Spies, Socks, & Soldiers // The Fascinating History of Wartime Knitting
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- čas přidán 25. 06. 2024
- What does the White House lawn, Cary Grant & pet collies have in common? They all played a role in wartime knitting! Learn how -and more- in this video!
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📸 The 'Gram: / making.seams.meet
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📚Further Resources:
1. "No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting" by Anne L. MacDonald
2. “Stitches in Time: The Story of the Clothes We Wear” by Lucy Adlingtonn (not just on knitting but sewing as well)
3. "Knitting America: A Glorious Heritage from Warm Socks to High Art" by Susan Strawn
4. (Nearly) Lost Knitting Songs - 2 albums by Melanie Gall, here: www.melaniegall.com/cds
5. "Knitskrieg: A Call to Yarns! A History of Military Knitting from the 1800s to the Present Day" by Joyce Meader
6. McMaster University archives: digitalcollections.mcmaster.c...
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Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:24 Civil War Years
03:59 Civil War Socks
07:06 The Great War
08:07 Knitting Propaganda
11:06 Not Just White Women
16:31 Poking fun at knitters
18:17 Early standardization of patterns
20:19 Knitting machines
22:45 World War Two
23:39 Famous Knitters
24:50 Knitting Pattern Improvements
27:34 Wool Shortages & Creative Solutions
30:46 BIPOC Knitters in WW2
32:53 Everyone Knitting Everywhere
33:56 Knitting Etiquette
34:48 Knitting Styles & the Politics of Linguistics
36:47 Knitting & Espionage
43:07 To What Effect?
45:28 Further Details & Outro
This is a video about the history of wartime knitting, in which I go quite in depth about the history of knitting for soldiers and knitting for the war effort going back as far as the American Civil War, and talking about the role the Red Cross played in later, more organized efforts to get civilians to contribute to the war effort by knitting - mainly through a massive propaganda effort - as well as talk about who exactly was knitting (hint: it was everyone, regardless if you only see middle-aged white women in the history books), how knitting was potentially involved in espionage of the time, and much more!
If you like this video, then you should definitely check out my other video, where I make a servicewoman's knit vest from a Canadian Red Cross knitting booklet. It also touches a bit on historical knitting, specifically about wartime knitting in World War Two with some amazing audio clips from the war years, 1939-1945 both from soldiers on the frontlines as well as civilians on the home front who talk about knitting for the war, and knitting for victory.
#wartimeknits #vintageknitting #WW2Knits
OMG. Can you imagine opening your local newspaper in 1841 and seeing that Gertrude out socked you by like 12 pairs. I would be so mad.
This is not the comment I was expecting, but a perspective I absolutely needed 😂😂 Dammit Gertrude!!
The OG IG of it all! 😂😂😂. “Knit-fluencers” are the (best) worst lmao
Hahaha!! This is the best comment I've read in quite some time.
I'd be pretty jammed up too; Gertrude thinking she's all that.
Oh no, not the "continental is faster" myth again. The fastest knitter in Canada (at least for a while) did "cottage" or "factory" knitting (all these inaccurate names!), which is a variant of so-called English knitting. For the record, the winner was first-generation Dutch-Canadian, and knitted the same way my Dutch grandmother taught me, and which she learned in elementary school. I don't have contest-winner speed, but I've had contenterai knitters express surprise that the method can be so fast.
Continental *can* be fast and *can* be used to win speed contests, but so can English or variants thereon.
@@gadgetgirl02 I didn’t mention continental knitting style anywhere in my original comment??? I don’t know where you’re trying to go with this, but I knit both continental and English style depending on my laziness. And English style was developed in London as a way to separate their knitting styles from “poor farmer knitting styles” with the throwing technique. Thanks for reinforcing elitist stereotypes in knitting. Again. You win the knitting competition.
Going through an old trunk with my mom in the 1960s, I found a bag with a sock and a half, still on the needles, and a ball of wool. I asked about this, and got the story: my mother was in Coventry, England, during WWII. She told me all the ladies were knitting socks for soldiers (my dad was in the RAF). When the air raid sirens went off, everyone grabbed their knitting and headed for the shelter. One time, Mom was knitting near a lady who showed her an easier way to turn the heel. Mom watched intently, but after she got home and got to the heel on the other sock, she couldn't remember how to do it. So she put it away. And there it was, 25 years later.
But that wasn't the end of it. Months after that, we were in a craft shop, and I heard her SQUEE from a couple of aisles over. My mother was not prone to squee! Running over there, I found her with a knitting book that had instructions for the heel the lady had taught her in the bomb shelter! She bought the book, finished the second sock, and put them under the tree for my dad that Christmas!
Oh goodness, what an absolutely FANTASTIC story, I absolutely adore it!! Thank you SO much for sharing it with me/us! 💙💜💚
Brilliant!!
Wonderful! So glad you still had them both! Lucky you!
Oh my, your msg made me smile. My Nanna was a schoolgirl also in Coventry during WWI. She said they had to knit socks at school but she hated knitting the heels, so she would secretly unravel it and never once made a pair. Luckily her sabotage didn't affect the war effort. What is it with Coventry's ladies and socks? 😂
now I'm so curious what the heel turn method is called :)
My grandmother was a ‘Sammy Girl’. Sammy Girls knitted and crocheted gloves,hats and scarves for soldiers. The women would put their names and addresses in the item. My grandfather recipe a pair of her gloves. They corresponded for a while, and on one of his brief leaves they secretly married. It has been a story I have loved.
