Soldier Socks – A 100-Year-Old Tradition
Rickie Murley and a group of 20 women on the west coat of Newfoundland have revived a 100-year-old tradition. Knitting socks for local soldiers deployed overseas. Colleen Connors of CBC News reports that Rickie’s grandmother and the Women’s Patriotic Association made 62,000 pairs of socks for troops fighting in WWI between 1914 and 1916. The exact pattern was donated, and while the knitters are dedicated to replicating the original socks they had to adjust them slightly—choosing a wool that’s less rough on the hands. Several soldiers were presented socks in a ceremony this week. “It means quite a lot because of all the history back 100 years ago,”said Sgt. Steve Smith, with the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, 2nd Batalion. Smith stated he’ll be framing his socks and keeping them with his other war memorabilia.
In the U.S. there is non-profit, Socks for Soldiers, that has been knitting socks and sending care packages to soldiers in the Middle East since 2006. Kim Opperman founded this effort and today her organization has dedicated members from almost every country in the free world. To donate your knitting skill visit socksforsoldiersinc.com.
