Ellen Goldberg considers how knitting “emotional support chickens”—and crafting in general—in these times is both an act of resistance and self-care. PLUS: An open thread forum on crafting for sanity.
I am 71 and this articles made me smile which is a great way to start the day. I have almost finished my “Melt the Ice” hat. I find knitting a wonderful tool for relaxing and my favorite is to sit with my dear friend while she embroiders and we talk about many things. We have known each other so long you never know what comes up. I basically self taught myself but I did join one class. I would like to try more complicated patterns but for now I have been knitting hats. I have not been able to learn other crafts so far but I have a spinning wheel and yarn from sheep I have raised. I love chickens and have ordered chicks that I will pick up May 14 so I am looking forward to that!
😊 I love watching my friend’s chickens when I go visit upstate. The group dynamics are very interesting. Knitting hats is very gratifying — sometimes it takes me years to finish a sweater.
I started knitting F bombs in 2016. Wish I could add a photo here, but basically it's a black sphere with a white fuse and a bold red F in the middle. I think it's time to make some more!
In a time when chaos IS the strategy, focus is curative. “Attention, taken to its highest degree, is the same thing as prayer. It presupposes faith and love,” wrote Simone Weil, and holy cow do we need prayers now. I pray with my Apple Pencil and tablet, and it answers a need to control my sensory inputs, and make sense of things visually. And to me, yarn chickens make a ton of sense.
I see craftivism in my (male) carpenter and potter friends, but also in athleticavisim pursuits like hoops and hiking and bicycling. It’s the concentration that heals, and you don’t have to wield knitting needles to experience it. Thank goodness there are so many good and fun ways to find community and focus on all things not-Trump!
We actually have a man in our stitch and bitch and one of the needle pointers at work is male. I agree with you about creativity and concentration. I can knit for hours and completely shut out all the crazy news.
I once called myself an “Artivist,” because I’ve long been committed to finding solutions to wildlife–human conflicts. I taught myself Adobe Illustrator and made messages for tees and signs for Slow Down campaigns, and marched in D.C. and NYC with my artists’ union. During the pandemic, I also made face masks and surgical caps with friends and donated them to hospitals, essential workers, and the poorest hospital in Brooklyn. We called ourselves #SewAppreciate, and it gave us a real sense of purpose during quarantine.
I used to knit to win boys’ hearts — which I stopped after marrying one!
When I was pregnant with my only child, I became a Japanese Martha Stewart and crocheted my baby’s name onto heart-shaped crib decorations, and made coordinated bedding and breastfeeding pillow covers. It made me so happy and excited to become a mom.
I learned to knit from my 3rd grade teacher. She would knit at times in class and there were several girls who were fascinated by her work, so she told us what supplies to bring, and she taught us at lunch. I later learned how to knit a sweater on circular needles from an RA in college. I moved to a small town a few years ago and joined the knitting group at the library, and the women are so great. It seems that I knit the most during times of personal or national crisises: when I was depressed in college, when I was diagnosed with cancer, 9/11, the pandemic, and now in this frightening moment of US history. Each time knitting calmed my mind, got me out of myself and into community. It's not like I'm a great knitter either. Not to get all mystical but it's the path not the destination. Imperfection is FINE. It's the cure for social media "curated" everything.
It’s interesting. I knit on the bus sometimes. One day last week I noticed a 10-year-old watching me knit and I could see that she was curious about it. Maybe I’ve inspired another young knitter.
I quilt. I made 14 quilts during the pandemic - baby, graduation, wedding. Now, I'm back at it again. Quilting gives me joy - I make them for people I care about - and I can actually finish a project - not as much with writing. Quilting is my sanity - with the world falling apart - or blowing up, and to manage my family stresses. I learned to sew in middle school and eventually started quilting 30 + year ago - my quilts now are much better than then.