That is just amazing! What a lovely story - and so nice to have a direct link to it (rather than just "hearsay")!
Very cool!
What an unusual love story! That's awesome! 🤭
My grandma put her name in a sock while working in a factory during WW1. The recipient of a pair ended up to be my grandad! They corresponded, he proposed without actually meeting her . She travelled by train from New York to Tofield, Alberta, Canada to a homestead and a life quite different than city life she had grown up in. Many, many stories!!
Oh! Wow what a story. My family are some of the first settlers in Alberta. Your grandmother was one brave woman. From NYC to Tofield that is cultural shock.
Oh man the marketing genius of “remember Pearl Harbor, Purl Harder” amazing! Brilliant content right there
Oh, I know... it's just so good! Plus, note how the needles are being held in the "V for Victory"!!
I realize that in my disability that knitting could be really empowering during the pandemic when I crocheted and ear guards for masks. I got the idea from an article where people were doing that and then I donated the ones that I made to different clinics in my county. Knitting and crocheting has always been a way for marginalized and maybe the physically less strong to contribute and feel empowered.
Thank you for bringing this perspective to the video/topic
Great point! I don't have a physical disability,,but I do have ADHD. I started knitting 4 years ago at the age of 53 and only wish I had discovered it sooner~!! For the first time ever,,I've stuck with something,I knit EVERY day,and never get bored with it. It helps me focus,gather my scattered thoughts,and carries that focus over into my other daily activities. My daughter(who also is ADHD) turned me on to knitting for this reason. And now,I've been teaching my 9 yr old grand daughter,,who,,you guessed it! Has ADHD,lol.....gee,,think it runs in families😂
Three generations of Clarke women whose over active brains are soothed by the wonderful world of knitting~!!! 🧶🥢
What a fantastic presentation! Thanks so much!
As a teenage boy in 1971 I learned how to knit socks because my grandmother told me that if I could knit socks, I could knit anything. She thought this because as a German-speaking Jewish American teenage girl during WW1 who wanted to show her patriotism, she unfortunately failed knitting a balaclava for soldiers, resulting with the face opening in the back instead of the front. As an adult, I copied slippers knit by a Russian woman from Uzbekistan who as a seven year old orphan during WW2 supported herself by knitting these slippers, sometimes for soldiers.
Wow what a fantastic experience, thank you for sharing!
My grandparents met when my grandfather’s sister got her friends to knit for and write to my grandfather while he was away in France. As the story goes she greeted his ship when he came home. He hugged her so enthusiastically that he broke her pearl necklace. They were married within the year.
That is absolutely amazing! I am just loving how everyone is sharing their family stories in the comments, and every single one is just so incredibly sweet. Thank you SO much for sharing yours
Speaking as a veteran from the recent war in Afghanistan: we still love socks! Our uniform clothing is sized with machine knit commercial socks in mind, but we like to loaf around in something comfy, too. =)
Nice!! Love hearing that, and thank you for your service!
There were volunteer knitters who made socks, under-helmut-wool-caps, vest, short scarves, and balaclavas in the early 2000's for those who served in Afghanistan. Directions and patterns were available online.
With the current developpments of Putins war in the Ukraine, I've asked myself if knitting will ever be relevant during war again - fast fashion gives us soooo much clothes that it seems irrelevant to me. But it made me think about another thing: remember when we all sewed face masks for hospitals and our neighbours? I've sewn sooo many... That is actually the same principle! There were even instructions for material, size and construction - very similar to the knitting guidelines in former wars!
What an absolutely fascinating parallel, you're completely right! And I agree that the concept of knitting seems to be significantly less important, although there are still organizations (like Knit Aid) that knit items for refugees, although of course on a smaller level.
There are still some organizations that knit socks and hats for the men and women serving in wars and conflicts overseas. They usually have the name Socks for Soldiers or something similar. And yes, the soldiers, both men and women love to receive hand knit items.
Gosh that seems forever ago. I almost wore out my machine making masks.
@Michel face protection in the cold is a good idea! I'm sure anybody would be happy to get a homemade one.
@@ShannonMakes I'm part of an organization that knits for premature babies in the NICU. It's a very needed ministry. The hospitals can't get enough of them. The same with quilted blankets.
Tradition continues, sadly. All Ukrainian knitters knit socks for soldiers right now. Yes, socks still most needed during Ukrainian winter. Great video! Thank you!
Yes, so sad and shocking to think of yet another global war in 2022/23 😥🇺🇦 Thank you for watching
Where can you send socks, etc knitted for Ukrainian people/soldiers? Please advise what sorts of wool items & the best organization to receive them.
It sickens me that I am writing this now & the war continues. ❤😢❤
You said that some thought there was no way a woman could knit an entire sweater in code. But you're forgetting about baby sweaters and layette. A skilled knitter could whoop out an entire layette in a couple of days, and nobody would think twice about her sending it off to a loved one as a gift. Also ladies were always knitting squares to be sewn into blankets. And these would be traded with other ladies. And these frequently included coded messages. And the cool thing about the little girls knitting socks? People frequently witnessed little girls who could whip out a pair of socks a day. The patterns were published in newspapers and by the Red Crosses in every nation. A great many of these can be found online and produce very nice socks, indeed.
Yes, I’m the partner video to this one, I knit myself a V-neck vest from a WW2 Red Cross booklet, and there were plenty of sock patterns in there too!
