One Giant Potholder for Womankind

PeaceKnits
Potholder hanging in the Albert Hall

A companion piece was also handmade in the form of One Giant Potholder for Womankind, from 100 hand-stitched and thermally insulated potholders, to help us remember the contribution of those who managed family, work and the home front during war. Colours chosen for the 100 potholders – shades of green, white and violet, identified with women’s suffrage and peace movements – remind us that not everyone supported the “great war.” Many women and men made life-changing efforts and sacrifice to call for more peaceful means of resolving international differences than what was experienced in the devastating WW1 trench warfare.

Photos were taken at Albert Hall in May 2015, when display of these items helped mark the centenary of the 1915 International Women’s Peace Congress at The Hague.