Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Swords into knitting needles














Each Mother's Day, the original meaning and intent of the day is remembered by people, if not the press. Julia Ward Howe's proclamation of 1870 following the US Civil War is considered the first Mother's Day message, a plea to end war. Her eloquent words were both passionate and rational: why would women raise their sons with love, only to see them kill or be killed by the sons of other loving mothers?
Last weekend in Washington DC, people gathered to commemorate this essential Mother's Day message. Organized by CodePink, the 24-hour vigil featured the creation of a long, knitted blanket composed of thousands of 4-inch squares sent in by women and men from across the US and from knitters in other countries as well. The handmade pink and green squares were sewn together to spell out the message, "We will not raise our children to kill another mother's child." The completed 'peace cozy' was held in front of the White House gates.
Above are some photos from CodePink's Mother's Day observance in DC, along with a photo of several squares sent in by our own Heidi Turpin.

photos from CodePink's flickr site and Heidi Turpin

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