Fascinating video! Here’s my WWII knitting anecdote, with a little backstory - my father was a WWII navigator on a B-17 Flying Fortress. He was shot down over Germany and spent some time as a guest of the Reich at Stalag Luft III in Sagan, Germany. (Incidentally, this was the prison camp from which the Great Escape was made, but before my Dad’s time there.) In 1948, a gentleman named R.W. Kimball published a book called “Clipped Wings,” which told the story of the “Kriegies” - short for Kriegsgefangenen, or Prisoner of War - at Stalag Luft III. In the section entitled “Handicraft,” I found this gem and thought you’d find it interesting:
“Another one of the “industries” fostered of necessity in the last winter at Sagen was the knitting of sox. Where or how Kriegies ever learned to knit is an unsolved mystery. But necessity in this case more than the others was the mother and sox were produced. Sweaters were unraveled to furnish the yarn--clothes closet hooks were heated and straightened to furnish the needles and the beautiful, wearable foot-warming hose that resulted were amazing to behold. Even wooden needles were fashioned and sanded so they could be used. By knitting with two strands of threads, reinforced toes and heels were formed. After one Kriegie had learned to knit, he passed the craft onto another. Knitting and perling became a general Kriegie divertisement encouraged by the threat of chilblains from the cold, wet prison winters and springs. Before evacuation, a pair of woolen stockings from home “mill knit” brought as high as three chocolate D-bars and at that time chocolate bars were selling for I.O.U.’s of $25.00 a piece. Kriegie knit socks sold for more.”
Dad said it was the British officers who originally knew how to knit.
"a guest of the Reich" ...that's certainly one way to call it! I am very familiar with Stalag Luft III, not only from the movie, but from a couple other documentaries as well, it has always fascinated me.
I was relatively unaware of the book though, so I might have to get my hands on it at some point! Thank you so much for the short excerpt, that was incredibly fun to read, and I have also heard that it was often the British officers in camp that were the ones most likely to know how to knit!
The knitting would have been brought in from the upper class Brit officers.
A number of princes picked up knitting, so it became quite acceptable. Edward VIII the Nazi admirer (Duke of Windsor), could knit. I think he preferred embroidery or cross stitch? Sorry, not interested in any sewing/knitting, so didn't retain info - I came here due to the mention of war etc.
I think George VI could knit and the Queen mother, (his wife) knitted for troops and I would be surprised if the late Queen and Margaret Rose did not knit for the troops, as well.
A number of men close to the Royal family also knitted and that would have drifted down through their friends and family.
Duke of Windsor was a nervous fidgetter and drove everybody mad. I know one of his mistresses introduced one of the crafts to him, to keep his hands busy.
Oh how I would love to buy you afternoon or morning tea and just ask you lots of questions!
Even more, to have brought a regular weekly morning tea, to listen to your dad's memories and ask questions!
They might have learned to knit as children for WW I. Especially if their mothers brought them to knitting parties and weren't meeting their goals.
I also find the phrasing interesting. My dad had been an inmate at Ebensee and he’d also phrased it as being a guest of Hitler. Maybe that euphemism was typical of that time.
I love this, thank you! I especially appreciate the inclusion of Canadian knitters.
You are so welcome! Glad you enjoyed 🥰
You should have a show on the HISTORY channel. Seriously, this video went into such depth that I don’t usually see so I must thank you.
Wow, thank you!
Hello,
Actually, few years ago I've had pleasure to talk with ladies who used to knit socks for WWII. The meeting took place in Honiton, Devon, UK. Ladies talked about sock machines and the matter with wool You mentioned. Also they said that generally women were advised to learn continental style knitting in case of physical invasion to British land. Also ladies who refused to change knitting style, were advised not to knit so publicly. 😜 🥴
Greetings ^^
Oh, that’s quite interesting… how lucky you were able to meet some of these women!
My 9 year old son saw your "Emily Post" segment and decided that you were a very bad knitter (haha). He said that I was a better knitter because I knew how to do it right. I thought that was too cute not to share.
I knit during church in memory of our strong, knitting sisters. I recommend the book "No Idle Hands" which talks about the role of knitting through American history.
That was a great book 📕
This video is absolutely NOT too long, I already watched it “several” times over.
Aww, thank you!!
I had never heard before that German versus British style knitting became a test of political loyalties. (Silly, but at least it likely didn't put anyone's health at risk to learn a new style of knitting.)
Wow! I knew just a little about wartime knitting already, but you really dug deep, including the inclusion of underrepresented people groups. Outstanding work!
P.S. Thanks for sharing the lovely Swedish cabin retreat with us. What a dreamy place to spend the weekend knitting!
Thank you, I'm so glad you liked it!! It was definitely a lot of work, and so many hours of research and digging around in poorly labeled and catalogued online archives trying to find photos and sound bits... Happy it was entertaining in the end!!
Elisabeth Zimmerman speaks to this issue in one of her early books. She spoke of learning to knit "in the German" fashion, and how her governess made her stop knitting in that way and instead knit "the proper way". She met and married her husband just prior to the outbreak of WWII, and because he was not a Fascist sympathizer and felt threatened, they escaped, ending up eventually in the USA.
I loved your video!! Not only am I a life long knitter, I'm also retired military; you can squish a whole bunch of yarn into a duffle bag. It wasn't uncommon to see me knitting/crocheting on breaks so the guys I worked with were used to it (I would even make baby blankets for their new babies). I would tell them about knitting being used in espionage and how the early war efforts relied heavily on knitters! I also have a fascination with WWII (the good and the bad) so I really enjoyed this!
