Cat Toys on Craftster (bumfuzzlerumdum)

I’m a fan of the absurdity of feminist and queer stereotypes. I mean, who thinks of this stuff and why do we let it get us down? Obviously someone is crazy in this situation and it’s not me! I believe that flaunting these stereotypes in an equally absurd and questioning way can be the answer to the self-doubt, insecurity, and anger that may plague you when you find out that “the man” has finally fit you into one of his little boxes.

So while I’m on the road to filling in the identity check boxes they manufacture out of their hearts of coal, the crazy cat lady in me will be making my cats these toys designed (with a tutorial) by Craftster’s bumfuzzlerumdum.

Riding the bus down to work this morning I was humming away on my anthropologie-inspired caplet when a rider gets on and sits across from me and he says, “Are you knitting me socks?” My response to this question is usually snarky, but all I could muster up today was a murmur and groan, hopefully hiding the boil in my blood system.

I am the kind of knitter that knits wherever I go. This means that whenever I am knitting in public space someone feels entitled to comment. Often it’s from flight attendants, old men who wanna talk to a sweet young lady, and middle-aged women who think that younger women aren’t domestic anymore. I find it annoying and invasive for a few reasons:

First, I started out as a knitter who knit for others but that’s over now. I knit for myself and love it! I feel a sense in pride in letting down my “must do whatever I’m good at for other people” guard and making self-crafting my personal mantra. Why stop now?

Second, it’s not okay for men to think that the knitting they see me do in public is for them, even if it’s a way to talk to me. Way to start off on a bad foot! Women and knitters are not here to serve strangers with our crafts.

Third, the women who ask me what I’m knitting or when I started knitting don’t bother me as much, but I get irked when they say they used to knit but got too busy being a mom and working to knit and never picked it up again, as if I’m young and I can knit whenever I want without life repercussions. Also, I’m not fond of the refrain, “You don’t see many women doing that these days”. Because we are.

Now that my rant is over (phew!) I’m going to go back to knitting in public and maybe, just maybe, I’ll not be so tired next time and let it out.

Drupal Chart in a Sock Heel (emmajane.net)

I’ve been building this site for the upcoming Pan-Canadian Young Feminist Gathering, Waves of Resistance/Toujours Rebelles, using “brand new to me” Drupal. In less techie terms, Drupal is an open source content management system (CMS), with the benefit being that non-professionals can learn to use this tool to build dynamic websites that they have full control over and can allow others to access the process with them.

It has definitely been a steep learning curve for all those involved (even me who has been working on-and-off in the internet world for a number of years), but working with an open-source project has been most rewarding. And now my love of Drupal has turned into a need to show my Drupal pride, especially since only 7% of Drupal users are women (we have our own support group over at Drupal Groups). So as soon as I can breathe a sigh of relief that the Rebelles2008 website is fully functioning I will cast these on: Drupal Socks and a Drupal .ico hat. Maybe soon I can too call myself a Drupal Ninja!

Angela Davis T. (KM Stitchery)

The clothing industry can often be an unethical place. Unfriendly manufacturing, sizing that doesn’t reflect actual markets or bodies, and emotionally damaging advertising campaigns create a culture of feminist disenchantment with what we wear and where we buy it. Even American Apparel, a cultural icon positively known for its lack of sweatshop labour, has a CEO who has been known to perpetuate a sexual environment within the company, including having sex with his staff and creating borderline pornographic shoots for advertising (see “Living On The Edge At American Apparel” ).

Needless to say, it’s refreshing to see cool, eco-friendly, feminist clothing like KMStitchery’s, the feminist stenciling of herstory! The premise of her clothing is that it’s ethical clothing for feministing in.

“I think it’s important to remember the womyn who paved the way for us. I am excited to get womyn excited about feminism! Or just to get them excited about political fems! I am disgruntled with how you see mostly male revolutionaries on t-shirts but not fems…I am here to focus on the great womyn of our past.”

Every month KMStitchery cuts a new feminist stencil and to date they range from Angela Davis (above) to bell hooks, Emma Goldman, and Gloria Steinem. All of the stencils are printed on recycled or reclaimed clothes and a variety of articles and styles are present, from t-shirts to skirts to hoodies. In the words of KMStitchery, “Represent! With these powerful ladies!”

Modofly is an artists’ collaborative run by “jack of all trade artists/designers” Jordan and Kevin. They make these hip-looking notebooks and are currently seeking submissions for new artwork for their next run of notebooks. And this time they’re requesting art within two themes, “Girly” and “Femme”.

We are looking for work that women and girls alike will gush over. We have been accused by some of the female folk of being weak on the feminine front with our books, so we want you to help us solve this (Okay, we get it! Kez and I are boy nerds full of tech lust, and you need to show us the way). So send us work that your girlfriend will gush over, your mom will kiss you for, your wife will give you some marital points, or a new mom will get down to filling with all the details of life.