I've been knitting and crocheting since college (long time) and I never really got farther than scarves or hats. I've tried socks but even that got too intense. Those tiny little needles drove me crazy. At last I have found the art of hand knitting chunky blankets! So easy you can do it while watching any episode of Bridgerton or Night Manager, and never miss a beat! No counting stitches, no pattern to follow, no knitting needles, just easy loops you make with your hands. Something so peaceful and calming in the rhythm of it. And it results in a cozy, beautiful blanket. I give them to my friends and family as an offer of love, warmth and safety in these turbulent times. Because nothing beats cuddling up under a big, soft blanket and escaping for awhile.
I'm a 74-year-old Canadian of Ukrainian heritage living in France. For the last 2 years, I've been doing what women have traditionally done during wars - knitting for troops and civilians in Ukraine. I wondered what how useful handknitted blankets and sweaters actually were, given that well-made factory-produced items could simply be purchased. Apparently, the recipients of these items feel a strong sense of caring from their unknown makers in countries outside the conflict zone - Ukrainians who receive a handmade blanket, for example, feel less alone in their terrible circumstances, and that their pain is recognized and shared.
In one sense, my knitting is a tiny act of co-resistance against the unjustified brutality of Russia. But in another, it is a WTF gesture towards Western governments, including my own, who could have done vastly more to help Ukraine out of this mess. I, a nobody, am doing what I can, but it is so little - why can't YOU get a grip and some courage and do more? And don't get me started on a certain natural genius who not only is not helping Ukraine much, but is actively giving aid and comfort to its enemy.
Oh I can relate! I started knitting again (after more than three decades) this fall. I’m absolutely terrible at it, but I do it daily to calm my nerves and it’s just the most soothing thing. I hadn’t thought of it contributing to any greater purpose so I just love this!
Really enjoyed this, especially coming on the heels of having just written a Substack about my knitting group. It's short, and you can read it for free here:
76 yo retired attorney, have always been “crafty”, but crochet has become almost an addiction for me. Tried to knit a few times, but just couldn’t do it. Would love to find a crochet pattern for an emotional support chicken!
I think there is one on Ravelry. If you are on Facebook and look for the emotional support chicken knitting group, there is a pattern for a crocheted version somewhere. I’ll see if I can find it.
Thanks, just on Ravelry as you wrote, crochet pattern is there! Once I finished the baby sweater I promised a friend,then the Melt Ice hat, and that scarf that is half done, I’ll use my stash on a chicken. Thanks for a great article !
Crafting for sanity? Yes, absolutely. I did learn how to knit at age 50, and I completed some projects, but I never really loved it. Sewing, though: I still love sewing after all these years. (And we're talking a LOT of years.)
When Trump was first trying to get elected I was so enraged that I didn't know what to do. Then I started playing, fiercely, with bits of raffia. This was the start of making Rage Dogs. I've given many away and merely ask that donations are made to Save The Children and a French woman who wanted one gave $200 to a French childrens' charity! And I've just sent one to the US.
I learned to knit as a child for some reason. My mother did not knit. In college I made a hat - there’s an Olan Mills portrait of me wearing the hat. After a gap in time I took up knitting again. My daughter was intrigued and learned. More recently I have made dozens of scarves with all kinds of yarn - from simple to glittering and shiny. Simple chain stitch, some with fringe, some without. Mindless fun and great stress reducer when done listening to the radio or an audio book! I will keep it up as long as my fingers hold out. I am 74!
What a wonderful article by Ellen Goldberg. I am 75 and have been a knitter, sewer and other craftsperson all my life. I am self taught even though there were members of my family that did crafts. Doing creative things with yarn can be meditative for me. I realize this because as I work on a project I loose track of time and any other pressures. I am inspired by Ellen's flock. Thanks.
This is so wonderful! Thank you.
I am 71 and this articles made me smile which is a great way to start the day. I have almost finished my “Melt the Ice” hat. I find knitting a wonderful tool for relaxing and my favorite is to sit with my dear friend while she embroiders and we talk about many things. We have known each other so long you never know what comes up. I basically self taught myself but I did join one class. I would like to try more complicated patterns but for now I have been knitting hats. I have not been able to learn other crafts so far but I have a spinning wheel and yarn from sheep I have raised. I love chickens and have ordered chicks that I will pick up May 14 so I am looking forward to that!