Very cool, thank you for sharing!! I have likewise traveled with many skeins of yarn jammed into a suitcase (obviously for different purposes, but still... can related!), and that's fun that you knit their babies blankets!
Do you know the extraordinary story of Joe Herman and John Vivash, RAAF, WW2?
No, I can't say that I do!
@@ShannonMakes oh I meant original poster.
I thought they would just google.
Joe Herman was an Ozzie Lancaster pilot. I think in 466 sqn
He was a bony, tall young chap and at the time, parachutes were worn as a seat for pilots.
But Joe was so skinny, he felt it was too painful to sit on it, 5 to 8 hours each way, so he took it off and hung it behind his seat.
Lanc got badly shot up, Joe knew he wouldn't hold it long, so yelled bail out! BAIL OUT!
But the plane was going out of control and he had to crawl to his parachute and strap it on. So began to crawl and as he crawled, the Lanc blew up.
I think it would be better for you to read the amazing bit. Just remember, Allied Commonwealth countries flew nights, Americans flew day.
There is more to the story if you want it, after you read about Joe and John - but yt doesn't forward replies very often, so I might not get your message
Just discovered your channel and have enjoyed the videos I've seen so far! I'm equally fascinated by your ability to draft a historic costume pattern and your dumpster diving haul. You may not consider yourself a professional historian, but your presentation on knitting during war time is as good as any talk I attended in 30 years as a curator in a history museum. I can truly appreciate how much time you must have spent researching and scripting it . Congratulations on work very well done.
Oh wow, those are really some lovely words of praise, I really appreciate them! And yes, there was a LOT of time behind the scenes researching and then trying to organize that info into a coherent script... oh, so many hours digging through poorly catalogued and mislabeled online photo & video archives😂😭 I'm glad you are enjoying the videos, thank YOU for watching!!!
I am a crocheter and I carry my yarn and hook everywhere. A few men asked me if it was relaxing, I said yes. And I told them about men knitting socks for the war effort and they might want to consider learning. You have put a lot of time into the research for this video. I have really enjoyed this video, I had to subscribe. I can't wait to see what you do next.
Thank you, so glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for sharing your experience!
My maternal grandma made the most beautiful handknit socks and learned to do it as a young girl. Sadly she wasn't able to teach me as she developed dementia when I was still in elementary school and while she still knit this was more one of those memories that were muscle memory to her than something she could actively access and teach. It was definitely something she just enjoyed to keep her hands busy. She did it with this technique where she would use multiple tiny needles. Looked store bought with how uniform they were.
My paternal grandmother also knit a lot before her big shoulder injury that lead to her dominant hand not being as mobile anymore. She specialised in sweaters though and really complicated patterns too. Never taught me even though she was left handed just like me. I instead had to learn from CZcams tutorials years later.
That's a shame that neither of them were able to teach you, although at least you have lovely memories associated with them and knitting!
I am sitting here crocheting “scrubbies” for my local hospital gift shop to buy gas cards for families needing to travel. My true thoughts are on my future CSM. You can never have enough socks or a “Speedweve” for easier darning.
Thanks for your historic display of entertaining information 🧶💙
Aww that sounds like a great project! Glad I was able to help you pass the time in your work, thanks for watching! 💙
My Grandmother knitted socks during the war. My Grandfather was a cabinet maker, he worked at General Motors in Oshawa, he was the foreman of the wood department and built Mosquito bombers. The fuselage was made of wood. I have a beautiful box he made from some left over wood. My sister is now the family sock knitter. Her work has grown from simple socks to beautiful super fine yarn with cables. My Mom's best friend used to unravel old sweaters and re-knit items to save money during the war.
Thank you for sharing all those lovely stories and connection to both the war and knitting ! 🧶🧡🤎♥️
OMG, Cary Grant knitting? Oh I love it!
This was fascinating & absolutely the kind of war-time history I wish was more broadly discussed.
I'd definitely have been a bandage knitter lol! Not for lack of trying but garter is my specialist stitch, and I love knitting row after row without complications
I have certainly taken many hours of relaxation as well in simply knitting in garter stitch, whether that be a scarf, or a hat. It is SO zen!!
I'm willing to bet that some knitters would have two projects going at a time: socks or sweaters or something that required some light and concentration, and bandages, which would have been easy enough to work on while distracted, or in dim light in the case of blackouts.
Thank you for including the brief moment and photograph from Australia's involvement. We often get forgotten about ❤❤❤
Oh, I found so much from Australian and New Zealand! Actually I had a whole section focusing on socks, and the issues surrounding them, that got cut in the editing room in a desperate attempt to get this video under an hour, and it had several wonderfully snarky newspaper articles from Australian papers re: bad sock knitters!
But alas, I had to try to narrow my scope a bit in order to get a script that (1) was manageable to my brain in terms of logical order and (2) concise enough that people would actually click on it, so I had to focus on Canada and USA :-/
Glad you got at least the brief moment tho!!
@Shannon Makes i still loved what you did!! I've read a lot about it over the years, so it was good for me learning a little more about non-australian help too. 🙂
My paternal grandmother knitted during WWI and WWII. She told me about knitting with friends and teaching many that had never knitted. She taught me and I still knit. Little did I know at the time it was Continental/European. I took a class one time where a fellow classmate knitted a blanket during class. Sometimes the teacher would have to ask her to put it away as we would be watching her knit rather than paying attention. This has been very informative. Thank you.