My response is as follows:

First, recognizing you have a “gap” might be the first step, but asking for “girly” art does not necessarily make you any more inclusive.

Second, not all women and girls in the art and craft world are the same. It might not happen that “women and girls alike will gush over” the work.

Third, I’m kind of happy you’ve been accused of being too masculine in your work and art. I just wish you had chosen a word other than “accused”, which makes it sound like you’re the victim.

Fourth, it’s not our job to “show you the way”.

Fifth, your final sentence makes it sound like you want boys to send you work that the women and girls in their lives will buy. That’s so progressive guys!

Recently, after a stint of reading a bunch of great comics, I got inspired, and thought, “I’ll make comics!” Or maybe I had just read a bunch of sexist comics not fit to use as kitty litter and thought, “God, I could make a way better comic than that.”

I quickly discovered a difficult truth: making comics is hard!

I can’t draw! Characters’ facial expressions are impossible to capture and drawing hands, wtf? Also, combining words and pictures - how does that work? I know I like reading stories this way, but why? How do I make a story that’s interesting and not just me rambling on about my cat? Or how can I make me and my cat look really great?

Luckily, there are some amazing resources available.

Jessica Abel and Matt Madden recently put out a book called Drawing Words and Writing Pictures. It’s a beautifully designed and endlessly useful comics resource. Abel and Madden have structured the book as a comics course, so each chapter is a lesson with history, instructions, examples and homework. For anyone who has graduated or dropped out and misses structured education, this book is like a comic correspondence course. Every aspect of the complex world of comic-making is explored: pencilling, inking and lettering, character design, story structure, and even publishing.

(more inside…)

The famous Wonder Woman jumper created by Practical Polly.

As far as empowered and hip feminist idols go, Wonder Woman is hands-down the favourite of many third-wavers, comic lovers, epherma junkies, and crafters. While her outfit can be seen as another reason to wear very few clothes on Hallowe’en, as a costume it has a sense of ownership and agency that a Playboy Bunny costume or a Swedish Bar Maid costume can’t afford you.

Often crafters take on the Wonder Woman motif in surprising and inspiring ways. At Instructables there is a tutorial on how to subvert “the man” by turning that Barbie-doll-of-oppression into a feministy-Wonder Woman (you could probably add some clay or duct tape to give her a more realistic shape!). And Craftster user chris_wass created a knitted Wonder Woman costume! But, my favourite is the Wonder Woman Jumper. Created by Practical Polly, the jumper has gained notoriety for the wonderful pattern and for being a garment you can wear more often than a tights-required costume.

If you don’t have the crafty bug in you there are also a handful of Wonder Woman themed handmade items available on Etsy, likr this intricate Wonder Woman charm bracelet, this duct tape wallet, or this votive candle.

We’ll always be safe (and crafty) as long as Wonder Woman is around.

Rachel-Marie hard at work spinning. (Rachel-Marie)

I have this tendency of hording crafters into my pocket and obsessing over what they make, how they sell and contribute to the crafting world, and lauding them for every wonderful behaviour and personality trait they embody. They become my idols and I look up to them and think, “When I grow up I want to be a crafter just like them!”

I’m not sure what originally drew me to Rachel-Marie at KnittyDirtyGirl, but there was definitely some magic spell that I’ve fallen under. Like many full-time crafters she said goodbye to her day job in a great move of strength and a leap of faith. A year on, and a handful of life changes behind her, she reached her 1,000th etsy sale, began working more with natural and/or recycled materials and packaging, and sharing more of her process with her followers.

Handspun Yarn made by KnittyDirtyGirl. (Rachel-Marie)

Rachel-Marie is truly an inspiration for any DIYer that doesn’t want to keep their corporate job and needs to carve out their own niche and way of living, loving, and working. You can find her all over the internet in her store, her vintage store, on her blog, and over at the Etsy Storque. And if you find you’re up to your ears in her yarns, call me - I think we should start a support group, or fundraiser, because we’ll need more.

DIY shoulder-pad hat over at The Coveted. (The Coveted)

Pop quiz!

You might be a shoulder pad feminist if:

a) your messenger bag sports a “Vote Clinton” pin
b) you “do it all”
c) you came of age in the era of shoulder pads and still see sexism everywhere.

But, if you’re like me and you don’t like to wear your shoulder pads in your thrifted blazers, cutting them out doesn’t have to mean more garbage: you can now wear those shoulder pads on your head!

Jennine over at The Coveted and the absolutely amazing Coveted Shoppe recycled her found shoulder pads and created beautiful hats! There’s no tutorial, but you could probably take some elastic, sew it on to wear under the back of your head, and glue on some tassle-y things. Sequins, those little fabric birds, sparkles, and trinkets can also be hot glued wherever needed.

So rock that shoulder pad in a way that makes you feel confident and thrifty: bringing the brawn of the shoulder pad back to your head.