About:
Kate's research prioritizes queer and feminist theory in practice in spaces of Irish folklore studies and textile/fiber arts in the Northwest US. Her thesis work focuses on the fiber arts community in the Bay Area and the ways in which folks deploy knowledge of plant and animal fibers in spinning, knitting, and other making groups scattered in San Francisco, Berkeley, and Oakland. Her other work at this time explores gender dynamics in the legend/narrative surrounding the life of Bridget Cleary and her murder through the lens of historical archaeology.