What fantasy stories, thank you for sharing! ❤️❤️
Goodness, thank you! I love knitting. I can tell you, hand knit anything to a sailor or soldier is a prized possession! It is possible to follow WWII patterns for distribution today. A watchcap of wool is simple, inexpensive, and completely worth the effort.
Oh, it is most definitely possible to take a WW2 era pattern and use it today - beside the classic scarves and socks, I knit a servicewoman's V-necked vest (with cables!) in my "Knitting For Victory: a FREE WWII Pattern, a Cozy Cabin, & A Touch of History" video, and it's super cute AND warm!!
Knitting actually started out as a male activity in the Middle Ages. There were knitting guilds for men only. In Scotland, the shepherd boys took their knitting with them to knit socks while they watched the flocks. What’s fun is watching movies rom the ‘30s to the ‘50s when women were knitting in the movies and to see the different ways they held their needles. Still seeing women knitting on screen. Tyne Daly frequently was knitting while she talked with Amy in Judging Amy. History is fun.
Oh yes, if I was going to go back and try to cover the history of knitting since it’s inception, especially in the kind of detail that I gave in this video, I think it’d be a 8 hour video!!!
@@ShannonMakes At least. I did some research when I was in the SCA. Men used to knit stockings using wires. They had an assembly that held one wire while working with the other
During the WWII my mother used to knit socks for my Dad & others, two at a time; one inside another. I haven't tried this yet, but I have been researching how she would have done this. My mother never knitted while I was young - looking after 7 children was a full time experience with little time to herself.
So I tracked that technique down for the video (there were many things that I researched didn't make the cut), and the first time I saw it cited was in a Delineator during the First World War. I had the article/pattern on my computer for a while, but I don't think I have it anymore unfortunately. But hopefully if you haven't found it yet, that can help you out... it's SO cool that you have actually seen someone do this technique; I'd love to try it out one day!!
I've seen this done. You need 2 balls of yarn and knit from each ball every other stitch. When you're first starting, it might be helpful to use two different colors so you can see it better.
@@onegirlarmy4401 That sound so complicated, I wonder if it actually saves any time. It's still twice as many stitches, plus the frustration of switching off every single stitch, and probably getting scrambled and making mistakes. Sounds more like a parlor trick than an actually sensible way to do it.
@@argusfleibeit1165 I use double knitting frequently, and once you are comfortable with it, it's very fast. I should say that i knit continental, so i simply hold the two strands of yarn separated on my finger and pick up the one i need as i go. Using the English style does seem as if it would slow things down considerably
@@Kohlerstacey You knit two separate sweaters at once? If it's different colors in the same garment, and a mistake is made, unless you are a perfectionist it doesn't matter. If you have accidentally knit the two pieces together, you have to rip it all out. And how does any of it save any time? If it's a matching pair of socks, too easy not to notice until you've gone a lot. Pulling out knitting is very tiresome, not like crochet mistakes where it's only one stitch at a time. I call bullshit.
I felt like crying so many times in this video - especially when you mentioned the letters sent between knitter and soldiers.
🧶🪖🪡
I'm watching this while knitting! I have to say that I really do appreciate the segment on BIPOC, as often all we see is a white-washed version of history. It's important to preserve their contributions for future knowledge
Thank you, I'm glad you appreciated it, because it was honestly quite hard to find... the hours and hours I spent digging around in (what turns out are very poorly sorted/labeled) archives was honestly impressive! Thanks for watching 💚
Watching the knitting etiquette section while I haul my yarn out of a bowl by my feet every so often 😅
LOL riiiight? Pretty sure I break all those rules too 🤣🤣
My father was in a reserve occupation during WWII. He was a city bus driver in an industrial city. All of the bus drivers were taught to knit socks for soldiers and spent their turn-arounds and lunch hours knitting.
I have some old Red Cross pamphlets with wartime patterns for socks, sweaters and even bandages! Lord Kitchener (1850-1916) invented the seamless toe bind off because his troops' feet were getting sore!
Very cool!
Great work! I so enjoyed the history lesson of the wartime knitting craft effort, all the different types of knitters, the inclusion of the BIPOC community, the media coverage and the enlightening comments you generated. Thank you for doing this.
Thank you so much! I'm very glad you enjoyed and appreciated it!
This was amazing! I loved every second. At the end when you said it was too long to cover all the other things, I said “NO, its not!” I would love a part 2, but I also understand how much work you put into this. Great job. I will definitely be watching your other videos now too.
Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it! And yes, it’s just SO much time and effort to research these thing (and then make a coherent script)… maybe next year?! Thanks for watching!!
The Self Improvement Club.... what a great name for a club!
Truly!!
This was incredible!! ❤️ So thankful for the time you took to compile all of this information. This is the coolest knitting history video I’ve ever seen 😍
Wow, such fantastic praise, thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it
Watched this while knitting of course! I learned to knit continental (I’m a leftie and my grandmother thought that it would be easier) and can work very fast. However, it ends up quite loose, so I’ve also learned English, which makes a tighter and more even fabric. So even if throwers were slower, the socks they made may have been warmer.
That's a very interesting point, and there were almost definitely some knitters for whom this was exactly the case! Thanks for sharing :-D
I'm a thrower but am quite fast at it. My stitches are super even so maybe there's something to that. I've tried continental and can't figure out how to tension it evenly
I’ve discovered the joy of wool socks recently, and it’s amazing. I need to finish this scarf I’m making so I can make some more socks.
Regarding my socks, I reinforce my heel with No. 10 thread on top of the nylon infused sock yarn. I do factory work, so I need my sock to last!
