From Court Gowns to Sock Knitting

From the Aberdeen Weekly Journal, 19th February 1915.

From Court Gowns to Sock Knitting.

Just before the winter social season should have commenced I spoke of the distress amongst Court dressmakers in London.  All sorts of odd work has been given them from time to time.  Now they have begun to knit socks for the army.  It is big jump from sewing delicate trimmings on Court gowns to knitting socks, but the women are learning to handle the machines with considerable alacrity.  The Queen’s Work for Women Fund has secured an order for two million pairs of socks, and the work is being handed over to the workrooms of the West End costumiers.  This will keep 1200 dressmakers in constant employment right up to July.  Those who are not sock knitting are shirt-making.  Here, too, there was some difficulty at first experienced by the women in becoming accustomed to the new class of work.  They have 10,000 army shirts on hand at the moment.