Knitting As Climate Activism: How craft can be a form of advocacy

Art is a powerful way to tell stories. And sometimes, those stories are about things that really matter — like climate change. In this blog post, I’m going to share how I use knitting to make climate change easier to understand and harder to ignore. You don’t need to be a scientist to care about the climate. And you don’t need to be at a protest to be an activist. Sometimes, all you need is some yarn and a big idea.

Art as a Way to Speak Up

Throughout history, artists have used their work to talk about things that are important to them. Art can resist, raise awareness, and even inspire action. That’s what led me to turn a single knitting project into something much bigger.

What started as a one-year project — knitting local climate data for 2023 — quickly turned into something more. I realized people were really interested when I showed them how a cold snap or heat wave looked in yarn form. It got people talking. That’s when I decided to knit 110+ years of climate data from Kentville, Nova Scotia. It’s local, it’s specific, and it’s a way to show long-term changes through something handmade.

What Activism Can Look Like

Activism isn’t one-size-fits-all. For some, it’s going to marches. For others, it’s writing letters or creating art. Personally, I don’t feel comfortable in big protest crowds, but I’ve sent letters to governments and companies to speak out on issues I care about.

Knitting gives me another way to show what’s happening. By turning numbers into visuals, I’m able to share a story about change that’s been quietly happening for decades. When people can see the shifts — like warmer winters and longer summers — they start to understand. That emotional connection is what can lead to action.

Making Climate Data Visible

The patterns are clear. Winters are getting milder and shorter. Summers are starting earlier and lasting longer. There are still extreme events — like the 2023 polar vortex — but they’re becoming the exceptions in a bigger trend.

Seeing these patterns in yarn, especially over time, brings up strong emotions. It’s hard to see the changes and not think about how little our governments are doing. That’s part of why I share this work. If my project helps even one person learn more, speak up, or take action, then it’s worth it.

Choosing Local Materials

I use Briggs and Little yarn, which is made in New Brunswick. I chose it because it’s a Maritime product with a wide range of colours — important for tracking the many shades of climate data. I try to source as locally as possible, but I also know that not everyone can do that.

Local doesn’t have to be perfect. What matters most is the message behind the work, and how it connects with others. Whether someone uses paint, photos, fabric, or something else, the art should speak to people.

How People React

People are most curious about seeing full decades at once. That’s why I’m excited to finish the 1980s this year — it will be the first complete decade I’ve knit so far. Folks also ask a lot of questions about the colours and if I’ve noticed any big changes. Spoiler: I have.

Data Doesn’t Have to Be Dry

Facts and numbers can feel overwhelming. Climate change is a big topic, and not everyone knows how to read graphs or research papers. But colours? That’s something people understand.

Bright yarns make the changes easier to process. Fellow knitters also appreciate the time and energy that goes into this kind of work. But even for non-knitters, seeing these patterns over time makes an impact.

I don’t use the word hope very often. But I do want people to feel moved by climate art. I want more people involved in climate conversations. I want others to push for smart policies that protect everyone — especially those most vulnerable.

I also want people to feel inspired to start their own projects. You don’t have to copy what I’m doing. But maybe your art can help someone else see climate change differently.

Advice for Other Artists

If I could offer advice to other artists, I would say: try it! Start small. Find what feels right. Once you find your groove, using your art to inspire change gets easier. It doesn’t matter what your medium is. What matters is that your work gets people to stop, feel something, and maybe even act.

If you find this project interesting, be sure to give me a follow on my social media channels!