Oh yes, wool socks are the absolute shit, I love them!! Have yet to knit myself a pair, for the moment I buy them, but yes, they are absolutely amazing!
I very much enjoyed this video! I'm not a knitter, but WWII is my favorite era to read and learn about. Thank you for sharing your research with us.
You are very welcome, and I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!
How appropriate that this video popped into my feed as I was listening while knitting a sweater. Very educational, Shannon, and very much enjoyed.
Wonderful!!
This was so much fun, I loved all the sources you were able to find, and would absolutely love a part 2 with the Australian POW story, that alone sounds amazing!
Thank you! And thanks for posting the knitting pattern that started it all
During the American Revolution the Ladies of Massachusetts broke the British monopoly on linen. They grew and processed flax from fiber to thread to cloth. Paul Revere's famous portrait in his shirt sleeves may very well be him bragging on the MassachusettsLadies, at least according to Sister Wendy on her American tour at the Boston Museum of Art.
This comment section is gold, faith in the internet restored. Thankyou loved this 💚🧶
It IS a remarkably heart-warming comments section!!
What a fascinating piece of Canadian history. As a Cdn knitter myself born just after WWII, this has been a real treat to watch. Thank you so much!
You're very welcome, so glad you enjoyed it!
My Mom knitted from a young age(age4) . She started with socks easy she said. Her whole life made sweater, vests, socks, far an throws. Mom also made lace. She was so talented. I was shown but I didn't catch on. But I did do very well at embroidery and sewing. Love your videos😊
Thank you! ♥️🎄♥️
i've really enjoyed these war knitting episodes that you've worked so hard on. thank you so much!
you're welcome! glad you enjoyed it!
This was fascinating as I sat here knitting my socks two at a time on circular needles the way I like. I am in awe of all the research you have done to make this video and the filming and editing it was not 45 mins work that is for sure. Please don’t respond to the negative nancys they don’t have to watch your video if they don’t like them. And it is not worth worrying about what they say,your work is detailed and well researched.I find you incredibly sensitive and knowledgeable,I have been knitting since I was a child (70) and sewing since a teenager,still learning from you and interested in the way you do things. I have already shared with some people and will be sharing with a few more fibre enthusiasts
Thank you for your lovely words of encouragement, Elizabeth!
@@ShannonMakes I do the magic loop had been doing it for years before it was discovered and named people used to look at me weirdly when knitting in public not any more now it is known. I have already watched your wartime vest and think it looks amazing plus all your research was fantastic only a few videos to go and I will be up to date with you thank you for all you do
Yea, I hear ya - I also had figured out the magic loop technique (although not for socks) before it was "a thing" simply because I rarely have the right length circular needles for my projects, so I "invented" my own technique to make it work... and then suddenly years later, I'm hearing all the talk about magic loop, and google it only to discover that it's the same thing I've been doing for so long 🤣
This was amazingly indepth! Well done! Makes me wonder what would have been thought of, of my sock knitting abilities
Thank you! And seeing as how I've never knit even a single sock so far, I'm sure you'd be miles ahead of me XD
I walk a lot. I can understand the importance of good socks! Good shoes and good socks are so important. I've went on the "cheap" side with shoes/socks before a truly have regretted it. Have thought of leaning sick making because I love to knit and found this video so very interesting. Thanks for producing it.🧶
you're welcome!
The greatest hit to anglophones’ wartime knitting speed was probably the very switch to a different style, rather than which style is faster when employed by an experienced knitter. And as I understand it, continental knitting may be faster than English for single-colour work, but for colour patterns, especially if you’re using three or more colours, English is considered easier.
The line, "A dalmatian, of course, would be useless!" made my Paw Patrol obsessed kidlet briefly lose his mind. I live in New Zealand and own a wheel passed down from my great aunt who used it to spin during the war. Still works beautifully :D I also have a set of needles from the same lady whose husband made them for her out of bike spokes, because they couldn't get hold of extra needles due to metal rationing.
I loved this. I am going to let my grandkids see this
Wow! This is an awesome achievement you have produced! An incredible amount of research you did. I love love love this film and I will definitely watch it again. Thank you so very much for this highly informative and enjoyable lection 😘😘😘
Thank you, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! You're very welcome
My mother and her sisters often used the tagline “Knittin’ for Britain“ many years later.
I love that! 🧶🇬🇧
I’ve been crocheting since I was 7 but didn’t learn to knit till 40 years ago. First thing I learned to knit was socks. I didn’t realize till later that turning a heel and the Kitchener st. were not a first time basic. I take my knitting everywhere I go.
That is awesome! Thanks for sharing!!
It makes so much more sense why most people that I meet knit English, while I who learned from my grandma AFTER learning crochet, learned continental. Most of them are kind of ticked off when they see how much faster I go but there are drawbacks to certain stitches.
Wow, so intersting, I am right now knitting socks, your channel came up by chance - thank you for all your amazing work - greetings from Germany
Thank you!! 🥰🥰 If you liked this one, you will probably also enjoy my Knitting for Victory V-necked Vest video, it's got some authentic sound bytes from WW2 related to knitting and the war effort, and it's a got a fair share of cozy (modern) knitting footage too!
I was so invested in this video that I knit two rows past a pattern repeat, and now I have to tink back and fix it.
I also have an entire box or fur from a friend's Husky/Malamute mix that I've been hanging on to with the idea of spinning it into yarn. This might sound weird as hell, but the friend is a fellow knitter and spinner and I dogsit on a semi-frequent basis, so it made perfect sense to me.
