Thursday 28 August 2014

Send Darning Wool with Socks

From The Halifax Courier, August 29th 1914.


HELP FOR THE FRONT
TO THE EDITOR...

Sir, -- May I offer a suggestion to the ladies who are knitting socks for our soldiers.  It is that with each pair a darning needle and a small ball of wool be enclosed.  I believe every soldier of any experience would value them and would by this means make the socks last a far longer time with comfort.

I should recommend the despised “poker” needle as most suitable to man’s clumsy fingers, and suggest about a quarter skein of wool.  The point of the needle should be protected; a small cork would serve, but there may be better ways. – I am, yours truly,
EMMA TODD
Aug. 28

[There were many letters to the newspapers about this time with more or less sensible suggestions for people knitting & sewing for the war effort. 

The darning needle suggestion here seems a bit unnecessary, since soldiers carried a 'housewife' containing mending materials, which would presumably include a darning needle - see for instance, the list of kit required for the Huddersfield Territorials when they went off to war on August 5th.  And a parcel of socks, each pair containing a darning needle, ball of wool  and cork, sounds very cumbersome, if not dangerous.] 

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