Repost from @falcon_moss_makes
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I have always wondering if people still knit their heirloom or cultural pieces!?? Do you know what I mean by that or am so even using the right word!?
Let me elaborate, my son is graduating this December I have “designed” him a serape and a ruana and well the socks you’ve seen my post in my stories all of which use symbols from my Indigenous and Native lineages they are also his. This ball of hand spun which got hardly any likes because it’s not what people are used to using or don’t know what it is 🤦🏾♂️
I also grew up raised as “my culture” is not for sale unless it is of course a family business and you’d be getting bead bracelets from me. Yes we do that too....
What I’m talking about is I’m making culturally significant pieces for my children to pass on our lineage whether or not they do the craft. Those articles be what ever they will be will not be “commodified” because we see enough of that already....think folxs wearing wakanda forever tshirts when they clearly are not black....kente wraps, dashikis included.
I bring this up because prints Taino/ Aztec Mayan/Berber/Middle Eastern/Native or anything along those lines are all beautiful they are part of my DNA but I don’t want to see them at a knitting convention if you catch my drift.
You may also be asking why I aim to purposefully make these articles, whether there’s a plethora of other articles out there that doesn’t need the limelight. Also it’s to demonstrate these are skills passed down from a people it’s not just a certain select few that knew how to knit or craft or crochet and as much as we can go back a reclaim our culture and our languages this too is part of it.
If you're thinking well wait didn’t I use Japanese stitches- yes I did, they are in a stitch bible book for sale. I respect that persons drive and desire to share but what I’m not going to do is strut these streets in a Kimono cause my mama raised me better.
Also the prints also have to be hand drawn because a lot of symbols are not square shaped think Coqui for instance also that’s from a culture that didn’t knit as it’s origin if that makes sense
I have a myriad of followers and am wondering what your thoughts are