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 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? 😂
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.
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.
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.
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~!!! 🧶🥢
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.
@@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.
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. =)
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.
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!
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.
Tradition continues, sadly. All Ukrainian knitters knit socks for soldiers right now. Yes, socks still most needed during Ukrainian winter. Great video! Thank you!
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. ❤😢❤
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.
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
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.
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.
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 ^^
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!
@@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
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.
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.
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'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.
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!!!
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.
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 😘😘😘
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 RUclips tutorials years later.
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. 🙂
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.
I do the same thing, carrying a basket of yarn everywhere I go! I started a local group making hats and other warm things for area people who were without housing. We wound up expanding our little project around the world! I have retired from that pursuit now, but am quite addicted to my hooks and yarns! I make shawls and wraps, which I give away to people who admire them.
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.
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!!
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.
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.
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 🧶💙
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
Fisherman's knit patterns have an interesting history of their own. Unique patterns allowed sailors bodies to be identified. This history of wartime knitting was extremely well done.
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 💚
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
@@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 🤣
Shannon, I am finding you and your videos absolutely delightful! From the gentle snark, witty puns and clever wordplay to the informative content and your fun demeanor the videos are simply perfection. I wish I could knit, I’ve tried to learn several times and did manage a scarf once. It was horribly made and ugly but at least it took forever. 😂 I crochet, do textile arts, sew, design clothing and home decor, draft patterns, paint, draw, sculpt, do woodworking, turn acrylic and wood on lathes, paper craft, etc but knitting is my kryptonite! I mentioned in an earlier comment that I’m a retired artist (sculpting) and I’ve needed reconstructive surgery on both hands; was unable to use the right for a few months and am unable to use the left for a few more weeks. (Asked Doc for specifics and he said “Do not USE your hand. You may not even pick up a piece of paper”) I do not sit still easily. Fortunately I love to read. Books and your videos have helped me maintain the modicum of sanity I possess. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I truly am grateful and hope you have a long, successful RUclips channel. Best regards, Winter (yes, that really is my first name)
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 😍
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!
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.
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
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!
Oh my goodness, thank you for the hindreds of hours or research, and organizing your research into such an interesting documentary. Not to mention all the hours of editing. BrAVO!
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!
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😊
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
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!!
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???"
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 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.🧶
My great aunt knit hats during WWII, and family would tease her and say that the hats weren't really being given to soldiers, and she was wasting her time. So she started putting a slip of paper with her address inside each hat. One time a group of British sailors turned up in Chicago to see her, because their ship had put in in Virginia for repairs, and they had some shore leave while waiting for the work to be done, so they decided to take a train to Chicago to meet the lady who made their hats. They happened to arrive on a day when some big, heavy piece of furniture needed to be carried up a couple of flights of stairs, so they helped carry it.
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.
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.
Fabulously interesting! You may be an amateur historian, however, you present so much information with enthusiasm. I learned so much! I look forward to watching more videos. Well done.
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
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!!
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!
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.
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!
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)!
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.
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.
My dad learned to knit socks while waiting around for things to do when we was in the Army Air Corps during WWII - he was state side and trained pilots. He taught me to knit socks while my grandma taught me to knit everything else.
I stumbled onto this video (thanks to the RUclips 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)!
This is a phenomenal video. I am really impressed by the depth of your research. Thank you for putting together such an interesting and well documented video.
Wow, thank you! So glad you enjoyed it, and I'd definitely recommend to check out the other related video, my Knitting for Victory V-necked Vest video, for some amazing and nostalgic period audio clips (and some lovely knitting)!
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~!!! 🧶🥢
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.
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.
I love this, thank you! I especially appreciate the inclusion of Canadian knitters.
You are so welcome! Glad you enjoyed 🥰
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.
OMG, Cary Grant knitting? Oh I love it!
This was fascinating & absolutely the kind of war-time history I wish was more broadly discussed.
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. ❤😢❤
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
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.
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!
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!
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
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.
This video is absolutely NOT too long, I already watched it “several” times over.
Aww, thank you!!
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!
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 📕
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.
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!!!
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.
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 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 RUclips 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!
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. 🙂
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!
I do the same thing, carrying a basket of yarn everywhere I go!
I started a local group making hats and other warm things for area people who were without housing. We wound up expanding our little project around the world!
I have retired from that pursuit now, but am quite addicted to my hooks and yarns! I make shawls and wraps, which I give away to people who admire them.
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!!
Amazing research, Bravo 👏 🙌 👌
Thank you 🙌 Glad you liked it, 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 ! 🧶🧡🤎♥️
This is a fantastic video!
Thank you, glad you think so! 💕
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!
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! 💙
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 🤣🤣
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
Gurl!!! You hit this one put the park with detailed history and inclusion! Thank you for this history! Love it!!!!!!!🥰
You are so welcome
Hello from Brazil, i do like this vídeo 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Hey, thanks!