I have owned huskies my entire life, and I have a scarf made out of one of their fur. Although we had to send the fur off to be spun, and they recommended that we blend it with another fiber (I think angora, but I don't remember) for better results.
When I would tell people that the scarf I was wearing was from my dog's fur, half of them would think it was really cool, but the other half were always really grossed out... to which my reaction was always, "umm.... what do you think WOOL is???"
Kitchener stitch was named after Lord Kitchener (WWI British Secretary of State for War) to standardise the way sock toes were completed for the comfort of the soldiers.
I enjoyed seeing the ad for the Chester County socks for the Philadelphia Sanitary Fair. I've lived in Chester County all my life. I am a former Civil War reenactor, and once wrote and gave a talk on the Sanitary Commission fair. I used to knit scarves for Operation Gratitude (and cage blankets for a cat shelter). I actually don't like to knit, and can only do garter stitch and purl. And scarves...on big needles, with thick yarn, so it goes fast. That's about all I can do. My English mom was quite a knitter and crocheter, though.
Oh, how fun that you actually are from Chester County, that's fantastic!! Nothing wrong with knitting on big needles and using thick yarn - if that's how you get yourself to knit, zero shame there! And I bet those kitties are mighty grateful!
I just found this video and honestly this is just the tip of the iceberg. Subscriber for life now.
Oh lovely, thank you!
I knit during work, while travelling (not if I am driving), while waiting for many things, and even during my root canal appointments!
Nice!!
Just as an add on. I had one of the Japanese-American Pilots or their son for a math teacher in middle school. I honestly can't remember if it was my teacher or his father who flew for us. Mr. Moto was a generous and kind man and he explained that for some of the families placed in internment camps, especially those who had family members serving, it actually helped them.
I'm not saying that the camps were the right action but only that for all it kept them separate from the general public that very fact helped some get out of bad situations, protected them from... less than kind treatment, and the activities taught others valuable skills for use after the war. Many saw it as silly to remove them from the public but due in part to the original culture it was taken in a much more understanding light by those actually in the camps than one would normally expect. It helped that those set to guard/protect them didn't generally mistreat them for all that there was blatant suspicion from many of the guards.
I, obviously, could be misremembering some of the stories since its now nearly twenty years since they were told to me but I wanted to point out that as terrible as it could have been people made the best of things and it wasn't the same nightmare that the Jews in the death/work camps faced.
Yea, I mean, that makes sense. I'm sure that many Japanese-Americans had similar feelings - humans are complicated, and situations are nuanced (despite what the internet would like one to think), and I believe it's absolutely possible that many of those interned both were unhappy about the situation and disliked the camps AND simultaneously acknowledged that it afforded them a degree of protection from the anti-Japanese sentiments that caused the creation of the camps in the first place. And yes, of course it was nowhere near the situations that those in the concentration/death camps faced... that was horror on a whole different level. So 100% agree, and thank you for sharing your memories of Mr. Moto!!
@@ShannonMakes it felt like it was important to tell his story. I haven't seen him in more than ten years but he was always one of my favorite teachers.
I appreciate that you did, I think it's always useful to be reminded of other aspects of these stories than the ones that remain in the collective memory after years have passed. But there are always exceptions, nuances, small details that are carried by individuals that are round out the experience, and it's good to keep that in mind
@@ShannonMakes point
I'm not a fan of knitting but the research behind this was fascinating. Thank you for the work of sharing it.
Well I'm certainly glad you enjoyed it, even if you don't enjoy the actual act of knitting!
an intersectional history of wartime knitting? holy cow! great work, keep it up 🤓👍
Many thanks! Glad you enjoyed it 💙💜💚
I think in the Molly American Girls books they talk about her and her family knitting
Little Women! Great book, play and movie ❤
Omg, this was so interesting. I knew some of this history but I love the codes in knitting. I made hats that went to Afghanistan when my son was deployed
Absolutely loved this video! Knitting and history--what more could one want?
My mom was the fastest knitter I've ever seen. She was born and raised in France and knitted more-or-less "English" style. Her difference was that she kept her right needle clamped under her right armpit--a variation that I've read is a Scottish thing (? Not certain that's true). While she threw the yarn with her right hand, only the left needle moved and those stitches FLEW.
I taught myself Continental/German style eventually because I found it faster (just couldn't get the hang of the clamped needle) and easier on my hands and wrists. The handy thing about knowing both styles is that when you're knitting in two colors, you can hold one in each hand and don't have to put the knitting down to switch colors; you just switch your technique.
Yes, I definitely think I might try to force myself to learn continental for this exact reason... I've tried in the past, only to be frustrated, but it's time to challenge myself again, see if I can pick it up!
@@ShannonMakes
It was a bit of a pain because I'm not the most accomplished knitter by a very long way. Luckily Da Kid was still a baby so he couldn't understand the stuff Mommy was snarling under her breath.
This video is FANTASTIC! What a high quality and engaging piece. Thank you!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent video! My mother knitted for the troops during WWII.
oh, that's amazing!! thanks for watching
I really want to get that “knit your bit” sign for my craft area. This was really good!
You could totally find it online!
@@ShannonMakes got any suggestions?
I don’t remember where I found it, I did SO much research on wartime knitting, I was all over the internet! I’d just try googling it?
This was so much fun to watch! I'm absolutely fascinated with how much work you must've put into this video, thank you so much for sharing!
It was definitely a ton of time to research and script… countless hours digging through poorly labeled and filed photo archives, audio archives, etc. Glad, therefore, that you appreciated it!!
