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[–]weirdthorn 8 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 0 fun9 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

Uh, knitting was traditionally a male occupation, as long as money was to be made, only when machines did it cheaper it switched to being women's work. The whole drama was more women against women, but women are raised to be "nice" while Sockmatician didn't back down on his opinion and still hasn't.

He forgot to mention the Trump-ban at Ravelry (biggest knitting site for the non-knitters), where a Trump-supporter/designer/troll "deplorable knitter" doxed a black woman to her Instagram followers and was then banned from Ravelry along with support of Trump. (The husband of the couple who run the site came out as trans a couple of weeks later, btw, I suspect she gave him the opportunity for the ban without much resistance of the user-base.)

Here's a longer write up:

https://quillette.com/2019/02/17/a-witch-hunt-on-instagram/

https://quillette.com/2019/06/07/instagrams-diversity-wars-revisited/

https://quillette.com/2019/07/28/knittings-infinity-war-part-iii-showdown-at-yarningham/

Here's a thread on mumsnet on this:

https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3703610-Cast-Off-Diversity-wars-are-raging-in-the-knitting-world

[–][deleted] 9 insightful - 2 fun9 insightful - 1 fun10 insightful - 2 fun -  (4 children)

Knitting, originally? Yes. Knitting, crochet, embroidery, handstitching, sashiko, orinuno, hand and machine quilting from the late 20th Century onward? Predominantly women.

What happened in online quilting spaces this year was provoked (relentlessly) by a gay man from the U.S. who is relatively new to fabric arts. He's still promoting strife in a venue that didn't ask for it, does not need it, and is still a creative haven for women worldwide.

ETA: This bit from mumsnet perfectly describes it: "There's a similar story [like Nathan Taylor's] about a Kate Davies who is based in the Scottish Highlands. She wouldn't join in denouncing people for their 'transgressions', so she's been attacked, too.

I read it thinking it must be an allegory but have come to the conclusion it's genuine. It is total, stark-staring madness and I can only keep saying to myself and to anyone else who will listen 'How on earth did we come to this?'"

The "activists" leave no option for a response other than utter, unquestioning acquiescence. It's cultic religiosity that results in zero positive, meaningful change in anyone's lives or circumstances, least of all for those most in need.

[–]weirdthorn 7 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 0 fun8 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

What happened in online quilting spaces this year was provoked (relentlessly) by a gay man from the U.S. who is relatively new to fabric arts. He's still promoting strife in a venue that didn't ask for it, does not need it, and is still a creative haven for women worldwide.

Ah, the new convert-overzealousness + male entitlement.

The "activists" leave no option for a response other than utter, unquestioning acquiescence. It's cultic religiosity that results in zero positive, meaningful change in anyone's lives or circumstances, least of all for those most in need.

Yeah, it's such an overreaction over basically non-issues. And then trying to cancel people who want to stay out of it? Ugh.

Btw, I don't think there is a quilting-sub. If you're into it and your account is old enough, why not start one? ;)

[–][deleted] 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Yeah. I think the true madness is that crafting is therapeutic for so many people, women especially. And this is a year when we could all do with a safe haven to keep ourselves centered --- but (apparently) no space is too sacred for overzealous activists to come in, wreak havoc, and sow bitterness.

I'm not nearly good enough at quilting for a sub! 😄 I've been participating in a global online English paper piecing group run by a few Aussies, that's about my speed.

[–]zephyranthes 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

weirdthorn is right, in a way: everything becomes a "traditionally male occupation" when there's money to be made. Cooking, fashion, programming, makeup, childcare: when women's burden becomes profitable, suddenly men are interested and they're edging out women with ease, often sadly helped by female fans fawning over the novelty. The internet enabled the scalable monetization of crafts; of course men would show up.

[–][deleted] 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Oh, yeah, definitely agree. I've seen it as well.