I love all of this. Especially that it’s something you and your friend do together.
😊 I love watching my friend’s chickens when I go visit upstate. The group dynamics are very interesting. Knitting hats is very gratifying — sometimes it takes me years to finish a sweater.
I started knitting F bombs in 2016. Wish I could add a photo here, but basically it's a black sphere with a white fuse and a bold red F in the middle. I think it's time to make some more!
Love it!
In a time when chaos IS the strategy, focus is curative. “Attention, taken to its highest degree, is the same thing as prayer. It presupposes faith and love,” wrote Simone Weil, and holy cow do we need prayers now. I pray with my Apple Pencil and tablet, and it answers a need to control my sensory inputs, and make sense of things visually. And to me, yarn chickens make a ton of sense.
Was just wondering about men and craftivism! Glad you chimed in, Peter.
I see craftivism in my (male) carpenter and potter friends, but also in athleticavisim pursuits like hoops and hiking and bicycling. It’s the concentration that heals, and you don’t have to wield knitting needles to experience it. Thank goodness there are so many good and fun ways to find community and focus on all things not-Trump!
We actually have a man in our stitch and bitch and one of the needle pointers at work is male. I agree with you about creativity and concentration. I can knit for hours and completely shut out all the crazy news.
Exactly.
I’m 59. So fun to learn the term “Craftivist”!
I once called myself an “Artivist,” because I’ve long been committed to finding solutions to wildlife–human conflicts. I taught myself Adobe Illustrator and made messages for tees and signs for Slow Down campaigns, and marched in D.C. and NYC with my artists’ union. During the pandemic, I also made face masks and surgical caps with friends and donated them to hospitals, essential workers, and the poorest hospital in Brooklyn. We called ourselves #SewAppreciate, and it gave us a real sense of purpose during quarantine.
I used to knit to win boys’ hearts — which I stopped after marrying one!
When I was pregnant with my only child, I became a Japanese Martha Stewart and crocheted my baby’s name onto heart-shaped crib decorations, and made coordinated bedding and breastfeeding pillow covers. It made me so happy and excited to become a mom.
Love this, and “artivist.”
I love “Artivist”
I learned to knit from my 3rd grade teacher. She would knit at times in class and there were several girls who were fascinated by her work, so she told us what supplies to bring, and she taught us at lunch. I later learned how to knit a sweater on circular needles from an RA in college. I moved to a small town a few years ago and joined the knitting group at the library, and the women are so great. It seems that I knit the most during times of personal or national crisises: when I was depressed in college, when I was diagnosed with cancer, 9/11, the pandemic, and now in this frightening moment of US history. Each time knitting calmed my mind, got me out of myself and into community. It's not like I'm a great knitter either. Not to get all mystical but it's the path not the destination. Imperfection is FINE. It's the cure for social media "curated" everything.
Yes! I think I need to finally learn how.
You are always welcome at our stitch and bitch
<3
Men can be fantastic knitters, too. Crochet is fun for making 3-dimensional objects.
It’s interesting. I knit on the bus sometimes. One day last week I noticed a 10-year-old watching me knit and I could see that she was curious about it. Maybe I’ve inspired another young knitter.
I quilt. I made 14 quilts during the pandemic - baby, graduation, wedding. Now, I'm back at it again. Quilting gives me joy - I make them for people I care about - and I can actually finish a project - not as much with writing. Quilting is my sanity - with the world falling apart - or blowing up, and to manage my family stresses. I learned to sew in middle school and eventually started quilting 30 + year ago - my quilts now are much better than then.
I've been knitting and crocheting since college (long time) and I never really got farther than scarves or hats. I've tried socks but even that got too intense. Those tiny little needles drove me crazy. At last I have found the art of hand knitting chunky blankets! So easy you can do it while watching any episode of Bridgerton or Night Manager, and never miss a beat! No counting stitches, no pattern to follow, no knitting needles, just easy loops you make with your hands. Something so peaceful and calming in the rhythm of it. And it results in a cozy, beautiful blanket. I give them to my friends and family as an offer of love, warmth and safety in these turbulent times. Because nothing beats cuddling up under a big, soft blanket and escaping for awhile.
