Ace Pride Shawl

In the summer of 2016 I attended my first Pride event. It was shortly after discovering the concept of asexuality and I was desperate to find others like me, people to connect with. I found them when I saw the local asexual community marching in the Pride Parade. Soon afterwards, I started meeting with them regularly; being able to talk with them about their experiences and sharing my own has been both fantastic and validating. During the 2017 Pride festivities, I was out of town attending a conference for my work and was unable to attend any Pride events. So, I scoped out a local crafting store during a quiet afternoon and purchased yarn in black, grey, white, and purple — the colors of the asexual pride flag. I knew I wanted to make something special for myself to celebrate Pride, but it wasn’t until the spring of 2018 that I found the perfect pattern. I knit this in a flurry, completing the shawl in just two weeks of intense work. It felt liberating to work on this shawl out in the open, at friends’ homes, and coffee shops. It represents a part of me that I am still coming to terms with and trying to understand. A few months ago, I wrapped my Ace Pride shawl around my shoulders, held my head high, and joined my new friends, my community, as we marched in the 2018 Pride Parade.