oftenpainful
experiencesofracismandexclusion
withinthecraftingworld.
Withtheseissuesfinallybeingopenly
discussed,someofthecommunitybegan
askingyarncompaniestoadoptanti-racist
practicesinordertobringaboutchanges
thatwouldmakethecommunitymore
inclusive.Somethinglastingandpositive.
Onestartingpointwasexploringwhich
knitandcrochetdesignerspeoplewere
following. Another was looking at who

wasbeingfeaturedinmagazinesand

patterns.Wasthereanydiversitywithin

thatrangeofmodelsanddesigners?Many

wereopentotheideaofbeingmore

inclusiveintermsofwhotheywere

followingbutfoundit wasn’talwayseasy

tosupportcraftersordesignerswhoare

BIPOC(black,indigenousandpeopleof

colour).Peopleoftenuseemojisor

picturesofyarnintheirsocialmedia

profileswhichmeansthesecan’tberelied

onforclues,whilstothersprefernottobe

classifiedpurelybytheirethnicity–

something that is entirely their right to do.

BETHECHANGEYOUWANTTOSEE

BlackknitweardesignerJeanetteSloan

decidedtotacklethisunderrepresentation

by creating the POC Designers and

Crafterslistandpostingit onherblog.

Jeanettewaspropelledintoactionafter

speakingwithmyself,whenI wasstudying

foranMAinKnittedTextilesatLondon’s

RoyalCollegeofArt.AtthetimeI was

lookingforblackknitweardesignerswhilst

researchingformyMAdissertation‘Myth:

BlackPeopleDon’tKnit’butdidn’tknowof

any.Infactwhenasked,evenmytutors

toldmetheonlyonetheycouldnamewas

Jeanette.Flabbergastedthatshewas‘the

onlyone’,Jeanettedida callouton

Instagramtofindotherblackdesigners.

Theresponsewasamazing.Aswellas

repliesnamingblackknitweardesigners

shereceivedcommentsfromother

craftersandethnicities(amongthem

someofAsianheritage)sayinghowthey

also felt invisible and underrepresented.

JeanetteSloan’swebsiteaimsto

addressissuesaroundinclusivity

in the yarn and craft industry

Withissuesofdiversityintheyarncommunitya hot-buttontopicrightnow,

Lorna Hamilton-Brown charts the roots of the BIPOC in Fiber community project

Inclusive crafting