I'm a 74-year-old Canadian of Ukrainian heritage living in France. For the last 2 years, I've been doing what women have traditionally done during wars - knitting for troops and civilians in Ukraine. I wondered what how useful handknitted blankets and sweaters actually were, given that well-made factory-produced items could simply be purchased. Apparently, the recipients of these items feel a strong sense of caring from their unknown makers in countries outside the conflict zone - Ukrainians who receive a handmade blanket, for example, feel less alone in their terrible circumstances, and that their pain is recognized and shared.
In one sense, my knitting is a tiny act of co-resistance against the unjustified brutality of Russia. But in another, it is a WTF gesture towards Western governments, including my own, who could have done vastly more to help Ukraine out of this mess. I, a nobody, am doing what I can, but it is so little - why can't YOU get a grip and some courage and do more? And don't get me started on a certain natural genius who not only is not helping Ukraine much, but is actively giving aid and comfort to its enemy.
Wow. This is so moving. Thank you for sharing this. In solidarity…
Oh I can relate! I started knitting again (after more than three decades) this fall. I’m absolutely terrible at it, but I do it daily to calm my nerves and it’s just the most soothing thing. I hadn’t thought of it contributing to any greater purpose so I just love this!
Oh, nice!
Really enjoyed this, especially coming on the heels of having just written a Substack about my knitting group. It's short, and you can read it for free here:
https://pamabrams101.substack.com/p/community-knit
Love this. It sounds like our group. There is one woman in the group who has been knitting the same scarf for 30 years. She just comes to hang out.
Oh, how nice! I’ll check it out.
76 yo retired attorney, have always been “crafty”, but crochet has become almost an addiction for me. Tried to knit a few times, but just couldn’t do it. Would love to find a crochet pattern for an emotional support chicken!
Here you go! https://theknittingtreela.com/products/emotional-support-chicken-pattern-crocheted-version?_pos=1&_sid=e5619e64a&_ss=r
I bet it exists!
I think there is one on Ravelry. If you are on Facebook and look for the emotional support chicken knitting group, there is a pattern for a crocheted version somewhere. I’ll see if I can find it.
Thanks, just on Ravelry as you wrote, crochet pattern is there! Once I finished the baby sweater I promised a friend,then the Melt Ice hat, and that scarf that is half done, I’ll use my stash on a chicken. Thanks for a great article !
Perfect!!
Crafting for sanity? Yes, absolutely. I did learn how to knit at age 50, and I completed some projects, but I never really loved it. Sewing, though: I still love sewing after all these years. (And we're talking a LOT of years.)
Awesome.
When Trump was first trying to get elected I was so enraged that I didn't know what to do. Then I started playing, fiercely, with bits of raffia. This was the start of making Rage Dogs. I've given many away and merely ask that donations are made to Save The Children and a French woman who wanted one gave $200 to a French childrens' charity! And I've just sent one to the US.
Love the idea of Rage Dogs!
Love this!
I learned to knit as a child for some reason. My mother did not knit. In college I made a hat - there’s an Olan Mills portrait of me wearing the hat. After a gap in time I took up knitting again. My daughter was intrigued and learned. More recently I have made dozens of scarves with all kinds of yarn - from simple to glittering and shiny. Simple chain stitch, some with fringe, some without. Mindless fun and great stress reducer when done listening to the radio or an audio book! I will keep it up as long as my fingers hold out. I am 74!
Nice!
What a wonderful article by Ellen Goldberg. I am 75 and have been a knitter, sewer and other craftsperson all my life. I am self taught even though there were members of my family that did crafts. Doing creative things with yarn can be meditative for me. I realize this because as I work on a project I loose track of time and any other pressures. I am inspired by Ellen's flock. Thanks.
<3
Thank you ❤️