War Widows Hand-Knitwear Project

Gottelier, Jane (2011) War Widows Hand-Knitwear Project. [Project]

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Abstract / Summary

To develop a sustainable hand-knitwear project in post conflict Sri Lanka.

I was involved in this project from January 2011 to November 2011, I was responsible for designing and over seeing a small hand-knitted womenswear collection knitted by Tamil War Widows in Northern Sri Lanka. I visited the knitted group near Jaffna and gave them yarns, samples and knitting patterns. ThE finished garments were shown in an international Fashion Show which is part of the Sri Lanka Design Festival in November. They have a small building sponsored by the Norwegian Government to knit in by day and the Norwegian Government also paid their wages for knitting the garments. However these funds have not been regular and the project was not sustainable.

I want to re-start the project and make it sustainable. It would be a pilot project which would have four partners .
U.C.F. – Design in put from staff and students The Academy of Design Sri Lanka – logistics, translators, pattern writer. The Natural Fibre Company – providing organic wool spun in Cornwall. Frugi Cornwall ( organic childrenswear company ) on-line sales of knitwear.

The project would offer a new skill in Sri Lanka as knitting is not an indigenous craft although palmera weaving is, which is a similar construction technique but uses hands instead of needles. The project would offer an exchange of skills, design from Falmouth and craft expertise from the War Widows. The project also offers moral and ethical responsibility between nations. If this pilot project is successful it will act as a blue print to be developed in other war torn areas of the world where women have been left to fend for themselves .

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