Knit for Wildlife
A Co-Flourish Model
Knit for Wildlife is a creative initiative that uses knitting as a tool for storytelling, wellbeing, and wildlife conservation. It connects makers, scientists, and storytellers to explore how slow craft can translate ocean challenges into something deeply human; tangible, emotional, and shareable.
| 1st cohort 2025 | Love the Oceans/Mozambique |
|---|---|
| Knitters | Stepahnie, Eddie, Libby |
| Mentors | Jessica Hemmings, Kate Atherley, Love the Oceans |
| Website | https://lovetheoceans.org/our-research/ |
Blending pop culture, mental health, and marine awareness, the initiative encourages people to make and care at the same time. To co-flourish with nature through the act of creation. It grows from the HoldFastX campaign, endorsed under the UN Ocean Decade, and extends its focus on resilience and ocean culture through community, craft, and design.
The First Residency: Mozambique
The first Knit for Wildlife Residency took place in partnership with Love the Oceans, a marine conservation NGO based in Jangamo Bay, Mozambique. A Hope Spot region recognized by Dr. Sylvia Earle.
Three international knitters developed open-access patterns inspired by local marine life and ecosystems:
- Humpback whales, migrating annually to Mozambique’s warm breeding grounds.
- Manta rays, both reef and oceanic species. A rare overlap found in few places on Earth.
- Coral reefs, the vivid, living foundation of the region’s biodiversity.
Mentors included Jessica Hemmings (textile professor and writer), Kate Atherley (Knit pattern expert) and guests from Love the Oceans, offering insight into marine life, material storytelling, and sustainability.
Why It Matters
Knit for Wildlife shows how creativity can spark conservation. How design and emotion can make distant ecosystems feel personal. By sharing every pattern as open access, the project makes ocean storytelling accessible to anyone with yarn and curiosity.
Expected Outcomes
New creative works linking craft and conservation.
Open-access patterns promoting awareness of marine ecosystems.
Strengthened wellbeing through slow making and shared purpose.
Global creative community aligned with the UN Ocean Decade vision of a healthy, inclusive ocean.
Format
Digital residency and creative collaborations combining:
Independent work · Mentoring · Guest talks · Knowledge sharing · Open publication.
An activity under the HoldFastX: Resilience and Ocean Culture campaign.