| A group of Calgarians is trying to start a revolution through knitting.
Grant Neufeld is among those who share in a blend of stitching and social change as part of Calgary’s Revolutionary Knitting Circle, a group of anywhere from a dozen to 60 people who meet about once a month to knit one, purl two – and in the process they want to change the world.
"The group is loosely knit," Neufeld says with a smile.
The idea for this circle of local "dyed-in-the-wool" activists started in the spring of 2000 at a gathering of like-minded individuals who were in Calgary to protest corporate globalization during the World Petroleum Congress. An unconfirmed story was circulating about an event involving some European knitters.
"A group spent the day knitting at an intersection where a military convoy was known to pass through each day," says Neufeld. "At the end of the day a web of knitting was formed to shut down the intersection and the convoy."
Whether this tale of knitting pacifists triumphing over the war machine in fact ever happened remains an open question, yet Neufeld and a small group were inspired enough to form the Revolutionary Knitting Circle. They began planning their own actions using wool as a medium to communicate their message. They did just that at the G 8 Summit that took place near Calgary in June of 2002.
"There was a call for global knitting during the G8 – to use the G8 to very visibly counter the corporate world," he says. "It’s the idea of being able to take care of ourselves if we have to – it’s a metaphor and an action."
With that in mind, about 60 knitters gathered in front of Bankers Hall while the world’s eight most powerful leaders met in Kananaskis Country to discuss issues of poverty and nuclear non-proliferation. And what kind of reaction did the activist-knitters get from the members of Calgary’s corporate elite who passed by that day?
"I haven’t had a negative reaction," says Neufeld. "Oddly enough, the corporate media coverage was great."
In fact, Neufeld gets so much attention when he knits that he ends up spending as much time talking about geo-political issues with strangers as he does stitching together his latest scarf or hat.
"Knitting opens the door to talk to people," he says.
That openness is fundamental to this group, in which members share tips on the best way to start a purl stitch, and throw in a generous dose of companionship and activism for good measure.
"The youngest person (to attend) the group has been five and the oldest has been in their 80s," says Neufeld. "We produce our own clothes and some members donate blankets to the shelters."
And if the connection between textiles and action seems tenuous, one need only listen to this well-known Calgary activist explain the first stitch that every would-be knitter must master.
"It’s called casting on," he says. "The first couple of rows are the hardest to learn, but once you get the hang of that, it’s easy." |
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