Sadako Sasaki was 12 when she died from Leukemia, contracted as a result of living through the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan. Following an old legend that promised that anyone who folded 1,000 cranes would be granted a wish, Sadako started folding origami cranes when she was 11 and had completed over 1,000 when she died. Young people all over Japan helped to collect the money needed to build a monument to Sadako, and it was installed in Hiroshima Peace Park in 1958. Today, people from all over the world send folded cranes to Sadako’s monument.

Inspired by Sadako’s story, Portland artist Seann McKeel is coordinating knitters to knit and felt 1,000 origami-style cranes. Participating knitters are asked to pledge to contribute 10 cranes. Pledges are needed by March 1st and the cranes must be completed by the end of May. The finished flock will be displayed in Portland in late 2007 before being sent on to Japan.

The picture above is of my little mini-flock of cranes posing amongst my violet. I completed 10 cranes in a couple of night’s steady knitting.

Unfortunately when I felted them, I put them in a laundry bag and threw them in the wash on super-hot… and then forgot about them. I ended up with 10 little felted balls. I did manage to coax them into a vaguely crane shape, but were I to do over I would have felted these by hand. The smaller cranes are of Frog Tree Alpaca and were knit on US#3 needles. The larger are of a worsted-weight wool, and were knit on US#9’s. (Note the blue Frog Tree crane with the white tail. I ran out of blue. )

Portland knitters who complete their cranes can drop them off locally. I know that Tangle in Lake Oswego is collecting them, and I believe there are other places as well.

Visit KnitNotWar 1,0o0 for more information on this project and for a link to the crane pattern.

Let’s knit a little peace.