About The Longest Yarn
The mission of The Longest Yarn® – A Thread Through History is to bring history to life, honour those who came before us, and create something of lasting value for the people and communities who help us tell their stories.
Through knitting, crochet and remarkable community collaboration, we transform true historical events and individual experiences into powerful, accessible exhibitions. Our work allows visitors of every age and background to encounter history differently – not simply through dates and statistics, but through people, their lives, their courage, their sacrifices and the world in which they lived.
What began as a creative way of commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day has developed into something much greater. Our exhibitions have now been seen by hundreds of thousands of people in Britain, France and the United States, demonstrating the extraordinary ability of traditional craft to communicate history across generations and national boundaries.
But The Longest Yarn is no longer solely about the stories portrayed in our exhibitions. It is also about the people creating them.
Thousands of hours are freely given by knitters, crocheters, researchers, designers, volunteers and supporters. Within that community, we have witnessed something we never anticipated when the project began: people finding friendship, confidence, purpose and a genuine sense of belonging.
Women involved in The Longest Yarn have told us that being part of the project has improved their mental wellbeing. Some have rediscovered confidence in themselves and their abilities; others have found companionship at times when they felt isolated. People who initially believed that they had little to contribute have discovered that their skills matter and that something made by their own hands can become part of an exhibition admired by thousands.
The friendships created through the project have crossed counties, countries, generations and backgrounds. People who would otherwise never have met now work together, support one another and share an enormous sense of pride in what they have achieved. Those connections have become so remarkable that The Longest Yarn community has even produced a marriage and an engagement.
We believe this social impact is now every bit as important as the exhibitions themselves.
Our mission for the future is therefore twofold: to preserve and communicate history in an imaginative, engaging and deeply human way, while using creativity and volunteering to strengthen communities, reduce isolation and give people purpose, confidence and connection.
We will continue taking our exhibitions into cathedrals, museums, military establishments, schools and communities, making history accessible to people who might never consider visiting a traditional exhibition.
At its heart, The Longest Yarn is about people – those whose stories we preserve and those who ensure those stories continue to be told.
We bring the past to life while making a difference to lives today.
Every panel tells a true story. Every story honours a life. And every person who helps create it becomes part of our story too.