Headdesk

[mme_hardy]

 https://www.pussyhatproject.com/ is trying to get people to knit 1.17 million "pussyhats" for women attending the Women's March on Washington, D.C.   Whatever floats your boat.

However, in a move typical of modern knitting media, the pattern's featured yarn is Malabrigo Worsted, which sells for $11-12 bucks a 110-yard skein, enough to make one hat.  Admittedly, they say that you don't have to use Malabrigo, that any worsted would do, but the fact that whoever came up with this thought it was sensible to recommend a boutique yarn, rather than, say, Lion Brand Wool-Ease, a poly-wool blend that retails for $4 bucks and has 197 yards per skein, tells you a lot.

Anyway, if I knitted for charity (I'm a slow knitter and don't), I think I'd rather be doing cancer-patient hats, or something less symbolic and more necessary.

Comments

[tree_and_leaf]

I do occasionally buy stupidly pricey wool, but I wouldn't waste it on a fugly hat like that.

[mme_hardy]

I totally buy stupidly pricey wool, but if I were asking people to make a million hats I'd specify Mrs. Exxon's Cheapest Acrylic, by the bale.

[muccamukk]

Several of the crochet patterns all just say use whatever wool. Though honestly I'd rather have a less expensive poly blend, as it would be less scritchy.

Also, those hats are not attractive at all.

I though they were going to be vagina hats, which at least would have amused me.

[mme_hardy]

I'm sure Ravelry has vagina hats, but I'm skeered to look.

[moetushie]

I was expecting some frills, but I guess those would be vulva hats?

Anyway, these look like not fully-realized knockoffs of Louise from Bob's Burgers hat and don't seem worth it for that.

[quartzpebble]

Oh ffs. That's classic upper-middle-class knitter tone-deaf.

[neotoma]

I do like Malabrigo, and if I was making a winter hat that I expected to use regularly I'd totally buy that, but for a hat that is going to be used once... don't specify the brand, just the weight and yardage and let people pick what they like and want to spend.

And seriously, there are better patterns out there for cat-eared hats. Ravely has a lot of result, about half of which are free.

[mme_hardy]

Oh, noooooo, I did not need this rathole!

This one is adorable.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/simple-cat-ear-hat

[neotoma]

It is, and a fairly simple crochet pattern too. I could probably do it in a day or two, myself. I'd use a different yarn though.

[vom_marlowe]

Eh, I disagree. Have you knitted much with Lion Brand's Wool Ease? There's not much wool and it pills like crazy after one use.

I knit my charity stuff out of real wool, and most charity's demand it. Poly simply isn't warm enough for homeless people hat's for instance. It fares poorly for socks and it's not a great choice for those who must use more traditional fires. (I'm not talking about small amounts of nylon, in good sock yarn, for strength, but cheap poly-wool.)

Knitting is a hobby, yeah, but in my experience, the poor among us are fairly choosy about what we use for gifts. YMMV.

[mme_hardy]

I've never worked with Wool Ease, so I take your point. My larger problem is that this is precisely not a charity hat; it's a novelty hat, most of which IMHO will be worn once and discarded. The poor deserve comfort and quality, but "we're all at the same march and look we're all wearing pink" is not the same thing.

[nineveh_uk]

I'm wondering how many people attending the march are going to be thrilled at wearing it even once.

[sollers]

If I were presented with a wool hat, it would be worn never and discarded. When wool garments touch my skin they bring me out in a nasty rash.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Yeah--if there was any indication that someone planned to collect them, launder them, and distribute them to people in need I'd be more excited.

[mme-hardy.livejournal.com]

I think they're just going to be souvenirs, if the recipients even save them at all.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

That seems such a waste.

[mme-hardy.livejournal.com]

It certainly does. Another triumph of symbolism. Frankly, if they get over a million women, that's all the symbolism that's needed.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

I agree. I'm also afraid that Trump's kleptocrats will be so busy starting to strip the country of all its resources that they won't notice the parade, but that's the cynic in me, coming out way more than I like since this election.

[madrobins]

Having gone to examine the "pussy hat" my first question is: why is it a pussy hat? I see nothing inherently pussy-ish about it.

Also: a hat in January is a fine idea. But must it be pink?

[mme-hardy.livejournal.com]

It sort of has ears, if you look at it sideways. Also pink because we are reclaiming pink as a symbol of womanhood blah blah.