The culture war is so pervasive that even wool has an agenda.
I mentioned in a Corner post last week that I would donate some baby cardigans and blankets that I knit to pro-life pregnancy centers in celebration of the Dobbs decision anniversary. I was searching online this weekend to buy yarn for new projects, and I found beautiful hand-dyed skeins with lovely muted floral colors — exactly what I wanted for a sweater. But then, I saw this note in the product description:
Each season we feature an exclusive colorway in the store that connects with a local nonprofit. For Spring 2026 our colorway is “Belonging”, in support of the ACE Foundation. $5 of each skein of “Belonging” sold will be donated to the ACE Foundation.
The Affirmative Care Essentials (ACE) Foundation was founded in 2022 with a goal to create a thriving community of LGBTQIA+ folx who feel safe and affirmed. They help to provide gender affirming care and resources to community members in need.
Community resources such as the ACE Foundation can have a significant impact on the lives of low-income individuals and families, especially those who are members of the LGBTQIA community.
By investing in these resources and donating to organizations such as the ACE Foundation, communities can help create a more just and equitable society for all.
Although it isn’t a big deal that a yarn store based in Kansas advances leftist causes, I grew uncharacteristically angry upon reading this. Anyone who skims through just the headlines of my articles can probably guess that I am not going to voluntarily finance “gender affirming care” for “LGBTQIA+ folx” under any circumstances. Absent the implicit requirement to support radical activism, I would have typed in my credit card numbers to place a big order. Honestly, I would just like to knit a pretty sweater without promoting mutilation.
In fact, I would like to knit a pretty sweater without endorsing any causes. I’m not going to buy BLM yarn, but I also don’t really want MAGA yarn. Is it so much to ask for apolitical craft supplies? Do I have to affirm a particular vision of justice to knit? Must my needles be recruited into a social movement? Does every commercial transaction have a political manifesto on the receipt? Am I going insane? The culture war is so pervasive that even wool has an agenda.
I kept clicking through the website to see if there was a similar yarn available that could be purchased without making a mandatory donation. I wound up on a web page titled “Size Inclusivity,” which says the following:
People in all bodies deserve to make garments that fit and feel good. We’re implementing an anti fat-tax discount to make this easier for plus sized folks.
Online Orders:
For a 15% discount on orders of 8 or more full size skeins. This is an honor system, and we will of course not be checking qualifications, but if you would like to take advantage of this discount use the code “fattaxfree” at checkout.
In-Store:
For a 15% discount on 800g or more of yarn, request the Size Inclusive discount at the register. (note: I understand this can be uncomfortable to request in person. We will not comment on your body! I want it to be available.)
I laughed so hard at the idea of an “anti fat-tax discount” that I stopped being mad about the pro-transgender yarn. First of all, buying more yarn because you need more yarn isn’t a “tax.” (Consider how dumb it would be to claim that there’s an anti-big-family tax at Target for the parents who have to buy more snacks for their many kids.) Second, I cackle when I imagine the scenario of a customer at the physical location telling the cashier to apply the anti fat-tax discount code. (The employee says,“Your total comes to $80.” The pudgy knitter says, “Actually, no, I qualify for the obesity coupon. Please apply ‘fattaxfree.’”) Third, I have philosophical questions about the practical implementation of the discount. Shouldn’t a tall but skinny person similarly get a discount, since more yarn is needed for the torso and sleeves? And what if I only need two skeins, not eight, because I’m knitting a cardigan for a plump toddler? Since that child is fat, shouldn’t a discount also apply, even though the order has fewer items? After all, the store says, “People in all bodies deserve to make garments that fit and feel good.”
Anyway, I invite you all to join me in considering this ethical dilemma: If a knitter is not fat but identifies as fat, would it be unethical for that person to use the honor-system obesity coupon?