Sweaters from Northern Switzerland

Great to receive this load which will leave next week to Kabul! The sweaters are gorgeous! Danke Schön!

Babies, mothers and grandmothers like the sweaters and hats!

These sweaters and hats are examples of the ones made by knitters in the Netherlands!! Many thanks!

Instructions/ohjeet

Instructions for one baby sweater:

Need about 80 grams of yarn, the needles size 3,5 or 4.

Cast on 70 stitches and  knit 2 two purl and 2 knit stitches  for 22 cm. Then knit 4 cm so that the 22 stitches in the middle continue as before (2/2) but 24 stitches on both sides are knitted only knit stitches ( no purl). Then make the square hole in the middle by terminating the 22 stitches in the centre and continuing both sides separately for 6 cm. Then re-cast on the centre and continue again 4 cm by 2/2 with 22 in the centre and 24 on both sides as knit only. Then make all 2/2 and knit 22 cm more before terminating. It is in the end one long piece (about 58 cm) with the square hole in the centre. Fold it and stitch the sides and leave the openings for the sleeves. 

Strickanleitung für Babypullover

Material: ca. 2 Strangen Wolle (100g) , Nadeln 3 ½ oder 4

70 Maschen anschlagen, 2 re 2 li bis 22 cm  Länge stricken. Danach beginnt das Oberteil: Die ersten 24 M  re , die mittleren 22 M 2 re 2 li und die restlichen 24 M re, 4 cm lang.

Halsausschnitt: Die mittleren 22 M abketten und beide Schulterteile mit je 24 M rechts (kraus) weiterstricken, insgesamt 6 cm lang.

Danach die mittleren 22 M wieder aufnehmen 2 re 2 li, 4 cm lang.

Fortfahren mit allen Maschen 2 re 2 li, 22 cm lang.

Abketten. Gesamtlänge der Strickarbeit ist nun ca. 58 cm mit einer viereckigen Oeffnung in der Mitte. In die Hälfte gefaltet nun die Seitennähte bis zum Armausschnitt zusammennähen.

Instructions pour une tunique: 2 pelotes de laine à 50g, aiguilles 3,5 ou 4. Montez 70 mailles et tricotez 2m envers, 2m endroit pendant 22 cm, Après, tricotez 24 mailles point mousse. Les 22 mailles au milieu, 2 m endroit, 2 m envers, les dernières 24 mailles de nouveau point mousse.

A hauteur de 4 cm, arrêtez les 22 mailles du milieu et continuez chaque coté séparément pendant 6 cm.  Remontez les 22 mailles du milieu de sorte qu'on obtienne un carré. Continuez pendant 4 cm les 24 mailles point mousse, 22 mailles de 2 m envers et 2 m endroit et les 24 m restantes en point mousse. Après les 4 cm, continuez le tout en 2 mailles envers, 2 m endroit pendant 22 cm. Arrêtez les mailles. Hauteur totale environ 58 cm avec l'ouverture carré au milieu. Pliez en deux et fermez les coutures jusqu'aux manches (jusqu'au point mousse).

Nuttuohje

Lankaa yhteen nuttuun menee noin 100 g.

• Luodaan 70 silmukkaa.
• Kudotaan kaksi oikein kaksi nurin yhteensä 22 cm.
• Sen jälkeen kudotaan aina oikein neulosta 24 silmukalla, kaksi oikein kaksi nurin 22 silmukalla ja aina oikein 24 silmukalla yht. 3 cm
• Kolmen sentin jälkeen päätetään keskimmäiset 22 silmukkaa ja kudotaan kumpikin olka erikseen aina oikein neuletta, noin kolme senttiä etukappaletta + kolme senttiä takakappaletta.
• Seuraavalla kerroksella 24 s oikein ja sen jälkeen luodaan 22 uutta silmukkaa keskelle ja taas kudotaan 24 s oikein.
• Seuraavilla kerroksilla 24 silmukkaa aina oikein, 22 silmukkaa kaksi oikein kaksi nurin ja 24 silmukkaa aina oikein, yhteensä 3 cm.
• Sitten siirrytään kokonaan takaisin kaksi oikein kaksi nurin neuleeseen, jota tehdään taas 22 cm.
• Tuloksena on siis pitkä pätkä, jossa nelikulmainen pääaukko keskellä.
• Viimeksi ommellaan sivusaumat yhteen. Käsille jätetään aukot.

