Fibre crafts and activism have long been linked together, coining the portmanteau “craftivism.” Around the world, knitters and crocheters are casting on red tasseled beanie hats, channeling their rage and grief into something tangible for a worthy cause.
Why a red beanie?
The red beanie comes originally from Norwegian folklore, donned by the fjøsnisse — the ‘barn gnome’, who was a sort of proto-Santa Claus figure in Norway. In 1941, during the occupation of the Nazis, Norwegians passed around Christmas cards with illustrations of fjøsnisse as a symbol of national pride. The Nazis banned these cards shortly thereafter.
Undeterred, the people of Norway started knitting their own pointy red hats in the image of their beloved gnome. The red hats became a symbol of protest and solidarity in the face of hostile takeover. By February 1942, it was a punishable offense to wear, make, or distribute them.
Now, in 2026, the red hats are making a comeback.
Melt the ICE Hat
As the activities of ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) in Minnesota rapidly escalated, knitting instructor Paul Neary was inspired by the Norwegian’s acts of resistance and designed his own take on their crimson caps: the Melt the ICE Hat.
It started as a “Knit Night” activity at local yarn store Needle & Skein, and has since spread globally. All proceeds from the pattern are going towards St Louis Park Emergency Program (STEP) and the Immigrant Rapid Response Fund to provide support to those in the community affected by ICE. As of January 28, 2026, they have raised $250,000 through pattern sales.
Other knitwear designers and locally-owned yarn stores around the States are getting involved where they can, hosting knit-alongs for Melt the ICE, donating proceeds from red yarn sales, or contributing their own fascism-fighting designs to the cause. Washington-based designer Jamie Lomax, known for her colourwork charts, has published a free “No ICE” design, and California-based Midsummer Knits is donating half of her sales revenue this week to NorCal Resist and Detention Watch Network.
Crafting through grief is not new for me. Watching the news unfold from Canada, I felt horrified and powerless, but wanted to do something. When I heard of this movement, my mind immediately went to the skein of Fibre Goddess’s bright red ‘Punch a Fascist’ yarn in my stash. Perfect colour and perfect name. As I cast on, I remembered another example of resistance knitting from history: encoded messages. So in the ribbing section, instead of the 1×1 rib per the original design, I used Morse code to create a secret message: “F*** ICE”, where the purls are dots and the knits are dashes.
For anyone interested in doing the same, here’s the chart I made for my own reference:
Mister Rogers once advised children frightened by world events to “look for the helpers,” and that’s what I’m trying to do.