Political Crafting

Wendy Stackhouse October 20, 2008

My article today is about some perhaps more unusual ways of supporting Barack Obama in this election cycle.

You see, I'm a member of an online fiber arts community called Ravelry. As of today, Ravelry has 199,046 registered members. Now, normally we're all about the knitting. Or crocheting. Or dyeing. But some very passionate political groups (for and against both tickets) have sprung up over in our neck of the woods. Knitters for Obama, Sarah Palin Must Be Stopped, Obama-Rama, to name a few. Some (not the above) are so passionate that they have felt the need to exclude people with dissenting views from commenting at all.

Other groups accept dissenting views as long as they are delivered with respect. Hey, it's kind of fun to bat down the other side's arguments sometimes!

But this post is about the crafting, specifically the crafting for Obama/Biden.

My contributions to this wealth of projects have been small but significant (to me). A sweater for my puppy. A pair of socks to support Obama as well as the struggle in Tibet. Others have made sweaters for their children or themselves, gloves, and countless charity projects made in our candidates' names. Independent dyers and spinners have created yarns and colorways for each of the candidates.

So if you feel the need for some swag and you're crafty, come on in, the water's fine!

All photos in this article are reprinted with the permission of the copyright owners.

Bark Obama pattern available at My Savannah Cottage

Obama-rama pattern available at Nocturnal Knits