Baby Blankets are also welcome

These colorful and warm blankets were made in Switzerland for babies in Afghanistan. Grand merci!

1st Prize in the Big Knitting Competition in Geneva today

Two Grand-Saconnex knitters participated today in the competition during which one had to knit as fast as possible for 15 minutes. Result: a lot of fun and laughters, the 1st Prize ( 50 Swiss francs) and good publicity for "Hope for the Babies".

Warm socks for babies

We have been joined by an expert sock-knitter from Switzerland! These socks for babies are another important way to keep babies warm. Merci!!

Piles of sweaters from Grand-Saconnex, Switzerland

These will keep many babies warm!

Learning to knit

Many people have learned knitting in the context of "Omeed-e-Kodak" project! This great skill is useful for young and older and gets better with practice.

Cute hats from Canada

Juanita from Canada has joined the project and knitted these cute hats and also donated yarn for baby sweaters! Thank you!

Video clip of the presentation of our project

Details of our project have been posted onhttp://savinglivesatbirth.net/summaries/205
and it includes a video clip of Dr Heli Bathija presenting the project in July during the event at the Gates Foundation in Seattle. The last sentence in the video refers to the efforts of all solidarity knitters around the world. Many thanks to all supporters!

"Mothers" of sweater projects meet in Addis Ababa

Saturday, 29 September 2012, Pirkko Tuppurainen, who developed the sweater model and started the "Nuttu"- project for Ethiopia, and Heli Bathija who took the model and started the "Omeed-e-Kodak: Hope for the Babies" project for Afghanistan, met in Pirkko's home in Addis Ababa. This was a lot of fun, knitting and sharing stories and planning for future. Currently the projects have knitters in all continents!

Sweet sweaters from Paris area

Merci, Micheline! Ils sont magnifiques! These will soon go to Afghanistan!

Could you get some yarn for us?

We would be grateful for donations of yarn. Any soft, beautiful color yarn for baby cloths would be fine.
There is an excellent yarn, called Barnat Baby Jacquards, which has multiple color combinations.

It says in the label " made in Turkey. Packaged in Canada", but we have seen it for sale in USA. Would be great to get donations!! (see also post of 12 June 2012). One beautiful set here.

New sweaters collection point in Finland

Those of you who are in Finland, you can now easily send the sweaters and hats and other things that you have knitted for the "Hope for the Babies" project to an address in Helsinki, from where they will taken to Afghanistan. These were among the first ones received in Helsinki. Thank you!

Productive summer is over, time for even more productive autumn!

Unfortunately we did not win the prize in the "Grand Challenge", but fortunately the project continues.
The following pictures are examples of sweaters, hats and blankets knitted during the past few weeks by friends in the USA, Switzerland and Finland. Lovely, aren't they all!

We have reached the final stage of the "Grand Challenge: Saving Lives at Birth"

Our booth in the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle.
The results will be known in 24 hours!

Knitting poem by one of our friends!

Knitting

is the creative language of Unity and International Collaboration.

According to the Book of Song, it began even before we were born!

For You created my inmost being.   You knit me together in my mother’s womb.                 Psalm 139:13 (NIV)

Uniting to KNIT

you knit to UNITE!

 

Knitting is a movement.

It is a movement

of our hands and our fingers

with our hearts

and our minds

with a vision

and a mission

to join and mend the lives of broken families

to intertwine the fabrics of health, wealth and society

to weave the threads of hope for the future

empowering women and girls

supporting men, boys and livelihood

and covering the little ones

with garments of love and care

with warmth and protection

with beauty and fashion

beginning with the weakest link

mothers and babies

securely joined together

from individuals to groups

from grassroots to world leaders

through frontiers and beyond borders

apolitical

non-invasive

non-intrusive

non-denominational

non-cultural

while preserving values and traditions

nurturing an amicable and safe space

promoting friendship and teamwork

in the home, community, city and country.

 

Catch the global vision:

Knit to UNITE

Unite to KNIT !!!

