Our History

Knitting4Peace began as the response to a deep spiritual challenge: In 2004, our founder, Susan McKee, heard the powerful testimonies of a prophetic activist and of women peacemakers from Israel and Palestine: “I was deeply moved by Sister Joan Chittister’s prophesy that peace will never happen until women get actively involved in radical new ways”. Pondering how to heed their calls for support, her response took shape in 2006 around the idea of women supporting women in conflict areas of the world, by knitting or crocheting prayer shawls with love and care and delivering them to women in places of extreme hardship. The first items delivered were shawls to women in Sudan.

The group was founded at the Chautauqua Institute in Western New York, with their substantial support through early 2019. The group was incorporated as Women4Women, Knitting4Peace, later changed to Knitting4Peace to be more inclusive. Men and boys make and receive items from us, as well as women and girls.

For 8 years, the “home base” of operations was in Susan and her husband Hal’s home in Denver. In 2014, the Park Hill Congregational United Church of Christ (PHCC) dedicated two rooms in their building to house K4P’s operations. This generous donation continues to the present.