The world may feel chaotic. Your brain might feel stuck on a spinning beach ball. In such times, picking up your knitting might seem insignificant. There are wildfires, elections, and systemic injustices. And you’re just… counting stitches?
But here is the truth: I don’t knit because I think yarn will single-handedly save the world. I knit because craftivism is how I save myself. When everything feels too big and too loud, I need something small. It should be repeatable and slightly rebellious. This reminds me: I can still do something. I am a knitter and a NAMI facilitator. I also live with schizoaffective disorder, PTSD, and panic disorder. I’ve found that making things with my hands is more than a hobby. It is my primary coping skill. It is also a quiet act of resistance.
This blog post is a companion to my YouTube video “The Knitting Rebellion Has Begun.” Below, we’re going to explain why craftivism is the perfect antidote to the “freeze response.” We will also show you how to start your own quiet knitting rebellion from your couch.
What Is Craftivism, Really?
Craftivism occurs when you use your making skills—like knitting, crochet, quilting, or beading. You aim these skills gently and intentionally at something that matters.
You see craftivism in big, public ways: protest banners, yarn-bombed statues, giant pink hats in a sea of marchers. That’s valid and powerful. But there’s also a softer version. That’s the one I’m talking to you about. It’s the version where your nervous system is fried. Your social battery is dead. You’re not going to a protest, but you still care deeply.
Craftivism, for our “frazzled brains,” can look like:
- Choosing colors that hold political or symbolic meaning.
- Knitting for mutual aid or community care.
- Wearing a piece that quietly says, “I see what’s happening, and I don’t agree.”
- Stitching intentionality into comfort items for people directly affected by injustice.
It’s protest that fits inside your current capacity.
When the World Is Too Much: Mental Health and Making
Anxiety, Panic, and the Freeze Response
When the news cycle is relentless, a lot of us don’t go straight to “fight” or “take action.” We go to freeze. Freeze looks like doomscrolling until your eyes hurt or staring at the wall with a half-finished project in your lap.
If you live with anxiety, panic disorder, or serious mental illness, that frozen state is extra familiar. Your brain is trying to keep you safe by shutting systems down. But, it also makes it really hard to feel like you can do anything that matters.
Why Knitting Helps a Frazzled Brain
This is where knitting (or any repetitive craft) comes in. It provides:
- Regulation: Rhythm, repetition, and counting soothe the nervous system.
- Focus: Hands busy = less doomscrolling.
- Agency: Small progress = tiny hits of “I can still do something.”
You don’t have to “fix” the world today. You just have to move one stitch to the next needle. That little bit of agency can feel huge. Choosing yarn is important. Selecting a pattern is another crucial step. Finishing one more row can make a big difference when everything else feels impossible. It is proof that I can still create something soft in a world that feels sharp.
Knitting as Protest: Tiny Acts of Rebellion
The Personal Is Political (Even on Your Couch)
We like to pretend politics only happen in big buildings. But choosing to care, to comfort, and to show up for people on the margins is a political act. You can be knitting baby hats for a mutual aid group or blankets for unhoused neighbors and migrants.
By making these, you’re saying: “I see you. You deserve warmth. You deserve softness.” In a world that constantly tells certain people the opposite, that is a rebellion.
Advocacy in Every Stitch
Sometimes the rebellion is in the work itself, and sometimes it’s in what the work lets you do. My knitting keeps me grounded enough to find my voice. It gives me the calm I need. I write letters to officials, advocating against things like ICE overreach or the 100-mile border limit. I do this while I’m wearing the very shawl that helped me regulate my panic.
Wearing Your Values: Craftivism Jewelry & Knits
Not every act of protest looks like a sign. Sometimes it looks like what you wear on your body. These are wearable reminders: “I know what I stand for. Even on days when I feel like I’m barely standing.”
Morninglorias: Latinx Feminist Craftivism You Can Wear
In the video, I’m wearing jewelry from Morninglorias, a Latinx feminist artist whose work is “soft but furious.” If you’re into craftivist jewelry that pulls zero punches, check these out:
- Bracelet – “Chinga La Migra” by Morninglorias
- Earrings – “F*ck ICE” Beaded Hoops by Morninglorias
If you purchase from Gloria, please tell her Arletta from Ignite Your Inner Artist says hi—it absolutely makes our day.
Ever-Evolving Craftivism: My Knitting Pattern Bundle
My craftivism knitting bundle on Ravelry is a living, breathing collection of patterns. They feel like comfort, protest, and community care.
My Craftivism Knitting Bundle on Ravelry
(Note: If you have sensory or visual sensitivities, please be aware that Ravelry’s interface can sometimes be a challenge. I recommend using a screen reader or “reader mode” if needed!)
How to Start Your Own Quiet Knitting Rebellion
You don’t need a manifesto. You need one small, doable next step:
- Pick ONE cause you care about: Don’t try to fix everything at once. Pick one: migrants, mental health advocacy, queer youth, or local shelters.
- Choose a low-focus project: Think “potato-brain-friendly”—hats, simple scarves, or basic socks. Something you can do when your brain is glitchy.
- Decide how it “speaks”: Will you use movement colors? Will you hold a specific intention for a person in need with every row you knit?
- Set a tiny, kind goal: “One rebellious hat” is better than “ten hats I never finished because I got overwhelmed.”
- Share it (if it’s safe): Quiet protest is contagious. Seeing you do it help another burnt-out brain feel less alone.
Final Thoughts: You’re Allowed to Make Soft Things
You are allowed to be tired and mentally ill—and still care deeply. You are allowed to take care of your nervous system and still be part of the change. Knitting won’t fix everything, but it can keep you from burning out completely.
That’s not nothing. That’s the start of something.
If you want to go deeper, watch the companion video on my YouTube channel, Ignite Your Inner Artist. You’re exactly the person I make things for.
🧶 Question for the comments: What’s one small way you would like your knitting to be a tiny act? How can it serve as a rebellion? What’s a quiet approach you would take this year? Or perhaps another craft you’re passionate about?