Hi everyone,

I wanted to say thanks to everyone who supported Oxfam’s maternal mortality campaign by knitting a square. I’ve taken over from Sarah and Josephine for the time being on this campaign and wanted to say hi to all of you who have helped so much!

But I need your help and enthusiasm once more, for the next part of the campaign…
We have over 14,000 squares from knitters all over the UK and beyond and we want to sew these together into big blankets so they can be displayed in each region of the UK and raise more awareness of the issue of maternal mortality, especially in the run up to International Women's Day in March.

I was wondering if there was anyone who would like to help out with this? If you’re part of a knitting group that would be interested in sewing together a bunch of these squares please get in touch! adelemare@oxfam.org.uk

It would be great if as many people as possible wanted to help out – there are an awful lots of squares!!

Alice

A huge thank you to all knitters!

For the last six months, knitters from towns, cities and villages from around the UK have been tirelessly clicking their needles, making knitted squares for our giant, knitted petition, and demanding decent healthcare for mums in poor countries.

We’d like to say a huge, heartfelt thank you to everyone who took part in the campaign. You helped keep the pressure on in the run up to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals Summit, and subsequently world leaders announced a raft of measures to tackle maternal mortality.

Find out how your campaigning helped make a difference by going here: http://www.oxfam.org.uk/applications/blogs/campaigners/2008/10/14000squares_2000_lettersand.html

You helped put the issue of maternal mortality at the top of the agenda at the UN meetings, and if the promises of money and action confirmed in New York are delivered, it will help save the lives of 10 million mothers and newborn babies over the next 7 years.

We’ve been simply overwhelmed by your enthusiasm for the campaign - more than 14,000 knitted patches were made by knitters in every nook and cranny of the UK - and so we’ll be in touch again with the next few months to let you know how you can keep clicking your needles against poverty.

Oh brilliant, thanks for the link! I've seen photos on ravelry but not seen any that I could share with non-ravelers.

Fab pics. Shame they didn't get the amount of squares they were after though.

Hi all

Just a quick update on all this. We were invited by Oxfam to Downing street to collect Sarah Brown's square (which was sewn in on the spot), and show a section of the blanket and talk to her about the campaign.

She knew all about Mumsnet and was incredibly knowledgeable about the subject of maternal mortality in the third world (she's patron of the White Ribbon Alliance) and very hopeful that it was one of the millenium goals that might actually be achievable, so that was really encouraging.

There are some pics here

I took my youngest Mimi (as didn't have childcare) so she's the one swigging milk from a sippy cup to ward off the mother of all tantrums

Oxfam were so grateful to everyone on Mumsnet who had helped with this, and asked me to pass on a huge thank you. They are going to keep us updated on progress and let's hope we can have a part in stopping a woman dying in childbirth every 60 seconds

Thanks all

Dear knitters

On Wednesday 17 September, we’ll be presenting part of the giant knitted petition to Sarah Brown at 11 Downing Street, and displaying the rest of the 40m long mammoth baby blanket in the Lawrence Hall.

We want to say THANK YOU to the amazing people who have been busily knitting and teaching people to knit to raise awareness and campaign for change. Your squares will put pressure on world leaders to turn this crazy situation around by providing aid money that can be spent funding midwives, doctors and medicines.

And we want to INVITE you to come down and celebrate the inspiring result of your collective labour of love and meet with fellow knitters.

Where: The Lawrence Hall. Royal Horticultural Halls & Conference Centre in the heart of Westminster (Greycoat Street, London, SW1P 2QD - nearest underground stations: St James’ Park / Victoria / Westminster)‎www.horticultural-halls.co.uk‎

When: Wednesday 17 September : 2pm – 5pm

We look forward to seeing you, your friends and family there!

That's amazing! Thanks Miaou! We look forward to receiving them!

Ah, don't think I can make it from Caithness

However I currently have 100 squares in my bedroom waiting to be packed up and sent to you in Leeds!

Oh dear, another correction
Knit with Nick Clegg on Friday 25th JULY

Come!

Hi all and help!

The maternal mortality blanket campaign needs knitters to teach MPs to knit!

