Dear friends of Birdhouse,
The past week has weighed heavy on our hearts. It has seemed increasingly inappropriate to just post images of patterns and pretty yarn while the ugly truth of systemic racism and injustice bubbles into the media and onto our streets.
We can’t just ‘get back to knitting or crochet’ while within our community are those who do not have the privilege of just getting back to the knitting, because every time they step out into the world, to jog, to go birding, to have a BBQ in a park, to take a walk, to go to the grocery store, they may be targeted for the color of their skin and the result may be fatal.
I think one of our favorite local stores, Why I Love Where I Live, put it best,
“We’re facing another virus, and it’s not new. Not at all. It’s infected hearts. It’s infected minds. People are dying as a result.”
For our community members of color, please know that we witness this injustice and will work to dismantle it. We will listen to you. We will not place the burden and associated trauma on you to educate us. We will use our privilege to take action and to amplify the voices of people of color when they share their experiences.
To those, who like us, whether knowingly or not reap the benefits of being white, we ask that you join us, if you haven’t already, to take positive actions to fight racism. Another local gem, 5 Points Restaurant, has a great resource of books, documentaries and movies. We are actively making our way through this list, and invite you to join us, or share resources you have found useful. bit.ly/ANTIRACISMRESOURCES
Book/Video/Podcast & Craft Club
Who is in for a monthly book/video/podcast club where we craft and discuss the above and related resources? Let us know, email help@birdhouseyarns.com if you’re interested.
Craft Action
We’re reflecting on our Diversity statement made in January 2019. While we have addressed some of our goals, it is an ongoing journey. We recommit to that statement. To that end, we will be picking one designer, a Black and/or Indigenous person of color, each month and highlighting their work.
How it works: We pick one design from the pattern collection of a fabulous BIPoC designer and we pair it with one of our yarns
You will receive a 15% discount on the chosen yarn and the pattern when you purchase the yarn through Birdhouse Yarns.
We encourage you to share images of your work and tag the designers to highlight the designer’s work. If you’re not on our newsletter email list and want to find out about the designer of the month please let us know at help@birdhouseyarns.com so we can add you to the list.
Giving Directly to Organizations that Work to Dismantle Racism
We are also anxious to hear of patterns whose sales are going toward organizations working toward fighting racism in a myriad of ways ex. CasaPinka’s pattern Criterion Cowl – sales of this cowl benefited the organization Black Girls Code over the past weekend. Let us know if you hear of any and we’ll keep you in the loop if we do.
Thinking of you all
