Some of you might know I came up with the idea for the Pussyhat and the Sea of Pink in the car while driving up the 5 freeway on November 12, 2016, just days after Election Day.
What many people don't know is that I had an idea, a vision, before that. It came to me in a dream, just minutes before waking up - I had a dream of a protest, a huge peaceful crowd with their hands outstretched toward the sky – each palm had a huge EYE drawn on it.
It was a Sea of Eyes. | | I've been hanging on to that image knowing that it was going to do something, mean something. Sunday morning, I got invited to the March for Our Lives facebook page – it is a march organized by the students of the Florida school shooting. And that's when I knew. It is time.
I'm calling on you to help make the Sea of Eyes a reality. To make a statement that enough is enough and gun violence has to stop.
Congress needs to know that the people are watching.
If you made a Pussyhat, please make the Evil Eye Glove (pattern here). If you wore a Pussyhat, please make a donation to March for Our Lives – our students need you.
I want to share something that makes me angry. It's the implication that the girly Pussyhat Project and the feminine Pantsuit Nation and the emotional #MeToo and the glamorous Times Up are somehow ineffective.
"The NRA with its five million members has a stranglehold on Congress, Pantsuit Nation has four million members and decides its main mission is 'storytelling' and now, selling books. What a colossal waste." – Facebook commentator
I think the Pussyhat, Pantsuit Nation, MeToo, Times Up ARE effective – we are changing culture, and we are making inroads in changing policy. But how do we rise up to be at least as effective as the NRA, if not more?
The NRA's power is not just money, its true power comes from how focused it is and how organized it is: it has a strong network of people on the ground willing to speak up loudly and more importantly, VOTE.
I'm a firm believer that we can learn useful things from anywhere, including our enemies. Let's learn from the NRA and get focused and organized around this issue, from now until March 24 and as long as needed. With the Pussyhat, ad hoc organizing happened all over the country – I ask that you revisit these communities and start talking, knitting, organizing, and voting. Make sure you and those around you are ready to vote for the primaries, the midterms, and all your local elections. And let all your candidates for office know that you will not stand for gun violence in our schools and that you support gun control.
Some notes about the Evil Eye Glove:
The evil eye symbology goes way back. The Evil Eye is an act of protection. But it is not just defensive, it is also an act of aggression – of willful gazing, of not turning away.
Individually, to show the eye on the palm, you can put out your hand in a "stop" gesture - as in, we must stop gun violence, enough is enough. In a group, you can raise your hands above your head to show the eyes - this is the universal gesture of "hands up don't shoot" and a reminder of how vulnerable our children are in a country with weak gun control. (Read more about the recent history of the Hands Up slogan here.)
When you send in these gloves, it will reach a student or family member or ally marching at March for Our Lives. You are protecting them with your work, showing them that they are supported, are cared for, and that they have millions of people backing them, they are not alone. Give them this gift of support, protection, and a way for them to make a huge statement together, like the pussyhat did in January 2017. | |
Make the Evil Eye Glove your own: - Flat or In the Round: They are fingerless gloves and quite easy to make – the pattern is designed flat, but of course you can make them in the round.
- Blue or Brown or Any Color: The traditional evil eye colors are striking – blue against white with black lashes, and these happen to match the March for Our Lives emblem. But I encourage you to make the eyes any color you want. I am currently making a purple pair in honor of Liz Taylor. I'll definitely be making a brown eyed pair in honor of my own ancestors.
- Patches, Embroidery, Sewn, Crocheted, Painted: Make the eye gloves any way you can, any way you wish. You can sew them, use patches, paint, whatever modality of creativity moves you.
Where to send your gloves:
You can bring them to D.C. to distribute at the march yourself, or you can mail them to the Woman's National Democratic Club, who have generously agreed to be the main collection point for the #evileyeglove for the March for Our Lives.
Please put each pair of gloves in a ziploc bag (to protect from the elements) along with a personal note expressing your support of these students.
Please address your packages to:
Krista Suh
c/o Woman's National Democratic Club
1526 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington DC 20036
Some stuff to come:
Soon, I will be inviting local yarn stores across the nation to each commit to a a minimum number of evil eye gloves (ranging from 1 pair to 34 pairs) – the idea being that we will ensure 438 pairs will be at the March for the Florida student organizers and their families – 1 pair each to represent the 438 people killed or injured at school shootings from 2014-present (according to The New York Times). The rest of the evil eye gloves will be distributed at the March to the attendees at large to further expand the Sea of Eyes.
I will be working on a felt/paper pattern downloadable on the website that will allow children to take part in making these evil eye gloves as well.
If you can contribute patterns (knit, crochet, sewn, etc), please email them to me and/or post them to Ravelry. | | Please use hashtags #marchforourlives and #evileyeglove on social media. As you make the gloves post a picture of your progress to show the student organizers that we've got their backs.
Thank you so much.
33 Days Until the March! Talk soon.
Much love, | | | #marchforourlives #evileyeglove #kristasuh | | | |
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