LEEDS
Mr Hilary Benn - Friday 11th July from 1-2pm at the Oxfam shop on Duncan Street (near the Corn Exchange)

Mr Fabian Hamilton - Saturday 12th July from 12.30 at the Moortown Oxfam shop (394 Harrogate Road)

Mr Greg Mulholland - Saturday 26th July at the Headingley Oxfam shop (45/47 Otley Road), be there just before 10am

SHEFFIELD
Mr Nick Clegg- Friday 25th June 1-2pm at the Oxfam shop 281/283 Fulwood Rd

Come and show them some purling power and tell them all about your concerns for women's health worldwide!

Please let me know if you can make it here or at jpazos@oxfam.org.uk

Thank you so much for your invaluable support!
Happy Knitting!
josephine

Sorry to be so late to reply and oops I really didn't make it clear did I...? No it was in Leeds.
Hope your knit in went well in Northampton! You really have some amazing knitters down there!

We also have a sit 'n knit in Northampton on 4th July 2-4 at the Open Door Centre 147 Kettering Road. All knitters and crocheters welcome.
I have 160 squares already. One lady did 100 squares.

josephine is that in notts????

Come and purl together for Oxfam at our Madknitters’ tea (and coffee) party on Friday July 4th from 5.30 - 7.30 at Starbucks - Albion Street. We will be screening the short film My Sister My Self made by the White Ribbon Alliance that brings together the testimonies of women and communties in Africa and Asia. This moving film will doubtless give us plenty to talk about as we knit (a 9 inch square for the campaign blanket) and natter. Non knitters are equally welcome at this party and we’ll give them the essential skills to knit a square, hopefully the first in a long line of knitting projects. Crocheters do come too!

We also hope you’ll sign up to teach Hilary Benn, Greg Mulholland or Fabian Hamilton to knit! They are all keen to join in the campaign in the coming weeks but sadly can’t make it to our Friday night party.

Hope to see you there and do spread the word!
PS. Do bring along any old remnants of yarn you may have - it may bring just that extra touch of flair to someone else’s square!

is this too old to start to join in
im in notts

Is anyone in the South West happy to get involved with media work on the mums knitting campaign?

We really need to get the message out to our media about the urgency of the situation and to get loads of squares coming in from the South West region!

This could mean doing a bit of a photo stunt, with some support from us.

If you're interested please call Hannah or Emily in the Oxfam South West office in Bristol - 0117 916 6472 / 6477

Look forward to hearing from you!

Hannah & Emily
Oxfam South West

Hi all, just to let you know we have a new bit about this project on our website now its: www.oxfam.org.uk/knitting

i would be happy to get involved in the knitting bit. is there anyone else in suffolk/norfolk getting invovlved? please could you let me know more information please. thanks

Hi Leo, Ravelry goes quite fast. I think there were about 6000 names before me and I waited about ten days. Keep looking, it gets quite exciting near the end.

Hi Leo - will keep an eye on this thread too - let me know when you hear back and will see what we can do

Hi,

just managed to wipe and entire message - aargh! Ayomi - I put my Mumsnet name down for P'boro co-ordinator and I have e-mailed Oxfam and I'm waiting to heare from the local rep. Maybe we can start the local knitted squares campaign off ourselves - LOL!!

Will keep dropping in on this thread to update and to read what others are doing. Got a bit frightened iwth the 6k+ waiting list on Ravelry - think I might be a while waiting to jon that forum!

Happy knitting all.

I'm in Cambridgshire - think I saw something about Peterborough which is pretty close. Will investigate
Suffering preghead at mo sorry

Are you anywhere near Northampton? Otherwise you might find it easier to take them somewhere else, they are being done all over the country.

I'll knit some squares happily

There are three meetings organised in Northampton, details on the Northampton thread or on Ravelry

We're up to 80 members now ... now I just have to get myself crocheting!

Hi all - the Ravelry group for this appeal is going very well. We only started on Friday and now have 74 members!. Ravelry is geat for dedicated knitters/crocheters, but there is a waiting list to join. Do you guys think that it would be worthwhile opening a Yahoo or Facebook group as well?
Alex

Hi momoftwo, knitting coordinaters are doing stuff like organising events with local groups and inviting their MPs, talking to their local paper about the project, that sort of thing. Get in touch with me (sblakemore@oxfam.org.uk) if you would like to find out more and I can link you up with an oxfam staff member in your area.

