When you’re feeling powerless - there is power in your needlework

The World news has been so distressing in the last week. At a time when we were starting to feel some hope, our news feeds are filled with distressing images of war. It is so hard to feel so powerless to act, it can be incredibly stressful.

It has been heartening to see how makers have been turning to their crafts to find solace and also to send messages of hope and support. There is a practical aspect to knitting in times of war too. It brings people together, provides a respite from the difficult news and a way to cope. It is also productive, creating warm articles of clothing that are of practical and emotional help for refugees.?

Manage stress

Importantly needlecrafts are relaxing. They can be used as an effective mechanism to reduce stress. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the news then putting down your phone and picking up your needles is a good choice. As much as we all want to know what is happening in the world, today’s always-on media channels mean that we can end up trapped in a loop of doom scrolling that doesn’t help anyone.?

The rhythmic repetition of movement created by knitting or sewing calms the body and the mind. It is absorbing and can be used as a way to regain your balance.

Global Community of Makers Signal Support & Raise Awareness

Knitting gives makers a way to signal their support for a cause. On the same social media feeds that are bringing us news of the conflict, you can see a truly global community of makers coming together to signal their support and organise themselves to use their craft to help.

New #hastags emerging such as #knitforukraine #knitterssupportukraine? #mantasparaucrania (blankets for Ukraine) that are beginning to fill with messages of hope, support and peace knitted and stitched in the bright yellow and royal blue of the Ukrainian flag.

Many feature sunflowers, the national flower of Ukraine that is also becoming a symbol for the resistance there. The First Lady of the United States Jill Biden was pictured wearing a blue satin suit with a sunflower embroidered on the cuff at the State of the Union address as a way of signalling her support. She has also been pictured wearing a facemask with the flower too. Here is another example, this time from a knitter in Korea, the text translates to mean “I hope for a peaceful world without war. Ukrainian national flower, sunflower”

There are also national symbols and flags as well as doves and olive branches symbolizing peace. For example this post:

This German maker has ordered wool in yellow and blue and is knitting for Ukrainian refugees whilst she waits for it to arrive. (Text translates to Count me in!! @ponderosawolle has launched a wonderful campaign and until the blue/yellow wool is there, I'll start with hats, booties and socks for children in Ukraine. I would like to knit especially for the little ones there, they can't help it at all and experience endless suffering!!!)

Create something practical and precious

The great thing about needlecraft is that is productive. In a few hours, you can produce warm items of clothing that are of practical help to refugees or you can choose to make something beautiful that can be sold to raise funds for refugees.

Making something by hand is also a significant gesture of love. In 2015 Shahnaz Ahmed, inadvertently activated a global community of knitters making hats and other items of warm clothing for the refugee crisis in Europe. She decided to donate a hat she had knitted to refugees in Calais, this led to her setting up a Facebook Group which ultimately delivered thousands of knitted items to Europe and the Middle East. Each item was accompanied by a handwritten tag with a message from the knitter to the recipient which helped to communicate the depth of feeling people had.

To her amazement, she started to hear back from refugees. They asked for knitting materials and sent back their makes which were sold and the profits sent to them. It became a two-way exchange that helped everyone.

Knitting builds community

Knit for Peace is a UK based charity that grew out of projects that were developed in Rwanda and India where it brought together women of traditionally hostile communities (Hutu and Tutsi war widows in Rwanda and Muslim and Hindu women in the slums of Delhi) to knit clothes for street children and orphans. The knitters were paid for their work and the clothes they made were distributed through local NGOs. It is a very extreme example of how handcrafts can bring people together and build relationships. Similar to the US charity Warm Up America, the charity now collects knitted (or crocheted) clothes and blankets and distributes them to people in need all over the UK. Knit for Peace also provides knitting kits for refugees settling in the UK to help them build community here. Perhaps it will also have a role to play in helping Ukrainian refugees to settle too.?

Even when you feel powerless needle crafts can be a powerful way to manage stress, show your support, raise awareness and provide practical and emotional help to those in need. So whether you decide to knit to reduce your stress and avoid doom scrolling or embroider a sunflower to show your support, we hope you find the power in your needlework during this difficult week.

It is worth noting that charities are still working on the logistics of getting knitted items to those who need them so the advice is currently to donate financially rather than knit, although it is likely that charities will start to accept knitted items soon.

DMC Group response

In terms of DMC Group’s own response to the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine, in the following weeks,?each of our brands will offer makers ways to show their support alongside raising funds.

DMC will?release?a?series of?free designs to?embroider?if you’d like to show your support in this way. Perhaps like Jill Biden, you will?stitch a design to?an item of?clothing,?or?you could embroider a hoop to hang?in your window.?We’ll donate all?profits?from any?associated?purchases to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Ukraine Appeal, so please?share your work online using #StitchForUkraine?to spread the word.?

Sirdar will launch?a?free knitting pattern in the colours of the Ukraine flag?and?donate all profits from associated yarn?purchases to?The British Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal.?You can spread the word using #SirdarMakesForUkraine

Wool and the Gang will?hold?a sample sale on Thursday 10th March at 6pm via?Instagram?to raise funds for?The British Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal. Ten pieces will be available and Wool and The Gang will match-fund the amount raised.?

Rowan will be issuing a selection of digital patterns including an exclusive blue and yellow cardigan and a sunflower brooch which can be crocheted and worn to show support. Rowan is asking its customers to make a donation to The British Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal with each free download.

More details will follow via our websites, newsletters?and social media shortly.

Please follow?The DMC Group brands to keep up with our ongoing support efforts.