IMPACT OF COVID-19 DEATHS IN FLOYD COUNTY, GA Georgie Wilkins
This project physicalizes data around COVID-19 deaths in my hometown of Floyd County, GA. Floyd County scores a .99 on the COVID-19 Community Vulnerability Index, the highest possible value on this index. Over the past couple of years, over 500 deaths have been reported in the county alone. This project aims to demonstrate not only those deaths but the unrecognized impact of the loss of each life on the greater community. To do this, I have created a small knitted tapestry with cuts in the yarn.
I was inspired to create this project after hearing a press briefing in which the pandemic was said to be 'over'. While many of us know and acknowledge that the impact of COVID-19 is ongoing, I was left thinking about how this language minimizes the profound loss many of us have experienced. I especially think of the loss of my own great-grandmother in Floyd County in 2020, who played a large role in my life, and the loss that my grandparents have experienced as many of their friends have passed away and they have lost much of their freedom while trying to avoid getting sick.
About the Data
As of October 24, 2022, Floyd County has had 436 confirmed deaths and 107 probable deaths due to COVID-19. This data was suppressed on the CDC website and challenging to find on the health department website.
This estimate of 543 COVID-19 deaths does not tell the full story of the loss of life from the pandemic. It is generally very challenging to create an accurate estimate of COVID-19 deaths. This estimate also does not account for excess COVID-19 deaths, which occur when the strain on the healthcare system from COVID causes people to not receive lifesaving care for other conditions.
The Design Process
I knew that I wanted to create a knitted fabric to show the interconnectedness of the people in a community, so I began by swatching for a new to me technique called intarsia. In this knitting style, you are able to create images with different colors out of yarn. I was hoping to depict the clock tower, a well-known icon of the community that celebrates its 150th anniversary this fall. This swatch gave me confidence in moving forward with the technique.
From this swatch I was able to get a rough idea of my gauge, or how many stitches per inch vertically and horizontally I would have in the knitted fabric. This allowed me to design a chart in google sheets by resizing the cells to be proportional to each stitch and determining what ratio of stitches to rows to achieve the desired size and number of stitches (10,000).
I adapted my sketches into the google sheets design and reduced the number of colors to a more manageable amount for the color changes. The pattern, prototype, and resized pattern can be found at the link below.
For the project, I selected the colors from my scrap yarn bin and knit with many colors at a time, following the chart row by row. After the initial knitting was completed, I wove in (many) ends and soaked the project in water and wool wash to set the stitches and ends. I placed the project on blocking boards to dry and to shape it, as garter stitch has a tendency to squish vertically.
Experiencing the Impact
The imagery of cutting the thread of life comes from Greek and Roman mythology, where the Fates would allot life to mortals. Cutting the thread of life symbolized the time of death. Instead of representing life through individual threads, I have knitted a scene of my hometown to represent the community. Cutting the yarn in knitted fabric will cause unravelling in surrounding stitches.
During my presentation, our class will cut a set number of stitches proportional to the number of deaths per 100,000 people in Floyd County. The current county population is estimated at 98,771, and 543 people are believed to have died of COVID-19 to date. Since this tapestry is made up of 10,008 stitches, we will cut 55 stitches together. The stitches cut will only represent the confirmed and probable deaths due to COVID-19, but hopefully the act of cutting and fraying will show the greater impact on the community of those deaths, and will also reflect those that we do not have data on at this time.
I wanted our class to cut the tapestry together so that everyone could engage with the artifact. Floyd County is my hometown, but the pandemic has affected us all. To cut a stitch, put small scissors through one bump or loop on the fabric and snip. Then, give the tapestry a small (but tight) tug in both directions. Participating in this activity is optional.
Final Product
Dedication
I would like to dedicate this project to my great-grandmother, Blanche Eble Ruston, without whom I would have never become the maker, baker, or card player that I am today.