Braintree Knits Community Together Through Ukraine Afghan Drive

BRAINTREE, MA - A Town Hall employee has helped to organize a unique effort to strengthen the fabric of the community while providing support to Ukrainian refugees: a call to knit afghans.

"A couple of constituents came into the mayor's office with an idea," explained Kate Naughton, the services coordinator for Mayor Charles Kokoros. "They thought of knitting afghans for refugees in Ukraine in the blue and yellow colors of their flag."

She explained that the afghans are meant to not only provide warmth but also a sense of home and normalcy to lives and families shattered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"We want to have small afghans that will fit a child or that can be placed on the lap of a person who uses a wheelchair," Naughton said. They would need to measure 25 inches by 25 inches.

In March, the town held a medical supply drive which was enormously successful in cooperation with Christ the King Ukrainian Catholic Church in Jamaica Plain.

"I had no idea how many people would contribute," she said of the March event. "I thought I would be putting a few boxes in my trunk, but cars kept pulling up all day with pain relievers and other needed supplies."

Naughton reached out to the church to see if it would be willing to participate in the afghan drive, and she said she received an overwhelming desire to help. The church facilitates donations via Ukraine Forward, a group of area activists that works to provide basic necessities to the victims of the country's occupation.

Now, she is trying to get the word out to knowledgeable knitters, as well as the stitch patern - the garter stitch preemie blanket knitting pattern. The pattern can be created with size 8 or 9 knitting needles, which are 14 inches long. The stitch pattern is as follows:

• Cast on 4 stitches
• Knit first row
• For the second row, knit 2, yarn over, knit to end of row
• Repeat second row until one end of the triangle measures 25"

This marks the halfway point.

• Decrease back to four stitches as follows: K1, K2 tog, , yo, K2 tog until end of row
• Repeat first row until four stitches remain
• Bind off

"The blankets have to be newly knit with yarn that is pet and smoke free," she explained. "They must be made of washable worsted weight yarn."

Naughton noted that knitting can be a therapeutic art form for some people because of the rhythmic hand movement. And in this case, it can bring comfort to the afghan recipient as well as to its creator.

"This is a much more personal way to help people in Ukraine," she said.

There is a donation box at Braintree Town Hall at 1 John F. Kennedy Memorial Dr. For more information, email Naughton at knaughton@braintreema.gov.