Hi momoftwo, knitting coordinaters are doing stuff like organising events with local groups and inviting their MPs, talking to their local paper about the project, that sort of thing. Get in touch with me (sblakemore@oxfam.org.uk) if you would like to find out more and I can link you up with an oxfam staff member in your area. [smile}

Ravellers - the group is called "oxfam blanket for maternal mortality" if you are searching for it

I am happy to act as coordinator in Dewsbury etc (even west yorkshire if other sites want to club together

Hi. What would I have to do as coordinator for an area? I would love to help, even if it is just knitting a square.

Anything happening in the tunbridge wells/tonbridge area????

blimey, that grin icon is a bit scary LOL

Just to claify on sizes. The appeal is actually asking for 9-inch squares (the large size is to minimise sewing up, which will be an enormous task!). Some knitters find 9-inches too big, so the Manchester group is doing 4.5 inch squares which they will later sew together.
Unless you are sewing up your own squares (like the Manchester group), 9-inch squares are easier for the Oxfam volunteers to handle. Thanks very much everyone!

Hi, I'd be happy to help as a co-ordinator for Peterborough area - unless there is a volunteer already.

There is an independent yarn shop near to me, I will ask there about organising a knit-in and for knitted square etc.

Will sort through my yarn stash and get started!

BTW I am in Selby, near York, is there a local group?

Am happy to knit a few squares too, let me know what to do.

Hi I just wanted to make sure people know that Oxfam Manchester is launching the knitting campaign in town tomorrow (Saturday 12th April)..

*Just turn up at 12noon in front of Urbis, tell as many people as possible. And as part of the publicity we are urging people to knit 1400 squares which will be made into a blanket, and be used as a campaigning tool to encourage world leaders to take action.*

Imagine thousands of people knitting at the same time trying to raise awareness on this matter, this is what this flashmob would be.
4.5 by 4.5 inch squares in any colour you like to symbolise your voice.

’ In many parts of the world, what ought to be a wondrous event in a woman’s life can be equivalent to a death sentence. This is nothing short of an emergency, and we must address it right now.’

No, you dont have to knit thousands of squares on Saturday but we’ll pose for photos with knitting needles etc. Hope your male friends wont be dissuaded by the thought of knitting!

PLEASE COME ALONG AND INVITE YOUR FRIENDS, PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS AND ANYONE YOU KNOW WHO CAN AND WILL KNIT!!!!

fab, fab, fab - and I've joined the ravelry group!

Hey everyone, just to let you know there is now a ravelry group for this project.

Knittingsarah has said that crochet is fine, ejt - as long as the squares are the right size it doesn't matter!

I'll be happy to co-ordinate for Cardiff ... but I'm a crocheter, rather than a knitter ...

Sarah, I have contacted you direct about this.

I am happy to do some coordination work for central London as per my e-mail, but don't want to "out" myself in my workplace

Hey cat64 I am the sarah from oxfam working on this project. You can drop off squares in our Birmingham office (contact Georgia Stokes gstokes@oxfam.org.uk) and she will be able to help you locally. But do get in touch with me if you have any more questions (sblakemore@oxfam.org.uk)

OK, thanks

I have had some contact with Oxfam over this. E.mail Sarah Blakemore, address on their website and she will send you all the info you need. Very helpful.

If anyone knows where I could take them too in Birmingham, then I'll promote it at Church - LOTS of knitters there. Some literature would help a bit though. We have a local Oxfam shop - do you think they are likely to be involved ?

oh yeah! I can only knit squares and scarves! I leanred to knit for Maude's pink blanket but never progressed

Also will talk to members of our mum's group at work as we are holding a knitting workshop soon...this would be a lovely project!

I've been in touch with the organisers and asked a couple of questions, so I thought it was worth sharing the answers on here:

"To answer your questions: people can knit in any colour and any type or yarn, patterns or plain knit would be brilliant and so are crocheted squares. Just as long as they are all the same size so we can fit them together!"

I have been in to my local wool shop and they are going to support the campaign (as long as the big boss agrees, which they think is likely!). As soon as I have printed literature (which I have been promised) I will blitz the other local craft shops, plus our local website. I am contemplating holding a "knit-in" session locally as well if I can.

Thanks - I will be a co-ordinator for Caithness if you like (collate and send off knitted squares, plus publish locally) - I will contact Sarah and let her know

Have you read some of the comments on the Oxfam release? They clearly haven't read the article properly

I'll post this across on other crafty forums too

Happy to do whatever you ask me to do. Have enlisted the help of our MP as in my previous post.

