CROCHET FOR A CAUSE

Art and creativity have been used to raise awareness and spark revolution for centuries – and in 2020, craftivism has been thriving

- Sophie Tarrant

Stereotypically, people often view crochet as a sedate, sensible pastime used to wile away the hours and produce soft, fluffy things that keep us warm in winter. But it’s so much more than that – we caught up with some of our favourite artists and activists to find out how this classically solitary activity can be used to raise awareness amongst many.

GETTING STARTED

With everything that 2020 threw at us, it’s unsurprising to hear that people want to get involved with community movements. From Black Lives Matter to LGBTQ+ rights, climate change and more, there’s so many different causes to get behind.

“I started in 2014, when I single-handedly yarn-bombed my town to promote an arts trail I was involved with,” explains Emma Leith, a crochet designer from Bath who was inspired after seeing the work of other artists online. “It was a movement that was really gaining momentum and there were some amazing things going on – I wanted to be a part of it.”

“Not long after, I was asked to create a display to celebrate ‘Bath in Fashion’ and it was this that changed my life. It was so successful that we ended up creating displays for every Bath in Fashion event from then on, culminating in the Pink Ribbon display in 2016, in honour of RUH Forever Friends Cancer Care. I was diagnosed with breast cancer myself in January 2016 so it felt right that I should use my platform to promote and raise money for the cause.”