I felt like crying so many times in this video - especially when you mentioned the letters sent between knitter and soldiers.
🧶🪖🪡
Fisherman's knit patterns have an interesting history of their own. Unique patterns allowed sailors bodies to be identified. This history of wartime knitting was extremely well done.
thank you 🤗
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!
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 💚
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 🤣
Shannon, I am finding you and your videos absolutely delightful! From the gentle snark, witty puns and clever wordplay to the informative content and your fun demeanor the videos are simply perfection.
I wish I could knit, I’ve tried to learn several times and did manage a scarf once. It was horribly made and ugly but at least it took forever. 😂 I crochet, do textile arts, sew, design clothing and home decor, draft patterns, paint, draw, sculpt, do woodworking, turn acrylic and wood on lathes, paper craft, etc but knitting is my kryptonite!
I mentioned in an earlier comment that I’m a retired artist (sculpting) and I’ve needed reconstructive surgery on both hands; was unable to use the right for a few months and am unable to use the left for a few more weeks. (Asked Doc for specifics and he said “Do not USE your hand. You may not even pick up a piece of paper”) I do not sit still easily. Fortunately I love to read. Books and your videos have helped me maintain the modicum of sanity I possess. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I truly am grateful and hope you have a long, successful RUclips channel. Best regards, Winter (yes, that really is my first name)
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
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!
Ah! So that's why it's called Kitchener stitch!
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 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!
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!
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!
Oh my goodness, thank you for the hindreds of hours or research, and organizing your research into such an interesting documentary. Not to mention all the hours of editing. BrAVO!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Love love love this mixture of history and crafts
Thank you! ☺️
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
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 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
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! ♥️🎄♥️
This comment section is gold, faith in the internet restored. Thankyou loved this 💚🧶
It IS a remarkably heart-warming comments section!!
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!!
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!!
This video is FANTASTIC! What a high quality and engaging piece. Thank you!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
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???"
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 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!
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!
My great aunt knit hats during WWII, and family would tease her and say that the hats weren't really being given to soldiers, and she was wasting her time. So she started putting a slip of paper with her address inside each hat. One time a group of British sailors turned up in Chicago to see her, because their ship had put in in Virginia for repairs, and they had some shore leave while waiting for the work to be done, so they decided to take a train to Chicago to meet the lady who made their hats. They happened to arrive on a day when some big, heavy piece of furniture needed to be carried up a couple of flights of stairs, so they helped carry it.
that's an amazing story... I bet her family kept quiet after that!! 🧶
@@ShannonMakes reportedly she felt pretty triumphant about it!
I love your happinnes it just makes it really fun to listen to!
Aww, thank you!!
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.
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.
Great video! I love hearing about this kind of stuff. I’m about to go knit like 100 socks!
I think in the Molly American Girls books they talk about her and her family knitting
Brilliant. Thank you for a wonderful show
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching
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! 💙🧶
Fabulously interesting! You may be an amateur historian, however, you present so much information with enthusiasm. I learned so much! I look forward to watching more videos. Well done.
Glad you enjoyed it!
The Self Improvement Club.... what a great name for a club!
Truly!!
I just found this video and honestly this is just the tip of the iceberg. Subscriber for life now.
Oh lovely, thank you!
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
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
Little Women! Great book, play and movie ❤
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!!
Excellent video! My mother knitted for the troops during WWII.
oh, that's amazing!! thanks for watching
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! ❤️
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!
an intersectional history of wartime knitting? holy cow! great work, keep it up 🤓👍
Many thanks! Glad you enjoyed it 💙💜💚
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)!
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.
Shannon, this was an excellent video… well researched and well presented❤️👏👏👏👏👏
Thank you so much!
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!
Thanks!
You're very welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed it and hopefully found it entertaining as well as interesting!
❤️
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!!
You did a great job with this highly informative video!
My dad learned to knit socks while waiting around for things to do when we was in the Army Air Corps during WWII - he was state side and trained pilots. He taught me to knit socks while my grandma taught me to knit everything else.
I stumbled onto this video (thanks to the RUclips 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)!
This is a phenomenal video. I am really impressed by the depth of your research. Thank you for putting together such an interesting and well documented video.
Wow, thank you! So glad you enjoyed it, and I'd definitely recommend to check out the other related video, my Knitting for Victory V-necked Vest video, for some amazing and nostalgic period audio clips (and some lovely knitting)!
Love listening to you. Such fascinating info! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much! 💚🧶💚
Congratulaions, beatiful efort, great work. Thank you for my enlightment today.
Many thanks!
Another fabulous video!! Love it!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks again! 🥰
I loved this. I am going to let my grandkids see this