Across the United States, a quiet but potent form of resistance is unfolding, one stitch at a time. For centuries, American fibre artists have woven their political convictions into their crafts, and today, a new generation of 'craftivists' is using yarn, needles, and thread to challenge authority, build solidarity, and fundraise for causes from abortion rights to humanitarian aid in Gaza.
Knitting Against Fascism: Stitching Solidarity in Portland
In early October, following Donald Trump's order to deploy national guard troops to what he called a 'war ravaged' Portland, Oregon, Tracy Wright made a decision. She invited fellow knitters to gather outside the local US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility. Armed with what they later termed their 'weapons of mass construction' – knitting needles and lawn chairs – they began a series of weekly 'knit-ins'.
'I didn't want to go by myself,' Wright admitted. The group, which nicknamed itself 'Knitters Against Fascism', aimed to present a calm, normal face to counter political narratives and offer a friendly presence to immigrants arriving for appointments.
Word spread quickly. Knitwear designer Michele Lee Bernstein joined after hearing about the protests at her local guild, seeing it as a perfect visual rebuttal to claims the city was 'burning to the ground'. At her second protest, she designed a hat based on the 'Portland Frog', an inflatable costume worn by other demonstrators. The pattern's ripple effect was profound: a church group later used it to raise $550 for a local food bank, and Bernstein sold one of her own hats for $100, donating the proceeds to the North-east Emergency Food Program.
The Power of Thread: Building Movements Through Shared Craft
This activism is part of a deep historical tradition, formally recognised since writer Betsy Greer coined the term 'craftivism' in 2003. From the embroidered handkerchiefs of Argentina's Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo to the vast AIDS Memorial Quilt, fibre arts have long been a medium for protest and memorial.
Political scientist Hahrie Han of Johns Hopkins University notes the unique power of such practices in movement building. 'In moments of stress, the motivations that keep people together... are often their social-relational commitments, more than their commitment to the issue,' she explains. Simply put, people are more likely to show up if they don't want to let down their friends.
Artist Shannon Downey discovered this firsthand over a decade ago. After a bullet came through her bedroom window, she processed the trauma by embroidering a gun. Sharing the work on Instagram sparked an unexpected community response, with 2,000 followers mailing her their own embroidered firearms. She later sold these at a fundraiser for Chicago's Project Fire, raising $5,000 for the gun violence prevention non-profit.
'I just started to see this as, like, the greatest community organising tool that could exist,' Downey said. She has since published a handbook, Let's Move the Needle, to guide others in blending craft and activism.
From Pussyhats to Global Fundraisers: Craftivism's Broad Reach
The movement manifests in countless forms, some explicitly political and others centred on human connection. The iconic pussyhat became a global symbol of resistance to Trump's presidency, serving as what Downey calls an 'identity and allegiance signalling tool'.
Other initiatives include Knit the Rainbow, which provides warm clothing for LGBTQ+ youth in New York City's foster system, and the Liberty Crochet Project, which created a collaborative mural protesting the overturning of Roe v Wade.
Perhaps one of the most financially impactful recent examples came from the Danish yarn brand Knitting for Olive. In August, the mother-daughter-owned company raised $828,868 in a single weekend for UNICEF's work in Gaza. Co-owner Caroline Larsen stated, 'Supporting people in need matters more to us than having an impressive number on our bottom line.' This was their seventh such fundraiser since 2020, when they began raising money for Black Lives Matter following the murder of George Floyd.
For Downey, the act of creation itself is a political act in a time of destruction. Yet she believes a core success of craftivism is that 'it centres joy', creating sustainable communities around shared passion. Whether finishing a deceased loved one's project through the Loose End Project or stitching for a cause, these makers are proving that threaded together, small acts can indeed foster significant change.
