emergence of online crafting communities has facilitated new forms of participation and community. Even though it's been moved online, the social aspects of craft "were considered highly salient" because of the "profoundly collective phenomenon" of practices like knitting. Sites like Ravelry bring craftivists together through interest groups dedicated to social causes, like Compassionate Craftivists, Guerilla Knitters, and the previously mentioned Pussyhat Project. Craftivism in the time of COVID Fighting COVID Isolation and Frustration with Craftivism With stay-at-home orders issued in Mid-March 2020, there was an influx of people using crafts to cope with isolation. Craftivism has always been something that could be done from home, and many crafters have come together through virtual communities and gatherings. Face Mask Distribution Since the start of the pandemic, sewers and crafters have come together to create and distribute reusable fabric face masks. The demand for face masks, particularly reusable ones, came about with the supply shortage of personal protective equipment such as N-95 face masks throughout the pandemic. The Million Mask Challenge, a virtual challenge that started on Facebook and rapidly evolved to an international challenge to sew and distribute face masks to healthcare workers, then other frontline workers. Black Lives Matter Following the killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd and subsequent global Black Lives Matter protests, independent artists donated proceeds towards anti-racism projects, mutual aid funds, and national bailout funds to help protesters detained by law enforcement. Artists used sites like Etsy to promote BLM donations. Some crafters donated either a percentage of proceeds or in full, and others made crafts to spread the message of the movement, making t-shirts, face masks, and stickers. There have been criticisms, however, concerning non-Black sellers profiting off the movement. "Both independent creatives and companies should be donating profits to demonstrate solidarity," said Fresco Steez, an activist with Movement for Black Lives and co-founder of Black Youth Project 100. "And it can't just be a percentage. Otherwise, businesses [and creative independents] are essentially benefitting from the social struggles at the heart of the protests," she said. See also FWF2020 Craftivism How Women are Changing the World with Textiles An Open Letter to the Craftivism Movement The Knitting Community is Reckoning with Racism Notes References Bibliography Activism by type The arts and politics Handicrafts Textile arts Political science terminology