February 2024 Newsletter
Who is KIS?
We are a grassroots group of knitters responding to the violence of mass shooting by creating prayer shawls of healing for survivor communities.
Year in Review: 2023
As we conclude our big year in 2023, we want to say a big THANK YOU to our knitters for creating all 15 prayer shawls. All 15 prayer shawls have been sent and received by their communities. We had over 100 knitters and stitchers involved. We exhibited the shawls publicly in two locations in Los Angeles so that people could learn about the movement and put their own prayers into the shawls before being sent. Here is a list of the recipients from the 2023:
Tops Friendly Markets, Buffalo, NY
Robb Elementary School, Uvalde, TX
Saint Francis Hospital, Tulsa, OK
Independence Day Parade, Highland Park, IL
Child Daycare Center, Thailand
Central Visual and Performing Arts High School, St. Louis, MO
University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
Club Q, Colorado Springs, CO
Walmart Supercenter, Chesapeake, VA
Star Ballroom Dance Studio, Monterrey Park, CA
Half Moon Bay, San Mateo, CA
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
The Covenant School, Nashville, TN
Old National Bank, Louisville, KY
The people of Ukraine
Why We Knit
Knitting prayer shawls is not a hobby for us. Knitting is art. Knitting is a healing gift for survivor communities of mass gun violence. Knitting is a personal form of therapy, a way to heal. Knitting is a reminder that we are not alone. Despite the pain and the heartbreak caused by mass shootings, Knitting in Solidarity is a community that cares, seeks to understand, and stands in solidarity with survivor communities. Join the movement today!
An Invitation to Join Knitting in Solidarity
Each one of us here has a story to tell. A story that adds to the rich tapestry of our communities. We invite you to be a part of this textile narrative. So pick up your knitting needles and join us in our cause. To knit, to heal yourself and others, to stand in solidarity with those whose communities have been devastated by gun violence. Because together, we can make a difference. One stitch at a time. Every stitch a prayer.
KIS and the “4 S” Process
Step 1: Stitch!
We begin our response with knitting as an act of healing and prayer. Click the links below to get the instructions on what kind of knits we need. The instructions pages (LINK) will tell you where to send or drop off your squares. If postage is an issue, please reach out to connor@knittinginsolidarity.org.
Step 2: Sew!
Squares are knitted into shawls.
Step 3: Show!
Shawls are exhibited in a sculptural installation. This allows local communities to interact with and input their own prayers into the shawls.
Step 4: Send!
After the showing, shawls are given canvas backings with a sleeve that allows them to be displayed as tapestries. Packages are then sent to the designated survivor communities.
#EveryStitchAPrayer #PrayerShawls4Peace #KnittingInSolidarity