The Importance of Knitting Socks
It took me years of yarn work before I was ready to try knitting socks. The very idea terrified me -- all those pointy needles jabbing you in the hands and getting in your way -- no thank you!
But as I learned, knitting socks is actually much easier than I realized. And better still, it has a long and illustrious history. Every time I pick up a set of double pointed needles and some nice wool yarn, I feel like I'm connecting with women past, present, and future!
Elevating Socks
Women have always seen knitting socks as something of a duty. After all, in the pioneer days warm socks were absolutely essential -- otherwise, your beloved family could very well lose their toes on the way to school, the barn, or the neighboring village.
But it was during the wars that knitting socks really had its heyday. After all, soldiers overseas were fighting in northern Europe in the middle of winter. Frozen or even gangrenous fingers and toes were far from uncommon.
Enter the dedicated women back home. Obviously, not everyone could go away to war. But these women gave themselves entirely to the jobs at hand, whether that was turning blankets into bandages, salvaging metal, or knitting socks.
It sounds foolish to say that socks were an essential weapon in the two world wars, but in fact it's entirely true. Look at it this way: a soldier can't fight when his toes are turning blue, sopping wet, or falling off! The women back home made it possible for the Allies to continue fighting.
The Importance of Socks Today
When I first complained about the difficulties of knitting socks, a friend of mine blinked and asked, "Why would you want to?" After all, she reasoned, this isn't a colonial village: socks are inexpensive, readily available, and disposable.
But she changed her tune when she got her first pair of hand knit socks. Their warmth, durability, and whimsy (I knitted them with little Christmas trees on them) won her over at once.
And there are still many charities devoted to knitting socks for soldiers overseas -- even in warm climates, socks are essential for keeping a soldier's feet healthy and whole.
So while socks might seem disposable and pointless, forget about that cheap nylon garbage you buy at the department store. Try knitting socks today and you'll see for yourself that those early women were onto something!
