PomKnits

In Spring 2009 PomKnits’ ”Knitting Communities Together” was launched and has become a phenomenally successful community project. Through PomKnits, individual knitters both in the UK and overseas, knitting circles and residents in old age homes are knitting squares and sewing them into blankets which are sent directly to desperately needy older people by World Jewish Relief.

We are delighted that to date 4,318 blankets, made up of an amazing 172,720 squares, have already been sent to Eastern Europe. One of our mathematically inclined volunteers worked out that if 4,000 PomKnits blankets were laid out they would fill one quarter of Wembley Stadium!

Our very ambitious target is to make 25,000 blankets (a million squares)!

Each blanket is tagged with a special message written in Cyrillic (Russian script) which (translated) reads: “This blanket has been knitted with love by World Jewish Relief supporters in the UK”

Our 'Knitting Communities Together' project provides a basic commodity for these desperately needy people: vital warmth through the coldest winter months, where temperatures frequently reach well below freezing. It also shows them that someone cares and that they have not been forgotten. Our ‘clients’ are often overwhelmed by the thought that these are hand knitted by individuals and are often the most beautiful object in their homes. Our PomKnitters really enjoy the knitting and so a virtuous circle of warmth has been created.

Paul Anticoni, CEO of World Jewish Relief commented "We have found a valuable strand in PomKnits - it is bringing people together in our own community, through a shared, traditional activity. Our ever-increasing numbers of PomKnitters tell us how much they are enjoying knitting, with some of them creating knitting circles with regular meetings, meeting new friends and having a lively chat while they knit. On a recent mission I was struck particularly by the gratitude expressed by clients for their knitted blankets. These blankets are going down extremely well and are a huge credit to our PomKnits team "

Do join us and become part of a worthwhile and enjoyable project by helping in this satisfying, hands-on way. When you have time to spare - just knit us a square! Click here to download instructions

If you have any questions, email us at pomegranate@wjr.org.uk

To view the PomKnits photogallery please click here