/Vyonnie Amor Lee

3 July 2012

Vote now and make us win the "Grand Challenge"

 As you are already aware, we are finalists in this year Grand Challenge. Now you and all your friends can vote until July 11. Please go to the website:

http://www.savinglivesatbirth.net/innovation/2012/innovators/all

 and our project is towards the end of the list under World Health Organization:

"Omeed-e-kodak" Hope of the babies: An innovative approach empowering women to knit baby sweaters and hats and use mobile phones to increase the numbers of antenatal care visits, births by skilled attendants, postpartum visits and birth registration

Please use this opportunity to spread the word about our project!

There are many wonderful projects on the list, but we are counting on your support to win!!!

Thanks in advance!

A cute sweater-hat set

This was made by a former WHO staff member. She had bought the yarn (Barnat Baby Jacquards) from Michael's store in New York.

Knitting circle has expanded to Kenya!

The mother of a  WHO Omeed-e-Kodak knitting club member got interested in our project and has started to knit sweaters in Kenya! Here are the first ones. So beautiful and soft:

The yarn was order through internet:

here is the link to the website . The website has many varieties but here is the direct link to what our member bought.

http://www.rkmwools.co.uk/wool_shop.php?store_cat_id=1538&nav_id=1537

The colours of the two sweaters are:

http://www.rkmwools.co.uk/product_detail.php?prod_id=8363  - Baby Marble DK Shade BM5

http://www.rkmwools.co.uk/product_detail.php?prod_id=26800 - Baby Marble DK Shade BM13

The yarn costs £2.50 each ball of 100g ( about  Chf 3.7 each). She bought 10 balls and the total cost with postage was £32.60 (Chf 49) and since the package was quite compressed there was no additional cost with the Swiss post.

These sweaters brighten up even a rainy day!

They were knitted in the German-speaking Switzerland. Delightfully colorful!

We are finalists in "Grand Challenge"!!!

Fantastic news: The "Hope for the Babies" project, presented through the World Health Organization to the "Grand Challenge: saving lives at birth" has been chosen as a finalist! We have been invited to attend the Development Exchange, July 12-14, 2012, to participate in the final stage of the competition in Seattle, WA USA. If we win we can have funds to support the Afghan women knitters to make 15000 sweaters and hats for newborn babies and we can have money to do research to assess how this will increase the attendance at antenatal care and have more women to deliver with skilled birth attendant. We still need to continue to knit the sweaters in all corners of the earth as we have been doing because the needs are enormous and also we want to demostrate our solidarity that women everywhere want to support Afghan women and newborn babies.

Admiring sweaters knitted in Scotland

Irene from Scotland had knitted these cute sweaters and brought them to WHO! Thank you!

First sweater from Paris area!

This is so exciting to learn how the knitting circle expands! This lovely sweater comes from a grandmother living in Paris area. Thank you!

Knitters from Netherlands join our efforts!

First set of  the "Hope for the Babies"- sweaters knitted in the Netherlands! Many thanks and welcome to our network of knitters!

11 year old girl becomes the youngest knitting club member to finish a sweater!

Saga is originally from Finland but now living in Geneva area. She learned about our club only in April, but  now she already finished her first sweater, which as you can see here reflects the beautiful spring! In addition she has inspired both teachers and students in her school who now want to learn knitting and contribute to the Hope for the Babies project!

Could we win in the Novita lottery?

Since the sweater and hat sets made from Novita Nalle Kukkaketo yarn ( here the latest addition) are really of excellent quality, we approached Novita to ask for a donation. The answer we got was that our request will enter a lottery with many other requests. Such lotteries are held quarterly, so we need to be patient for a couple of more months to find out if we have won.

Sweaters by WHO interns

Some interns have been active members of WHO knitting club and made warm sweaters for babies in Afghanistan.

Knitting circles expanding to Scotland and France

Former WHO colleagues from Scotland and France have started knitting and made these lovely sweaters.

Sweaters, caps and blankets from Long Island, New York

These lovely colorful sweaters and caps and blankets were made by a group of friends in Long Island, New York and Blessed in the St Paul's Lutheran Church before sent to Afghanistan.