I sometimes make things for the movies in my secret knitting life. Beths Shawl as featured in Little Women 2019. Beths Shawl is a simple heart shaped striped shawl worked in garter stitch with an icord edging. In addition to a simple stripe colourwork this pattern also features icord tab cast on, ichord worked as you go edge and an icord cast off.

I’m very proud to have contributed in a very tiny way to the Little Women 2019 film. An adaptation with themes of feminism, creativity and independence.

So I want to use this oportunity to do more. To enable more women and girls to be empowered globally. Because, without exception, investing in women has impacts that far outweigh that initial investment.

I have reproduced this shawl as a pattern to fundraise for the Barefoot College Solar Mamas (www.barefootcollege.org). An international charity that trains women from rural communities to become solar engineers bringing light and power to their remote village communities.

Today, the Barefoot College operates in 1,300 villages in 80 countries worldwide.  The impact of the college is so much more than the direct training of these women, who cannot read or write, to provide solar electricity and reduced carbon emissions.  These Solar Mamas train others, bring light, create employment and self-reliant solutions for their communities.

There isn’t enough space here for me to tell you just how far a tiny £ or $ investment in a Solar Mama goes.  So help me to help them combat ultra poverty, gender inequality and climate change (fliptheswitch.film/).

100% of all proceeds from the sale of this pattern will be donated to The Barefoot College.

Errata:

Stripes should read (changes in bold):
with CC1 knit 2 rows
With CC2 knit 12 rows
With CC1 knit 2 rows
With MC knit 6 rows
With CC1 knit 2 rows
With CC2 knit 4 rows
With CC1 knit 2 rows
With MC knit 6 rows
With CC1 knit 2 rows
With CC2 knit 4 rows
With CC1 knit 2 rows
With MC knit 6 rows
With CC1 knit 2 rows
With CC2 knit 12 rows
With CC1 knit 2 rows
With MC knit 6 rows
version 3 dated 13/1/2020