"Cast Off - Diversity wars are raging in the knitting world'

[AncientLights]

I've kept the title from the article in the print version of The Spectator 28 Sept, as I can't improve on it.

It's the most astonishing piece - well, astonishing and yet horribly familiar to us here. I'll summarise as it's not the done thing to do a big c&p job and would also be a kick in the financial teeth of the Speccy, who have done so much, via James Kirkup, to publicise the illogicality of the trans movement.

There is a knitter called Nathan Taylor whose online name is 'Sockmatician' - he sounds an interesting character, shall I say. Sockmatician seems to have cause huge offence (and here I will quote as it's so bonkers) by posting 'a poem on Instagram about 'diversknitty' in which he boasted it was a year since he had founded this hashtag, and asked that people use it kindly, rather than attacking one another'. Seems Taylor was committing violence against Bipoc (black & indigenous people of colour, it says here) by telling them how to make their arguments about inclusion, tone policing from a white man - utterly unacceptable.

The war started & raged on. Sockmatation has MH problems, was hospitalised, messages from his husband held no sway. Things got really bad with the yarn festival: yarn producers & other knitting personalities (who knew?) couldn't believe Sockmatition hadn't been uninvited, someone was glad she hadn't been able to attend after all as she'd have been unable to teach her session knowing he was down the hall. Unsupported allegations online about an assault. His patterns have been dropped from two books, one of which was the first official Harry Potter knitting book - the cover was reshot to remove Sockmatition's work. His business has suffered a 75% drop in sales.

There's a similar story 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 have we come to this?'

Embroidery Instagram is doing the same thing right now. This time the target is the feminist embroiderer Jess De Wahls.

They've succeeded in pressuring the Royal Academy of Arts to drop her.

@lazylinguist

I'm sorry, I probably wasn't clear enough. I was referring to the people who were saying they didn't even want to learn if it was so political.

If you're already crafting you're all good, carry on!

Oh my god, Jess de Wahls, that's awful! She's wonderful and brave. She seems very busy in her independent shop so I hope her livelihood isn't too affected. Those nasty little shits.

It seems to be everywhere in crafting communities at the moment. I applied to join a historical sewing group recently and the first questions I had to answer were “do you agree that acab?, do you agree that twaw?”. That’s before it even got to anything sewing related. I’ve already had one clear out of yarn from dyers who fell over themselves to denounce JKR, flogged it and sent the money to various crowd justice things. It did stop my love of crafting for a while and I stopped sewing, knitting or embroidering. But they don’t get to win. I have a list of yarn dyers and designers I’ll never use again. Though looking at their targets I’ve found some great dyers and artists including Jess de Wahls. I’m raging about it and will be shopping with her later. What a bunch of nasty little bastards

My feminist-friendly craft group warned members this morning that another group had made this charming announcement.

FFS.

It's so so ridiculous that they way they decide to promote diversity and inclusivity is by excluding women.

It's absolutely batshit. Whoever compared it to the Maoist struggle sessions is right.

Cross stich council?! It is half hilarious and half scary.

That message is sinister Purgatory how is this anything other than thought policing?

It really does seem like Maoism. We really are in danger of losing our freedoms and creating a fearful and paranoid society.

@PurgatoryOfPotholes

Embroidery Instagram is doing the same thing right now. This time the target is the feminist embroiderer Jess De Wahls.

They've succeeded in pressuring the Royal Academy of Arts to drop her.

I've emailed RA asking:

• What evidence do they have JDW expressed transphobic views?
• Are they aware of the recent MF ruling that gender critical beliefs are protected beliefs?
• Having and expressing the belief that you cannot change sex and that trans woman/men are in fact not biological women/men is not a transphobic view and it is a perfectly legal and protected belief.
• Are RA sure they are on the right ride of discrimination here - seemingly discriminating against a female artist (sex is a protected characteristic) for her truly legally held views (GC beliefs are a protected belief)?
• Are RA thought-policing every artists to ensure no artists have distasteful views? How are they conducting this review?
• Who at RA is deciding which views and beliefs are deemed to be distasteful - since RA is not using legality to decide?

Hopefully if enough people email they will back down?

Wow. I didn't realise this had all kicked off again

That grovelling apology for writing the Harry potter book won't be good enough either. Some of the fanatics won't rest until her career is destroyed.

Also fired off an e mail to the RA. I suspect it was some jumped up purple haired social media Maoist who responded. Hopefully the mails are read by a grown up

Could anyone tell me how I can find out who the designers/dyers are who have been involved in the hounding of others? I know a bit about Kate Davies and her (ex) friend, but nobody else.

Not asking for names, just a gentle hint as to where I can find the necessary info. I've just picked up my knitting needles again after a few years off and I don't want to accidentally put money into the coffers of bullies.

@lazylinguist I'm sorry, I probably wasn't clear enough. I was referring to the people who were saying they didn't even want to learn if it was so political.

Ah sorry- I misunderstood! Yes, it would be a great shame if this kind of bullshit put people off. I've not heard of Jess de Wahls, but it is appalling to hear of more womem having their livelihoods put in jeopardy by these rabid purity loons.

I’m wondering this too @NutsaboutFruit I’m not on SM enough to follow it all.

Ont of my favourite dyers used to have some HP themed patterns for sale, which I can no longer find. I’m really hoping it’s not a sign of how things are. I also would rather give me money to the non-bullies.

It's all too much! I used to love Ravelry!

It doesn't help that my workplace has just announced it's inviting in Gendered Intelligence.

I just want to mind my own businessbrowse knitting patterns and/or do my workand not be constantly scolded and virtue signalled at or be called on to admire narcissists. No such luck.

If Mumsnet FWR gets siloed off somewhere, I'm going to absolutely despair.

@NutsaboutFruit

Could anyone tell me how I can find out who the designers/dyers are who have been involved in the hounding of others? I know a bit about Kate Davies and her (ex) friend, but nobody else.

Not asking for names, just a gentle hint as to where I can find the necessary info. I've just picked up my knitting needles again after a few years off and I don't want to accidentally put money into the coffers of bullies.

I would also like some hints on this.

I think if you take a look at Tanis Grey's Instagram post about the second HP knitting book, you can pretty quickly gauge* who's supportive of her (including her personal news that she's dealing with two deaths in the family) and who....isn't.

• inadvertent knitting reference!

Thanks Zeugma - will check before I next spend too much money on hand dyed wool. I wonder why this is such a big issue in the yarn community and doesn't seem to crop up so much in cooking or gardening.

The comments are off on the book post so I can't see. One of my fave indy dyers was doing HP themed stuff a while back, I hope she hasn't been bullied into stopping

Just wandered onto an instagramner who could barely articulate ..in her 'values ' reel , her unease at having anything to do with "vicious anti trans " JKR ..Not that she had actually like ..er... read anything about it but friends had told her ...for vacuous , inarticulate drivel look for an adventurous female in the craft of yarn ..hope thats clear enough without the proper Monica .

A lot is inarticulate drivel. They’ve never read JKRs essay and rush to pile in. Some do it through Instagram stories and keep their feed clear. I’ve just seen one who is pulling all HP yarn for the “hateful” views be challenged by another maker. This other maker is trans and was sticking up for JKR, yet they told this person that they are gatekeeping and don’t understand the issues. So a virtue signalling muppet is silencing a trans person who doesn’t stick to the accepted script. It’s utterly batshit.