Episode 59: We Salute the Knitlympians!

Breezy Johnson. Maddie Mastro. Deerdra Irwin. Margie Freed. Lucinda Anderson. Maxime Germain. Jaelin Kauf. Jessie Diggins. Julia Kern. Greta Myers. Ben Ogden. Sure, these are all members of the US Olympic Team who competed in the recent games in Cortina, Italy, but did you know that they are also Knitlympians? They belong to an even more elite circle of athletes who are also accomplished knitters--in fact, judging by their Instagram feeds, they are almost as proud of their knitting as they are of their medals and Olympic performances. We love this. From Breezy Johnson designing and knitting a headband the night before each race to Maxime Germain's scratchy sweater with colorwork and crochet along the hem, all have found in knitting the space for cultivating a relaxed, alert focus that enhances their performance on the slopes and the ice. Knitting has long been compared to yoga and meditation, but do you have a beanie or sweater to wear after doing yoga or meditating? You do not. We rest our knitting case. But there are other surprising points of comparison between Olympic sports and knitting: they are both equally important, excellent, time consuming, expensive, and, at times, heartbreaking and frustrating. Snowboarder Maddie Mastro summed it up nicely when she filmed herself knitting in the car on the way to Cortina:

"Did not finish the beanie, but DID make it to the Olympics!"

--Maddie Mastro

We like how making it to the Olympics comes second after the status report on the beanie. We know you'll get it done, Maddie.

Speaking of getting it done, we are thinking more about the Melt-the-Ice hats we featured in our recent bonus episode and the symbol of the Phrygian hat on the seal of the U.S. Senate. We are thinking some senators need a hat of thanks, and perhaps others need to be reminded of what that red hat on the seal symbolizes. So we invite our listeners to send a hat to your senator, or maybe a red hat broach. We'll put up a template of a letter on our website bootieandbossy.com that you can send along with it. Maybe Jaelin Kauf, Knitlympian and producer of 50 beanies for her supporters, will help. So whip up some of Keeley Richardson's fabulous King Arthur's Everyday Olive Oil cake with a few drops of Fiori di Sicilia, grab your pointed sticks and join us in sending a message to our senators about what that red hat on their seal actually means.

The Olympics may be over but you can follow the Knitlympians on Instagram!

Here are the ones we talked about:

Breezy Johnson: https://www.instagram.com/breezyjohnsonski/

Maxime Germaine: https://www.instagram.com/maxime.gr/

Deedra Irwin: https://www.instagram.com/deedrablu/

Lucinda Anderson: https://www.instagram.com/lucinderella/

Jaelen Kauf: https://www.instagram.com/jaekauf/

Greta Myers: https://www.instagram.com/greta_myers_/

Ben Ogden: https://www.instagram.com/ben.0gden/

Maddie Mastro: https://www.instagram.com/maddie_mastro/

Tom Daley: https://www.instagram.com/tomdaley/

We found a couple more Melt the Ice patterns! There's the Mini Melt Ice Brooch by Jody Sallese-Mason and if you have a Skellie, you can make Skellie's Melt the Ica Hat by Cine Loves Pi. If you're a Star Wars fan, Sowhynot has a chart you can use to make a rebel version of the Melt the Ice Hat. Star Wars Resistance Rode Toppluer.

If you would like to send a letter of thanks/encouragement to your senator, here's a sample letter:

March 13, 2026

Dear Senator_______ ,

I write as a resident of the State of ________ with a gift and a plea. The

enclosed red hat/pin, known in knitting circles as the “Melt-the-Ice hat,” was

designed by an employee working in a yarn store in Minnesota. It is based on

a hat worn in Norway during World World II to protest the Nazi occupation.

Today, crafters in the US are making and wearing this hat to protest the

actions of ICE agents in our country. If you have worked to oppose and curtail

the actions of the Office of Homeland Security regarding immigration, please

consider the enclosed as a token of my thanks.

As a Senator representing the State of _______, you have a special

connection to the red liberty cap because it appears on the Seal of the U.S.

Senate adopted in 1886. Its history as a symbol of protest and freedom goes

much further back, however. Drawing on ancient Phrygian, Greek and Roman

associations with the red cap and emancipation from slavery, Paul Revere

carved a liberty cap on a stone obelisk in the Boston Common, and local

towns often placed a red liberty cap on a pole or tree to signify their

allegiance to the resistance. As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our

nation’s founding in an act of resistance against oppression, the meaning of

the red liberty cap is more important than ever. I ask that you honor this

history represented on the seal of the U.S. Senate in actively opposing all

funding of ICE activity.

As your constituent, I ask that you signal your resistance by wearing

this hat/pin that I made. In doing so, you will be joining a quiet, but powerful

movement to oppose the illegal and unlawful treatment that our neighbors

and friends are receiving at the hands of ICE agents. As of this writing, over

$650,000 has been raised through the sale of the Melt-the-Ice hat pattern

($5), with all proceeds going to benefit Minnesota Immigration Aid

organizations. The pattern has also been sold in 43 countries. The movement

might have started in a quiet corner of a Minnesota yarn store, but it's big

now, and it's growing. Will you wear the enclosed and join us? Or better yet,

lead the fight?

Sincerely yours, (Name, Resident and Voting Citizen of the State of --,

Address, Email)