September was a spicy month in the knitting world. If you didn't hear about it, Hank Green upset some knitters during an episode of SciShow (now removed). The video takes a condescending, dismissive view of knitting and the people who have traditionally done it (women).
I have mixed feelings about this "controversy." On the one hand, I don't care. I can't muster the energy to feel outrage about every instance of misogyny I encounter.
On the other hand, I do understand why people felt indignant. The whole drama reminded me of something that happened when I was a college freshman.
I took a composition class during my first semester. The instructor was a woman who I perceived as worldly, intelligent, feminist. Her class was full of great discussion. I felt like my eyes were being opened.
Then one day she blindsided me by stating to the class: "I don't want my daughter to be the kind of woman who knits."
You know, insinuating that women who knit are weak, submissive doormats.
I'd learned to knit as a teenager, and I brought my knitting supplies to college. It was a major surprise to me that my creative, calming hobby could be considered an unfeminist setback to women everywhere.
Obviously I now realize that this woman had some internalized misogyny to work through. Wherever she is, I hope she has a closet full of nice sweaters hand-knit by her daughter.
But at the time, I felt really embarrassed. I stopped knitting for several years (not entirely because of this; it was college and I was busy), and it took me a while to fully recognize that this was a ridiculous thing for her to say.
So I do think the whole thing was worthy of discussion. Still, I would encourage people to redirect their outrage to the multitude of people and organizations who are intentionally trying to set women back.
My younger brother and I grew up in separate households. Once in the late '90s, I was at his house for the weekend. I brought a mini flashlight that came with one of my Barbies. I liked to use it as a reading light when I was supposed to be asleep.
My brother begged me to let him borrow it. We'd be seeing each other the next weekend, so he would give it back then. You know what happened next. I let him borrow it, and I never got it back.
Until now. I reminded him of this ultimate betrayal a few weeks ago. A couple days days later, the Barbie and her flashlight showed up on my porch:
His ass went and bought it for me on eBay. What am I supposed to do with it now?! Be careful what you wish for, people.
