People have reacted in varied ways to the news that Pittsburgh would host next week's G-20 summit. Some cheered. Some snickered. Some cried.

Others knitted.

A group from Knit One, a shop in Squirrel Hill offering knitting supplies and classes, has knitted an approximately 4-foot by 5-foot banner that will hang in the Allegheny County Airport during the G-20. The banner reads "G-20" and sports the flags and names of the 19 countries and the European Union attending the summit.

Shop owner Stacey Wettstein, who also teaches at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Social Work, came up with the idea for the project. Linda Voss Plummer, Knit One's primary knitting instructor, designed the banner.

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"Knitting is a universal language," said Ms. Voss Plummer, who has been knitting for more than 50 years and teaching the craft for 25 years. "The process is very nurturing, and the product can be nurturing, too."

She and Dr. Wettstein wanted to share the inclusive, nurturing nature of knitting with G-20 visitors, some of whom will be arriving through the general aviation airport in West Mifflin. They submitted a proposal outlining their idea to the Allegheny County Airport Authority, which approved it.

"This beautiful, handmade banner will provide a positive, friendly first impression of our city for visitors," said JoAnn Jenny, authority spokeswoman.

The banner is made up of separate sections that 20 knitters worked on at their own pace. Then the pieces were sewn together and mounted on felt.

Rather than knitting replicas of each country's flag -- a difficult undertaking due to the intricate details of some nations' flags -- knitters created rectangles that incorporated a flag's key colors.

One of the knitters, Liz Witzke-Baum, 62, of Regent Square, was drawn to the project because of her love of other cultures.

Although she was born in Pittsburgh, she grew up in Geneva, Switzerland, before returning to the area to attend the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied French. She taught middle school French and Spanish and now works for the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council as an English tutor.

"To me, each stitch in this banner represents a link from one person to another, from one culture to another. ... If [cultural] understanding and acceptance unravel, there will be nothing left," she said.

She knitted Saudi Arabia's flag because of her interest in Middle Eastern culture and the refugees she has worked with from that part of the world at the literacy council.

Another participant, Joan Charlson, 68, of Mt. Lebanon, also works at the literacy council as a tutor and has met Bhutanese refugees who share her interest in knitting. She knitted Canada's flag because she likes that country.

Two months, more than 500 hours and approximately 1,500 yards of yarn later, the banner is ready to greet visitors. It will be on display at the county airport starting Monday and may stay up for a year. Eventually it may be moved to Pittsburgh International Airport, the authority's Ms. Jenny said.

"Everyone's knitting style and experience is different so it is challenging to work toward a common goal," Dr. Wettstein said.