So. How are you all doing? Everyone well and happy? Glad to hear it, though I apologise in advance if the following ruins your good mood. I am battling to remain calm and not spill the proverbial spleen all over my keyboard but I confess I have been driven to distraction by another ridiculous newspaper article about knitting.
Published in the Daily Mail’s ‘Femail’ section (I know, I know, where to begin? But I’m focusing my energies on one crime against language/women/journalism at a time) and entitled KNITTING IN PUBS (their caps), it’s a brief puff piece about the ‘new trend’ of knitting. They talk about Stitch ‘n’ Bitch meetings being the ‘new book clubs for the middle classes’ (which I can’t begin to understand) and do the old lines about Sex And The City and girls sitting around drinking cosmos. They then quote a few bits from the Stitch ‘n’ Bitch London website, and that’s about it. If you want to read the whole thing, look over here.
It turns out they did actually contact the London Stitchettes for the article, though you’d never know it, identifying themselves only as a national newspaper and asking some fairly poor questions.
So I was infuriated with the whole piece and posted a comment to say so. Trying to recall it verbatim is tricky, but essentially I said that I thought it was a lazy and patronising piece of journalism. I asked if the author had read their own article, since describing something from 2003 as a ‘new trend’ hardly gave the impression they had their fingers on the pulse of the Zeitgeist. I pointed out that men knit too. And, in an attempt to deflect accusations of taking it too seriously or sounding crazy, I said that myself and other knitters would be enraged at this misrepresentation of a craft we love if we weren’t so busy laughing at it.
I didn’t swear, I didn’t threaten anyone. The journalist is anonymous, so I wasn’t personally attacking them. I was rude about the writing, but this is a newspaper and as a piece of journalism it was shoddy work. Not only was it lazy and patronising but it was inaccurate as well.
But this is the Daily Mail; a paper hardly worthy of being used for cat litter. So it’s no wonder that two hours later there is no sign of my comment underneath the article. There is, however, a comment calling knitters ‘losers’.
Which leaves me to vent my aggravated spleen here instead. I realise I’m preaching to the converted, but knitting is not just for women; or celebs; or wannabe cosmo drinking little girls with nothing better to do. It’s popularity has grown but it’s not some trend that’s suddenly sprung up out of nowhere. And it encompasses so many different types of people and purpose that are wholly unacknowledged in daft articles like these. It’s just another cut and paste job from the hundreds of similar pieces that have cropped over the years.
I understand that the Stitchettes may post a comment of their own (quite right too, since they specifically have been misrepresented). I doubt it will make much difference, but I hope it makes them feel a little better.
And now I’m off for a cup of tea and a calm down….
ETA:
It seems they have also rejected/blocked/censored the SnB London comment, which was carefully crafted and also non-sweary. Sigh. However a couple of other folks have got through with a positive comment on knitting, and the comment calling knitters ‘losers’ has been ‘disagreed’ 65 times.
A resounding ‘hear hear’ from me – great summation. Obviously outraged at the hideously biased nature of their comments system though not entirely surprised, given the paper. I just hope S&B doesn’t have to suffer an onslaught of DM readers at the next meeting. If you’ll excuse me, I’m off to sharpen my KnitPros…
It always amazes me what lazy crud passes for journalism. I’ve written a few indignant letters in my day, but you know what—I get even more aggravated when the ‘journalist’ replies with something knee-jerk defensive and just as ignorant as the original piece. So maybe it’s best you don’t hear back from those a$$hats…!
I feel your frustration. Last week I read an article about the gold medal winner in the biathlon (sorry can’t find the link). It made a big point of Neuner being a knitter and an even bigger point of how odd that was.
Why does knitting make cool people seem less so? Why do people think it’s just fad and fluff? Infuriating!
I face this attitude everyday as a designer. No non-knitter can fathom my choice of employment or how anyone could be successful at it. Mostly I get indulgent smiles and the clear message that they think I’m a bored housewife looking for something to fill my time. Basically, little verbal pats to head.
Some days it’s all I can do not to whip my knitting out of my bag and go ninja on them.
I agree with you entirely. I’m surprised it was even included in the paper as it is neither interesting nor enlightning…oh, wait, it’s the Daily Fail.
I saw that article and stopped reading after the first paragraph, so I went back and read it. It sounds like the “reporter” just regurgitated the same statements we’ve all heard over and over again. Sad that an article that is supposed to present something as “new” does nothing but repeat the old.
*dies quietly inside a bit*
I can imagine your anger and frustration, but, remember this is the Daily Fail (as is was to aptly labelled by Annie above).
It is read by those who have staff, don’t know how to iron and probably think knitting is done by little old ladies for that lovely Liberty shop (aah Libertys – sigh) on Regent Street.’
If you have ever read Christopher Fowler’s ‘Bryant and May’ detective books (DO, as they are great fun, full of mad stuff, history of London, and two crabby detectives!) ‘Seventy Seven Clocks’ nails the type down to perfection in the Whitstable family.
The Daily Fail has an agenda – the real world doesn’t fit into this agenda. I think we should all pick up our needles, yarn and project bags and go play somewhere else…..
I just love that it says right there above the comments “These comments have not been moderated.” Right. Despite all of the efforts of the knitters of the world, the muggles are still clueless.
Is it really important what the DM writes? Honestly: is it?
We know knitting is a great hobby and how much joy and fun it is, so what does it matter what some untalented, bored interns write?
I am a loyal (if a bit behind) listener, but new to your blog. I feel your pain about this article, no matter that it’s printed in a “rag,” as we say across the pond. However, one thing I’ve noticed over the span of time that I have been listening is that while you are passionate about raising the bar for knitters in terms of how we’re perceived by the public, at the same time you are very dismissive of “grannies,” as in, you don’t want to be perceived as one. While much of the dismissal of knitters comes from blatant, patronizing sexism and degradation of craft in the modern world, one must also be very careful that ageism doesn’t casually creep in as well. If women are continually insulted whatever pursuits they follow, at least if they’re young they get an article, no matter how bad. Once middle aged you will find that women are made invisible. No notice is taken of them at all. We become non-persons. If seen, it is primarily in the context of, “I don’t want to be perceived of as old.” A shame, since at middle age I am finding that I am finally coming into myself as a person. What would really create change in the world would be if women would stand together–young with old and vice versa. Now that would be power.
Please don’t misunderstand. I love your work and I will continue to listen, but I have long wanted to “talk” to you about this. The dialog would be good for all of us–women of all ages.
LauraSue – it’s a fair point, though I don’t intend to be dismissive of grannies and I have no problem with growing older, or older women. Rather I’m frustrated at being labeled something I’m not (and ‘grannies’ often being used by non-knitters as a lazy shorthand for something perceived as old-fashioned, not just the knitter’s age, so my use of it is usually in that context). I did try to address the other side of this in an early episode (no.4) where I acknowledged and celebrated my own grandmothers and ‘grannies’ in general.
It’s hard to cover everything in a brief typed comment, but essentially I am a slightly younger knitter, compared to some, and that perspective is part of the show and my reasons for doing the show in the first place. I can’t represent every knitter of every age/gender/background out there, or single-handedly redress the imbalances of public perceptions of craft and older women. I’m only one person, speaking from a specific viewpoint. But I agree it’s an important area and, as you say, a problem that has a much wider presence across our society in general.