We have just received some great photos from Afghanistan where knitted jumpers have been distributed to street children, families living in tents and an orphan association. The jumpers were kindly knitted and donated by Knit for Peace supporters and will help the children to keep warm. The children send their thanks in the slideshow below:

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We are always grateful to receive knitted jumpers and other items. Please visit our Projects and Patterns page for information on which items we are looking for at the moment, along with free knitting patterns to view and download.

Once again the time to remember our loved ones has come around and here at Knit for Peace we went down to the University of East London to put some needles and yarn to the apt use of knitting some hearts.

Knitting is a wonderful way to bring people together and is surprisingly versatile. There are patterns for almost anything, giving opportunity for endless crafting fun.

A lovely and simple pattern for a knitted heart, and a great way to try your hand at increasing and decreasing, can be found here.

Knit for Peace has a wonderful opportunity to meet others and help out by sharing your craft skills!

Knitting at Kings College London

We are looking for experienced knitters who have the time and enthusiasm to support one or more existing Knit for Peace groups. You must also be patient, friendly and reliable, even when it takes someone a whole hour to complete their first stitch! 

Being a knitting group leader will involve being responsible for one or more groups, regularly attending the groups, helping the participants improve their knitting skills, ensuring a welcoming atmosphere for new comers and liaising with whoever is responsible for the space which hosts the group. 

If you are also proactive, you will even be able to set up new groups for Knit for Peace.

To come and help us by joining our team of volunteers, please email Gabriel@knitforpeace.org.uk telling him why you are suitable for, and interested in, the role and your availability.

For a chat about the role, call Gabriel 020 7794 9835.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Teddies can mean the world to a child. Whether times are good or bad, the soft, cuddly and ever friendly animals hold steadfast in their firm and undemanding friendship.

That’s why we are supporting Cancer Recovery UK’s attempt to send out 2000 goody bags, with as many teddies as possible, to children living with cancer in 80 hospitals across the UK in time for Easter. With a recent mention in Let’s Get Crafting magazine, we’re sure that hundreds of teddies will bring about hundreds of smiles.

For a simple teddy pattern just go to our Charity Projects and Patterns page. Completed items can be sent directly to Cancer Recovery UK at:

Hannah Bellamy,
Cancer Recovery Foundation UK,
74A Station Road East,
Oxted, Surrey, RH8 0PG

Claire Trevethan of Cancer Recovery UK said:

‘The toys really do make a huge difference to the Children and Young people whilst they are in hospital. When a child is affected by cancer their whole world and the world of the people around them is turned upside down, our gift bags help to put the smiles back on their faces and keep them positive. The Children love the knitted toys as they are soft to cuddle and nice to sleep with. Several play therapists have told us that children tend to regress a bit when they are sick and are often happiest with a cuddly toy – even the teens when they think no one is looking of course.’

Some of the children also has something to say:

“Thank you for my sister’s bear she has been very brave this year but has not smiled much. Your gifts made her happy”  Sister of Belle Manyyre age 5 

A gift like this goes a long way.

“I like my teddy. Big children like presents too” Emily age 13

All of us here at Knit for Peace would like to take this opportunity to wish our readers a happy and peaceful new year. We will be out and about with our needles and yarn, encouraging people from all walks of life to sit down and spend time with us making things and getting to know each other.

We are especially grateful to Jacqueline at the Needleprint blog for her heartfelt wish for peace which we all echo here and her kind mention of our work.

We have had a request from the staff at Stoke Mandeville Hospital Neonatal Unit for hats for premature babies.

Statistics have shown that a hat is very useful to a small baby in helping it regulate its temperature and can in some cases make a difference between being admitted to the unit and staying at home.

In order to comply with hospital control of infection policies the hats are offered as gifts to the parents as soon as the baby is admitted to the unit. This means that the family are responsible for washing and caring for the hats achieving two very important aims. Firstly, as the washing is not being mixed with other babies on the unit there is a reduced chance of cross infection. Secondly, and just as importantly, being able to do something for your baby, no matter how small, is very important for parents who aren’t able to cuddle or care for their babies while they are being treated and helps them bond as a family. Because the hats go home with the family, the unit needs a steady supply of over 500 hats a year.

Ribbed hats are preferred as they fit most sizes of head and most bright colours apart from yellow are very popular with families. Yellow can make babies look jaundiced and is best avoided.

Hats have already been donated. Special thanks go to the students of Kingston University and the women of HMP Drake Hall for their hard work but as you can see, we always need more.

Below is a pattern you could use, or you can have a look at one provided by the BBC.

Ribbed Baby Hat for Premature Babies

4 ply yarn, 3.75mm (size 10) needles.
(1x50g ball will make about 4 hats)

Cast on 68 stitches, work in K2, P2 rib for 48 rows.
Shape crown, (K2 together, K2) to end of row.
Next and alternate rows, purl.
(K2 together, K1) to end of row.
(K2 together) to end of row.

Break of yarn leaving about 14 inches of yarn to sew up hat. Thread yarn through stitches on needle and stitch up seam of hat. Do not press as this will flatten the ribbing and make it less easy for the hat to ‘mould’ to the babies’ head and stay on.

Our partners in India have been in touch to let us know where all the wonderful charity knitted garments you have made have ended up.

Top of the list is the Blind School in Delhi, where every pupil at has received a jumper to keep them warm during their classes. In the undeveloped rural areas of Rajasthan, 172 jumpers have also been distributed to children in the villages.

Knit for Peace Canada have also been working away with their needles and yarn to put together items for street children in Delhi. These children would otherwise be spending cold winter nights outdoors, or in unheated huts, without any warm clothes. Thank you to all you generous knitters, whose time, yarn and skill will add a touch of warmth to those less fortunate than us across the world.

We have lovely hand-made project bags on sale to raise funds for our charity! All the way from India, these bags have been made from recycled silk saris, by women from a small self-help group. They have been beautifully made and are fully-lined to ensure needles do not poke through. The bags are also drawstring so that you can make sure your knitting stays safe!

The bags can also  be used for different purposes – on my way home from Bank to Liverpool Street, one fellow commuter on the Underground spotted the bags on the top of my wicker basket and bought one off me for a present to give to his sister!

Each bag costs only £10.95 – with all  the proceeds going towards Knit for Peace projects.

You can place an order for your bags over the phone by calling us on 02077949835. Alternatively, you can send a cheque, plus £2 for postage and packaging, made payable to “Charities Advisory Trust” at:

Knit for Peace
Radius Works
Back Lane
London NW3 1HL

Please include your name and details of where to send your bag(s).

We decided to reclaim the streets by Knitting for Peace on Hampstead High Street! Yesterday, we tweeted to our followers that we would be setting up a table and chairs outside in response to the London riots by giving a show of solidarity and peace by knitting items for charity with whoever wanted to join us! It was a great success with people from the local area of all different ages and abilities joining us to knit or even just to have a chat.

Annie learned how to finger knit:

We also had a young man who heard about us on Twitter and came to join us. It was his first time learning how to knit:

We even had the local policemen coming to join us:

All in all, it was a great success!