To support the Women’s March, knit your own Pussy Hat, the famous anti-Trump pink hat with cat ears. © DR
This is the tutorial for the Pussy Hat, the pink hat with cat ears worn by thousands of protesters during the Women’s March on Washington on January 21. The fun anti-Trump symbol.
It was a pink tidal wave. The day after Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 21, almost 500,000 people joined the Women’s March in the streets of Washington D.C., wearing knitted pink hats with budding cat ears. All over the world, more than 2 million people protested wearing this pink hat, which has become an anti-Trump symbol in no time.
The Pussy Hat, in reference to the notorious “grab them by the pussy” uttered in 2005 by the newly sworn-in president of the United States, has become the anti-sexist must-have item of advocates for civil rights and freedoms.
Created in late November following the results the of presidential election, feminist collective Pussy Hat Project distributed hundreds around Washington, calling on protesters outside of the capital to knit them for themselves and their local community. As a result, the pink wave has swept across the U.S. and Europe.
Knit, sewn or crocheted
Jayna Zweiman and Krista Suh, two friends horrified by the sexist words of the president-elect, initiated the pink hat movement, which was launched informally in Los Angeles. With the help of artist Aurora Lady and Kat Coyle, who owns a knitting shop in California and designed the Pussy Hat pattern, they created the Pussy Hat Project and uploaded a collection of tutorials to knit, sew or crochet your own hat.
On Pussy Hat Project’s Instagram account, hundreds of contributors have been posting photos of their hats and geolocating them on a map, even sending hand-knitted hats to support the cause. Victims of their own success, the members of the collective have become overwhelmed by the hats, which will provide for the next protests. They promise to upload an anthology of all the hand-knitted hats.
Pussy Hat step-by-step tutorial
Materials
– 2 skeins of fushia pink yarn, such as Malabrigo Worsted (hand-dyed 100% merino wool, but any wool will do the trick) ;
– 1 pair of knitting needles in U.S. size 7;
– 1 darning needle.
Step 1
For a medium-sized hat, the final size of the piece before assembly must be 43cm long by 28cm wide.
– Make 50 stitches. Put aside some yarn long enough to knit together the first side during the final assembly;
– Knit in 4/4 sides (4 knit stitches/4 purl stitches) for about 10cm ;
– Knit in stocking (1 knit stitch, 1 purl stitch) for about 23cm ;
– Knit in 4/4 sides 4/4 for about 10cm.
Step 2
– Seam the sides;
– Cut the yarn, while leaving enough to knit the other side;
– Fold the knitted piece in two.
Step 3
– Knit each side;
– Put on the hat and watch the cat ears pop up!
