"Louise brought her knitting into her lap. She was making socks for the
army, which was something just about every woman in the country was doing when
they weren't rolling surgical dressings or preparing comfort kits for
soldiers...she watched Louise's hands intently, though they moved too fast to reveal the secret of knitting." (The Hearts of Horses by Molly Gloss p. 45)
"The regular counting of the knitted stitches kept her from thinking of any boy's foot inside the sock she was making, any foot that had flesh and nails, calluses, blisters, a real foot that might be torn away by a bomb blast or a falling fuse." (Ibid p. 242)
It takes me about 2 weeks of intense knitting to knit a pair of socks. I cannot imagine the colossal task of knitting socks for all the soldiers at the front. And yet, 2 weeks of my time compared to what some of them are willing to give up???
I have a little soul searching to do.
We really take it all for granted, don't we?
4 comments:
wow.
So, are you going to knit socks for soldiers too?
if you take that on, you are an amazing woman!! but you are right, we do take things for granted at times.
Sometimes yes we do. I think I can manage a pair a week if I don't do any other knitting. But I'd have to really concentrate too.
Wow what a great story! Hard not to give a little time when they give so much. My brother just got notice that he will be deployed to Afghanistan soon. I think he would love a pair of socks. I just read this to my mom and she is ready to knit. But now she has questions...sport weight or fingering weight? Do have a good pattern you'll share?
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