My great grandmother, Dommie, and her best friend, Helen, started knitting socks, caps and fingerless gloves during the first world war. They continued knitting for "the war effort" until the Red Cross stopped the program. After that, they knit for their local churches and shelters. I never saw either of them without knitting needles in their hands. They didn't need to look at their work, except briefly when turning a heel etc., and it was impossible to track the speed of their fingers and hands. The wool was always a green or a navy color and worsted weight. I asked them once how many pairs of socks they had knit (socks were the thing they knitted most often. The answer was staggering, 2 to 3 pairs of socks per week. When I asked this question, the year was 1962. The two of them started knitting socks during the First World War. So, 2 pairs of socks per week was 104 pairs per year for 45 years.
I stumbled onto this video (thanks to the CZcams algorithm) and absolutely loved this video. Thank you so much for taking the time to do the research and putting together such an engaging and informative video! I've shared it with my knitting group too!
You are so welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing it with your knitting group too, I hope they like it as much as you did 😊You should definitely check out out my "Knitting for Victory, V-necked Vest" video for even more authentic sound bytes from WW2 related to knitting and the war effort (and it's a got a fair share of cozy knitting footage too)!
Great video! I love hearing about this kind of stuff. I’m about to go knit like 100 socks!
You put so much effort into this, thank you for sharing! My family doesn’t tend to live long so I have few if any stories of how they lived in past decades so it’s really cool to hear other peoples stories
Thank you 🙏 If you want more cool stories, there are some amazing ones in the comments on this video!!
I love your happinnes it just makes it really fun to listen to!
Aww, thank you!!
This was such a great video! Thank you for all your hard work on it! I love the history of wartime knitting and you really did it justice!
Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it so much! 💙🧶
I've joked about collecting the hair from my very overly fluffy Siberian Forest cats' fur, but really they would have been useful during WWII. They have very long hair.
Oh we definitely have used hair from our huskies (blended with other fur, angora I think) to make yarn - I still have a scarf from it!! Never thought about using cats though... good idea!
A lot of southern Americans didn’t use wool, my great great great grandmother learned to make socks from linen or cotton, after she spun the cotton on an enormous spinning wheel that my grandmother taught me to spin cotton on! I wish I had it still but it disappeared after her death.
Thank you so much. Job well done. Definitely have never heard most of the facts you shared. Thank you again. The best to you.
You're very welcome
Ok that was awesome! My wife and I loved this (especially the corgi parts ;)
Awesome, glad you enjoyed it! 🧶🐶🐾 Thanks for watching!!
My grandmother was born in the middle of the dust bowl in the middle of nowhere arkansas and grew up knitting, often for soldiers (specifically hats because she refused to learn to turn the heels of socks, which is fair as a knitter myself). although she grew up knitting AND sewing/quilting (for largely practical but vaguely patriotic reasons), she quilted every day of her life until she couldnt move her fingers anymore while she wouldnt even TOUCH knitting needles after about 1950 (lol).
"for largely practical but vaguely patriotic reasons" is my favorite phrase from today's comments! Thank you for sharing your grandmother's story with us, it's lovely (and a bit amusing)!
I loved this!! Thank you for all the research you did!!
I'm glad you enjoyed it, and you're very welcome
Going through my grandmother's knitting supplies, I found a little pamphlet put out by the Canadian government with patterns for a variety of items. Pretty neat little document
That is awesome! You should definitely keep it!
Vietnam era, late 1960's, my friend's mom knitted bandages. Long, narrow lengths that she rolled just like rolls of ordinary gauze bandages. Neither her husband, nor sons were in the military. By early 70's, I was working in civil service and got to know many vets. None recalled hand knit bandages. Thank you, Shannon, for your deep dive!
You're very welcome, glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing your family history with us!
This video was fantastic Shannon. I'm going through past videos to catch up after finding you a few weeks ago. It was really interesting and informative. On the note of whether the knitters were forced to stay at home and be stereotypical women, many "academics" constantly forget that many of these women would have young children to tend to and therefore wouldn't have been able to work in a factory. Knitting would have been their way of contributing whilst still doing the job of being a mother, which is just as important as working in a factory. I'm not militant about women staying in the home, indeed, I have a great career, but give homemakers their due. It's a tough job.
Yup, very true! Great point! ❤️
Well done! Your enthusiasm and ability to articulate this glimpse into this bit of knitting history is infectious. Thank you.
Many thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for interesting historical information! We have wartime knitting here in Ukraine now. A lot of us make socks for our army, the same as in your video - during air raid sirens, in transport, every time when we have a few free minutes or hours. Unfortunately for us it is our h realiti, I never thought such horrible war is possible in 21 century...
You are very welcome, thank you for watching and for your contribution to the war effort. I don't think anyone expected such a war in 21st century. Slava Ukraini. 🇺🇦🌻🕊
Oh, this was so thoughtful and so illustrative of the both/and of our world! I'm so glad this found its way to me and that I can explore more of your offerings. While watching this I was gifted with a really unique plot device to put in a story-- what a gift already!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! thanks for watching :)
Brilliant. Thank you for a wonderful show
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching
33:13 So, folks knit in every spare moment - like we scroll through our phones.
There were three women who knit through our lectures every day during our time in medical school.
I waited so long for a video like this. Thank you and congrats!!!!
Amazing, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Be sure to check out my Knitting for Victory - V Necked Vest video for some amazing period sound bytes (and a fair dose of nostalgia)!
Absolutely fascinating!
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it!!