Knit to This
Knit to This: Craft in America
Knitters know that work approached with hands and heart can capture the essence of what it means to be human. Even when you have to rip everything out so that you can get it right, knitting is an act of creation, not destruction.
Craft in America, a Peabody award-winning series from PBS, knows this, too. It expands beyond knitting, of course, and attempts to capture who we are as a country using craft both historic and contemporary as its lens.
Each of the 33 episodes is geared around a theme—like Threads, Identity, or Quilts—and features a few artists. Some you will have heard of, like Dale Chihuly and Faith Ringgold.
Faith Ringgold’s “Dancing on the George Washington Bridge”
Others will be less familiar, like Diego Romero (whose “The Thinker” is all the way up top) and Consuelo Jimenez Underwood (whose basket from “Undocumented Tortilla Happening” is below).
Each episode is deeply meditative. There’s no voiceover telling you what to think then tying it up with a metaphor bow. Instead, it’s about grappling with how each American experiences this place differently and how they use their hands to process what they see.
Each episode is comprised of segments of artists working in their studios and people talking about their work. Each segment flows seamlessly into the next, continuing a conversation that might be separated by medium, space, and time.
Susan Hudson and her quilt 29 Warriors
There’s no need to watch them in order. Each features work that inspires, infuriates, heals, celebrates, and/or amuses (and so many emotions in between).
Just pick the topic you are most drawn to—I think I’ll work on a sweater for my short-coated, medium-sized dog while watching Service—and fall into another episode about how handwork tells the story of this nation’s ideals and how we succeed and fail to uphold them.
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Totally agree! So inspiring. Love to see how people do their work.
I’ve watched it for years and own some of the DVDs. If you contribute $5 to PBS a month, you can watch them all anytime.
What a wonderful reccomendation. Thanks!
I was unaware of this series. I cannot wait to watch it. Thank you!
A favorite! One of the best series ever and I agree with Francis, only $5/mo to PBS for forever access. The documentaries feature some of the most talented craft makers in the US, not to be missed.
Adrienne! You are so cool. I forgot about this series. Thank you for reminding me. xx
Sounds amazing! Thank you! In these current times, I need a series like this to knit to!
This is one of my favorite MDK features. Even though I’ve been a PBS passport watcher for years, I didn’t know about this series. I’m interested in how it’s called Craft in America, but the examples you’ve showed us are so definitely works of art (and you’ve referred to the makers as artists). Thank you for sharing this one!
This sounds like something I need right now. thanks.
Thank you for this article! I have been recording this series. Each one I’ve watched, I’ve learned something.
I love Craft in America. It is one of my favorite series on PBS. I’m never sure when it’s on locally, but I love to see people making things!!
I have a cuff bracelet that I bought in Santa Fe 24 years ago and it never comes off of my wrist except for cleaning and it is so simple and so beautiful and made by hand
Just what we need right now.
GAH! Proud niece moment (my awesome aunt is the aforementioned Consuelo Jimenez Underwood)! This series is amazing, thank you for highlighting it!
Thank you for sharing this! This week I have substituted watching the news for watching Craft in America. Restorative. I have shared with my extended family of artists and makers.
An important series that not only reveals the talents of these American artists, but also their humanity. I hope there will be new episodes, but I also love to re-watch the older ones, too. Thanks for sharing this.