# Calling all knitters! Memorial Day is around the corner...
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-knitters-memorial-day-is-around-the-corner/247473
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [May 28, 2004, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-knitters-memorial-day-is-around-the-corner/247473 "2004-05-28T05:32:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2004, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-knitters-memorial-day-is-around-the-corner/247473/1 "2004-05-28T05:32:31Z")
…and in honor of the dedication of the WWII Memorial in Washington, DC, the American Red Cross is offering for sale vintage reproductions of wartime [“Knit Your Bit”](http://www.pcxhost.com/store/st7/tp8/home.jsp?unique=1085720485828&sid=2BEE27B4D1DD8749924DFD9A3DA052DFA735A34C&SessionID=752643&source=launch&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fredcrossremembers.org%2F) knitting kits (a better picture is [on this page](http://www.animaladvocacy.net/overcoffee/). From what I understand the kits they’re offering for sale have one large skein rather than the three smaller ones in this picture.).
There’s also a nifty little Red Cross in WWII history thingie [here](http://www.redcross.org/news/other/volforvic/victory.html), and a whole mess of WWII Red Cross knitting patterns [here](http://www.redcross.org/museum/knitting.html).
They’re a little pricey - 25 bucks a pop - but dang if they aren’t almost cute enough to make me take up the hobby.
All proceeds go to the Red Cross, of course, which still, even in this age of instant communications, sends emergency messages to troops stationed around the world.
But we no longer take socks. 😉
Thanks much for Tuba and Ed for permission to post this!
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### Author:  [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2004, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-knitters-memorial-day-is-around-the-corner/247473/2 "2004-05-28T14:44:24Z")
Wow, that’s cool! Thanks 'specially for the link to the better picture. I’m strongly considering ordering a mess of these as gifts for my knitting friends. I know a couple who don’t have any double-pointed needles yet, and will totally groove on the vintage styling!
I have some a couple of vintage sock patterns off the web. The most memorable instruction was to _never ever_ start a new ball of yarn by tying a knot, because our boys abroad don’t have the chance to change their socks often, so the knot can keep rubbing at the same place and create a blister, which can become infected and gangrenous, causing loss of limb and/or life!!!
That’s right ladies; your lousy finishing skills could _kill one of our boys in uniform!_ :eek:
This is high-stakes crafting, folks!
(In case anyone’s wondering, the correct way to start a new ball is to overlap the yarn with the end of the yarn from the old ball for a few inches, do a few stitches with doubled yarn, then work in the ends. This looks a lot better than tying a knot, is actually more durable, and if you don’t do it, you might as will be knitting socks for the Nazis! Also, every time you drop a stitch, God kills a puppy.)
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### Author:  [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2004, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-knitters-memorial-day-is-around-the-corner/247473/3 "2004-05-28T23:56:43Z")
That looks pretty cool! I can just imagine showing up at a local Stitch’n’Bitch group with that.
Thanks for the links, **chique**. Our local handspinner’s guild was making hats and stuff for troops last winter.
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### Author:  [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2004, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-knitters-memorial-day-is-around-the-corner/247473/4 "2004-05-29T01:44:38Z")
Makes me wish I knew how to knit. I crochet a lot, but could never find crocheted sock patterns.
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### Author:  [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2004, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-knitters-memorial-day-is-around-the-corner/247473/5 "2004-05-29T13:01:13Z")
> [@Baker](#):
>
> Makes me wish I knew how to knit. I crochet a lot, but could never find crocheted sock patterns.
[hijack]
[Crocheted socks](http://www.crochetandknitting.com/socks.htm)
[/hijack]