I attended the beautiful Women’s March in Los Angeles on Saturday, one of the highest attended sister marches supporting the Women’s March on Washington. The city center of Los Angeles was overwhelmed with peaceful marchers – organizers had expected about 80,000 attendees but 750,000 of us showed up! So many of us spent hours in packed subway cars to get to downtown, by the time I arrived there were too many people for a formal march! We just spilled out and circled the blocks around the government buildings for a few hours.
As a first time marcher, I was thunderstruck by the creativity displayed in the sign art. I didn’t know that was such a thing! Some were outright gorgeous, some were hilarious, others thought-provoking but all were inspiring. And it sure was heart-warming to see directly how other folks were feeling as I was. In a very real and direct way, I wanted to be involved with my fellow citizens and actively participate in community-building again. (It’s been a few months since I felt plugged in.)
And those Pussyhats!
You are probably at least somewhat aware of the #pussyhatproject by now. But if you aren’t sure of the meaning behind it, simply put: it is a visual way to show support for women’s rights. It was originally conceived in part for supporters of the Women’s March on Washington who could not make it to DC for the march but still wanted to participate in the process. Do check out their website for more info on how to support future events with crafting and/or for patterns if you haven’t yet made your own #pussyhat.
My crafting obsession began with crochet – for years I was a hat crocheting fiend. Ask my family, they received hand-crocheted gifts for every holiday and birthday for a few years. While I have expanded my crafty repertoire to knitting and sewing and fiber dying & stamping, crochet (and hats!) will always be my first love. So you have to know that I was beyond delighted with all the pussyhats on display on that historic day. Here, all of my interests have collided: crafting, photography, and supporting women’s rights. Please enjoy the #pussyhats of Los Angeles!
Do you have a handmade pussyhat?
I’d love to see it!
Until next time, Happy Crafting!