Look forward to hearing from you

hi all

well it's official Mumsnet and Oxfam are working together on this, so all we need to do now is get knitting

here's the link to the page with all the info

If anyone would be happy to act as regional coordinator ie collecting squares or organising knit ins, please stick a hand up now as folks from Oxfam are being directed to this thread and it would be great if there were some volunteers ready.

If you have any further questions, Sarah at oxfam is happy to be contacted - her email SBlakemore@oxfam.org.uk

Thanks to everyone who's volunteered so far. This is such a worthy cause, we really hope we can make a difference.

Would love to help, let me know how.

Has this been linked to Ravelry yet?

I'm in...link to site for more info? (so I can tell more people about)

Warning to EM's daughter...she knows who she is...you WILL knit....after all your finger puppet was a joy to behold..otherwise I'll tell MN how long ago you knitted it!!

I'm happy to help, just let me know what to do and when

No it's ok, I just still wish she could have taught me to knit!
It fascinates me to see poeple knitting

Aw saltire - lots of emotion around the subject too I guess. Sorry, I shouldn't have teased

Miaou - I wish I could. my late aunt tried to teach me, but I could never get it right. She put it down to teh fact that I was left handed and she was right. She was a beautiful knitter, and one of the last things she made, when she was ill in the hospice was a crotched shawl (which is so fine it looks like lace) and knitted pram blanket for DS1, she died about 2 weeks after he was born. I still have them upstairs.

good old sally

so what yarn?

lol saltire - I saw your name on active convo's as last poster and thought, "I wonder what saltire is posting? She doesn't knit!"

I can't knit unfortunately

bump - anyone else?

I spoke to my MP this morning (Sally Keeble, Northampton North) and she is all for it. She can knit and will knit in her office and help to organise it. I am quite willing to do some organising if you would like to let me know what needs doing. Sally thought it was a wonderful idea.

would love to do this

would normally like to do more eg co ordinating but I think its too much atm (new baby). will do what I can though.

its a bloody good cause imo.

has this kicked off yet?

I will knit a square ...

Oh I'm in.

I might even see if I can co-ordinate up here (Caithness) (don't think I'd get many takers but you never know!)

Message withdrawn

I will knit a square, count me in.

Yes, I would love to.

even

marina

also that famous fistula hospital in [http://www.fistulafoundation.org/hospital/ addis ababa]]

hope you're having a peaceful easter, much needed rest being had over here after having friends round for fish pie earlier (took girls to kids' stations of cross..did 2 readings myself)

I always think of that fab charity set up by British midwives for the women and babies of Chad bundle

i know that in eg africa there are situations where access to c/s is possibe..but then staff won't let families into hospital unless they have money/drugs for patient. this has led to many deaths/disabilities (eg fistula) that are entirely preventable.

so i'd be up for it.

Message withdrawn

Can help with this Carrie.
Link would also be good as have lots of in-the-stash-closet colleague knitters apparently...

sounds good. Count me in....erm for knitting; not co-ordinating that is!

<backs away shyly>

Have you an official link I could use please...I have loads of knitters on other crafting forums I could try for you.

I posted this on Site stuff, but it was suggested we post it here too...

As part of the Health and Education For All campaign, Oxfam have launched an appeal for knitted squares to create a giant baby blanket, with each square knitted representing a mother who did not survive pregnancy or childbirth to be able to care for her baby, because she couldn't access the medical care she needed.

Oxfam are aiming to get 250,000 squares by September, which is the number of mothers who could have been saved in that time if decent healthcare had been available.

They need knitters to make 9 inch squares for the giant blanket, which will be handed into the Government as a sort of 'patchwork against poverty petition', to demand a world where everyone has access to free basic healthcare.

We were just wondered if all you Mumsknitters would be interested in teaming up with Oxfam to help out.

Ideally we'd need some folks to volunteer as Local/regional coordinators - who could appeal on their local sites for knitters, maybe organise a local knit -in/meet-up, wouldn't mind being contacted by non mumsnetter oxfam supporters to coordinate collection of squares

And then we just need folks who wouldn't mind unravelling an old sweater and knitting some squares (they're v keen on folks recycling old knitted stuff).

In May they're planning on holding Knit-ins at local MP's offices - so they're also looking for folks happy to teach their MP how to knit while talking about the issue of maternal mortality and hopefully picking up some local media coverage.

Basically it's not about raising money but raising awareness.

Let us know what you think/if you would be interested in helping out.

Thanks

MNHQ