These Women Are Not Sticking to Their Knitting: It’s very possible you are not aware that the yarn industry has been enduring an unlikely culture war, divided by charges of racism and cultural appropriation that have erupted in a series of social media firestorms and prompted some owners to close, sell, or rebrand their business. It’s not that these cultural tensions don’t exist in the rest of the country; of course they do. It’s just surprising to find them attached to something as seemingly genteel as knitting, and it’s been compounded by the pandemic, which has challenged everyone in the industry.

Amid the upheaval, though, new voices and new leaders have emerged. In the next 21 Hats Conversation, we'll talk with three women about their experiences breaking into what is no longer your grandmother’s yarn industry: Adella Colvin, founder of LolaBean Yarn Company; Gaye Glasspie, one of the industry's leading social media influencers; and Felicia Eve, owner of String Thing Studio, one of the few Black-owned knitting shops in America. Bring your own questions. Tuesday, January 4, at 3 ET. REGISTER HERE