Dear listeners, an episode. Recorded amid flatpacking and edited lightly, but lots to say. I will add to the shownotes later, for now you’ll forgive content list and links.
I hope you are well. Please take good care! Lx
Also available on Spotify, iTunes and wherever you find your podcasts!
P.S There are swears this episode.
Black Lives, Trans Lives and Black Trans Lives MATTER.
If you are sitting at home thinking what can I do – crack a book, make a donation, unpick your own privilege and bias and learn. Libraries are re-opening – use them. You don’t need to donate hundreds, look about you and see what’s happening in your area and donate £1, £2 whatever you can
(Just a few UK based charity) Links and the books mentioned:
Stop Hate UK – www.stophateuk.org
UK Black Pride – www.ukblackpride.co.uk
Black Minds Matter – www.blackmindsmatteruk.com/
Black Lives Matter UK Fund – https://blacklivesmatteruk.com/ https://uk.gofundme.com/f/ukblm-fund
Small Trans Library – Glasgow and Dublin charities
Biased By Jennifer Eberhardt and her TedTalk
Diversify by June Sarpong
Don’t Touch my Hair by Emma Dabiri
For the love of Ravelry – WTAF?!
You can find the open letter from designers to Ravelry via @SarahMGoodwinDesigns on Instagram; https://linktr.ee/sarahmgoodwindesigns
On the topic of Financial accessibility and yarn substitution
Reminder on value and the importance of an appropriate price tag and thoughts on yarn substitution (spoiler: Not all knitters are confident subbing yarns!)
Some thoughts on crafting in the time of corona.
links (not Ravelry)
Treasures from the Forest Path – Patricia Fortune
Scout Tee Pattern – Grainline Studio
Link to Wool Exploration Google form: https://goo.gl/forms/rkk5xYqyuhS9jWpD2
Thank you Louise. Once again you have tackled some really difficult topics head on in your own unequivocal style which is fantastic! I am going straight over to listen to the TED talk as I have felt a great deal of fear over the whole Black lives Matter. Fear that I am one of the many who would profess as strongly as possible that I am in no way whatsoever “racist” but I hold up my hands to the fact that I am passive in my own way and am not at all proactive to see what I can do to help. I feel that it is no longer enough and that I have to actively seek to see if I can improve my ways and attitudes. As to Ravelry: again, I have not been affected at all by the changes – other than thinking they look shit(!) – but I really had no idea just how bad it could be for some people. For me, a world without Ravelry and all that it does, is unthinkable. Listening to you I really felt your pain and thought about how I would feel if I could no longer look at it. And the answer wasn’t nice! So you have caused me to do a lot of soul searching and this is a GOOD thing. I wish you all the very very best for your imminent removal and if the pictures you’ve been sharing are your new place, then it looks like it’s going to be a beautiful home. Take care of yourself and can’t wait to hear the next episode when you are rested and ready xx
On the issue of inclusivity in patterns……… I forgot to mention my own bugbear which is on sizing. I know there is a big move afoot to encourage designers to take all of their designs up to a size 60″. Now, I have no problem if they don’t all go to that size because quite frankly, someone who requires that size – and I am including myself – will probably not want to be wearing a skimpy little spaghetti strap crop top etc. Where I get really narked is the designers who think that 5XL is a 48″ etc. Or the ones who say they go up to a size 60″ but, as the garment is supposed to be worn as a big sloppy whatever with 12″ positive ease, they are also really only going up to a size 48″. At least be truthful about it. Susan Crawford and Jacqueline Cieslak are both excellent for their sizing and description of “to fit” versus “Actual garment size”. I just wish others would get on board and wake up to the fact that if they include more sizes where appropriate, they will sell more patterns, make more people happy, and MAKE MORE MONEY!!!!! Sorry. Rant over. x
It’s taken me a month to find time to listen to this episode, so I hope that by now you are safely moved, if not completely settled. Hopefully it will be your last house move for a while!
I wanted to say that, as someone who lives with both an obvious physical disability (I use a wheelchair, it doesn’t get much more obvious than that 😀 ) and a mental health condition, I have been disappointed but not surprised Ravelry’s reaction to the problems caused by their new look. So many organisations and individuals fall down when inclusivity and access for disabled people means that they actually have to do something (or stop doing something they very much want to do). It is particularly upsetting when it is a group like Ravelry who have enthusiastically supported other forms of inclusion and led us to expect better from them.
Thank you for posting the link to the designers’ open letter: it has given me a starting point for finding designers who are no longer using Ravelry, so I can support them in solidarity with my yarnie sisters and brothers who have been so shamefully treated.