How to Knit a River

In June 2006 WaterAid and, London based knitting shop, I Knit launched 'Knit a River' as part of the End Water Poverty Campaign, as an alternative to a conventional signed petition.

This “knitted petition“ really captured the imagination of people all over the world and WaterAid started receiving squares from organisations and homes all over the UK, the Netherlands, the USA, Canada, Australia…

A Folkestone & Dover Water Services company pensioner read about the promotion in the WaterAid magazine Oasis and quickly set about organising her knitting circle to produce 350 squares in every shade of blue.

Sewn together these squares made an impressive ‘stream’ which ran the full length of the main staircase at the Cherry Garden offices and was much admired and photographed. After the Cherry Garden photo call the squares were dispatched to help make up a mighty ‘river’ two meters wide and more than 450 metres long.

The knitted river formed the strong visual centrepiece of to 2007 WaterAid campaign to draw attention to the need for safe, clean water.

The big highlight of the year came when hundreds of campaigners from all over the UK united to march to Westminster with the huge knitted petition in support of the End Water Poverty campaign, followed by a presentation at 10 Downing Street.

At the end of its campaigning life the river was either recycled or divided into blankets and dispersed to homeless charities, animal sanctuaries and other organisations in need of warm winter blankets.

Just a fraction of the huge river that was carried to Downing Street to demand water and sanitation for all.