Knitting ~~ An Investment in Your Wardrobe

I sometimes think I'm the luckiest person in the world. In my family, I'm surrounded by knitters and I, of course, reap the bounties of their creativity. My sweater collection is huge and to put it bluntly, much better than the commercial variety. Sweaters, socks and mittens that are handmade stand the test of time. Yarn may be expensive, but it's certainly worth it to wear a handmade sweater year after year. During World War II (1941-1945), knitting to keep soldiers warm was a major preoccupation of North Americans, particularly women. Women, men and children, picked up their needles to knit socks, scarves, gloves and sweaters, helmets and hats to help keep soldiers warm. Donated hand-knits cost the military nothing, were produced without expense and far outlasted machine-knit clothing. The need for socks was paramount. Socks wore out much faster than sweaters, and needed frequent changing to keep battle weary feet warm and dry. “The need for socks was so great that captured American soldiers held prisoner in Germany sometimes unraveled their American Red Cross-provided sweaters and re-knit the yarn into socks themselves, using straightened pointed barbed wire as improvised needles.” (http://www.historylink.org/)