"It was nice, we knew most people that came," said Amy, describing their first event at The Church in May. "But then for our second event in Christchurch Park, we did flyers around town and got a lot of new people we hadn't met. It was intergenerational, which was really lovely."
Getting started
When Craft Forward CIC's Blankets for the World initiative looked to expand across the UK, Amy and Azita applied to be regional ambassadors for Ipswich. The London-based charity had been running knitting projects for homeless charities across South London for five years. No one had taken it on in the East of England.
The pair reached out to Lighthouse Women's Aid and Suffolk Refugee Support – local charities providing vital services for families across Ipswich and Suffolk.
"Sometimes very new families get moved in here and have nothing," Azita said. "And at Lighthouse, for people staying there temporarily, we hope the blankets will be quite colourful and creative - not just practical warmth, but bringing some joy to those rooms as well, and that feeling of home."
The craft of connection
Both organisers learned to knit from their mothers. Amy expanded her skills during her art foundation year: "I got really obsessed and knitted these chunky jumpers. My final piece was this big knitwear project." Azita picked up knitting during lockdown: "I started with embroidery, then crochet, then finally knitting. My mum taught me how to knit last year."
For Azita, now working as a first-year junior doctor, knitting became part of her routine during lockdown. "I have really bad screen time," she said, "and it's good to put your phone down and do something where you need to use both of your hands. You can chat while you do it, but you can't check your phone or do anything else."
Lost knowledge, community found
What emerges from their knitting events isn't just blankets, but something rarer: intergenerational knowledge exchange happening naturally.
"Even knowledge sharing - like 'this is the way I would cast on' or 'this is how you start,'" Amy said. The passing down of such skills reflects the everyday knowledge previous generations took for granted.
The impact on participants has been clear. "These meet-ups have been an absolute joy! It's such a nice way to connect with others and meet like-minded folk," said one regular attendee. Another described the sessions as "welcoming, inclusive and purposeful - a fantastic example of craftivism."
"Sharing an afternoon of creativity with, and for others, struck me as a radical act of hope in these times," one participant reflected.
The variety of people showing up reflects this intergenerational appeal. Their second event in the park drew "a lady who picked the flyer up in the library and came from Felixstowe to get involved, and another lady who's moved here for uni."
For Azita, this addresses something she sees both professionally and personally: "There's a huge amount of loneliness. People who aren't working, because work is a big place to meet people. Young people who come back from wherever they moved and are like, 'there's nothing to do here, this is terrible, I don't have any friends.' And with the elderly population, there are huge amounts of loneliness."
Loneliness affects approximately one in 14 adults in England, with higher rates among young people and those out of work. The collaborative nature of square-making offers a different model. "It's been lovely to see people coming together and creating these squares, and there are still ways you can take part over the autumn."
Networks within networks
Ipswich already has several knitting groups – from Knit Wits at The Green Room Cafe to the Broomhill Library Knit and Natter Group. Steam House Cafe on Carr Street serves as the project's collection point and already hosts Friday craft sessions.
"A lot of people go there for mental health support, not psychological help, more just having a chat and signposting people towards other places that can help them," Azita said. "It's a nice, safe space for a lot of people." The cafe's regular attendees have been making squares for the project, even if they don't attend the larger events.
Making it count
The group is collecting squares until 9 November, and plans to hold a sewing event to assemble the blankets. The timeline is deliberate, with completed blankets delivered before Christmas.
The broader Craft Forward network means their work connects to similar projects in Brighton, Manchester and across the UK, but for Ipswich, the purpose stays rooted in local connection.
"People that might never otherwise meet, coming together over something as simple as making squares," Amy reflected. "It's a real common ground for everyone."
The bottom line
What started as a practical project to help local charities has become something more valuable – a simple way for people to connect across generations and backgrounds while creating something genuinely useful.
There's still time to be part of this collaboration. Drop off your 20cm x 20cm knitted or crocheted squares at Steam House Cafe, 22 Carr Street, IP4 1EJ. Join weekly knitting groups at Steam House Cafe and the Knit Wits at The Green Room Cafe to make squares for the project. Follow @azitaiscrafting for updates about the final sewing event at The Church. The deadline is 9 November.
