Falastin Mitts
Traditional Shetland Fair Isle fingerless mittens, designed in solidarity with Palestine to raise money for three families in Gaza.
Wear your solidarity
These mitts are a blend of Shetland and Palestine. They use traditional Shetland Fair Isle techniques and motifs, with the addition of Palestinian colours and motifs that are found in tatreez embroidery - and some watermelons.
They were designed following traditional Shetland patterns, and with advice kindly given by Ella Gordon. Thank you Ella!
Designed to raise money for three families in Gaza, they are limited edition and will be sold in runs of ten.
Fair Isle for Falastin
The Families
100% of money raised is going to three families in Gaza:
the Abu Mohsen family: Maher and Mayson, their daughter Rewan and her daughters Haya, 3 and Zaina, 1, and her husband, a doctor working in the field hospitals; Reman, 30; twin brothers Islam and Anas, 23 and their sister Leen,13.
the Herzallah family: dad Yamen, mum Huda, Lara, 9, and Ghina, 5.
the Abu Amer family: Samir, 63 and Hoda 62; their daughter Samer, 27 and her infant son Ahmad, 1 year; and their son Adbullah, 24.
Click the links to follow Islam, Huda and Abdullah on Instagram.
Knit your own
The pattern for the mittens is also available for sale.
All proceeds from each pattern sale will also go to support the families.
These mittens were born of a need to do something to help three families in Gaza.
It’s difficult to know what to say after watching horror upon horror unfold, every day, on our screens, for over a year. The feeling of helplessness that can take over can be overwhelming as we watch our government ignore countless protests and continue to fund a genocide.
In March, I was able to channel my feelings into action, and help a family with a fundraising campaign, initially set up to help them evacuate Gaza. Egyptian authorities were charging $5000 per adult and $2500 per child in evacuation fees, leaving those who wanted to get to safety facing a cruel and ridiculous predicament. With no way to make this kind of money, countless families have turned to fundraising campaigns, often being forced to enlist strangers outwith Gaza to help (because Palestinians are blocked from accessing crowdfunding platforms).
After the Israeli army closed the Rafah border in May, evacuation is no longer an option. The money being raised is now also being used to fund survival until such a time that people can evacuate, or try to rebuild their lives in Gaza.
I’m now in touch with two other families, though there are countless more that need our support.
Each sale of mitts or the pattern goes a little way to bringing some hope.
You can read more about each family’s story and donate to them directly at the links below:
Image credits: Islam Abu Mohsen
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