Knitting Pattern: Net Hope Cowl

Knit for Wildlife uses knitting to bring wildlife stories into everyday culture.

Rather than keeping conservation confined to reports, exhibitions, or campaigns, the initiative works through garments that are worn and seen in daily life; in cafés, on public transport, at work, and on campus. The aim is visibility: Keeping wildlife present in places where conservation is not usually discussed.

This pattern is part of an open-access series developed in collaboration with Love the Oceans, a marine conservation organisation based in Mozambique. Their work includes coral reef protection, marine megafauna research, and community-led conservation, providing real-world context behind each species represented.

Corals are living animals that form complex habitats, from reef-building hard corals to soft corals and other coral communities. Together, they support high marine biodiversity and play an important role in coastal protection and food security. Corals are increasingly threatened by rising sea temperatures, mass bleaching, ocean acidification, pollution, and physical damage. Protecting coral systems is critical for marine life and for the human communities that depend on healthy oceans.

All patterns in this series are released for free to support use, sharing, and cultural reach.

Knit for Wildlife is endorsed by the UN Ocean Decade for its contribution to ocean literacy through creative, community-based approaches.

USAGE & RIGHTS

This pattern is released as open access for personal, non-commercial use. Sharing is welcome when crediting Knit for Wildlife. Commercial use, resale, or redistribution is not permitted.
© Knit for Wildlife.

About the Designer

Stephanie Butland (UK) is a novelist and creative thinker who lives by the sea in the North East of England. In addition to her writing, she spins, knits and sews, often sharing her creative process and thoughts on fibre arts with her community

For the Knit for Wildlife residency, Stephanie immersed herself in coral-related knowledge and sketches, exploring how knitting could reflect aspects of coral form and texture. The Net Hope Cowl blends these insights into a piece intended for everyday use.

Resources

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Design

• For details of embroidery stitches used
• Tutorial on duplicate stitch

Learn more

• Love the Oceans (Mozambique)
• Coral Research