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Knit Your Bit: The National
WWII Museum provides
warm gifts to Veterans
Scarves roll in
from all over the country to support nostalgic knitting
project
NEW ORLEANS – In October of
2006, The National World War II Museum in New Orleans
introduced a national, grass-roots program to produce
hand-knit scarves for WWII veterans in appreciation of
their service to our country. Since then, the Museum has
received an overwhelming response of over 600 hand
knitted and crocheted scarves from 38 different states.
The scarves have been distributed to V.A. Hospitals and
other Veteran’s organizations as far away as Hawaii. The
program was originally scheduled to end in winter 2007,
but with scarves still coming in at rapid rates, the
Museum has committed to continuing the distribution.
The National WWII Museum’s knitting project was
conceived and organized by Lauren Handley, an Education
Programs Coordinator. When Handley began the project her
goal was to receive only 30 scarves at best. However,
the project gathered steam as knitters passed the
information along through club meetings, newsletters,
blogs, emails and other channels of communication
On the Home Front during World War II, knitting was a
national endeavor. Women, men and even school-age
children were eager to “knit their bit” to support the
war effort and provide needed garments for the troops.
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt was frequently photographed
knitting and, in 1941, she boosted national
participation by hosting a “Knit for Defense” tea at the
Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. Time magazine wrote,
“The men hardly have time to grab their guns before
their wives and sweethearts grab their needles and
yarn.” Later that same year, the popular weekly magazine
Life featured a cover story on knitting along with
instructions and a pattern for a knit vest. In 1942, the
American Red Cross was designated by the War Production
board as the clearing agency for all knitting projects
and provided patterns for socks, sweaters, mufflers,
fingerless mitts, knit watch caps and helmets. Even
cotton stretch bandages were hand-knit in vast
quantities.
The pattern can be downloaded free from the Museum’s
website,
www.nationalww2museum.org/education/knitting.html or
may be requested by calling Lauren Handley at
504-527-6012, ext. 229 or by emailing
lauren.handley@nationalww2museum.org. A New Orleans
needlework shop, The Quarter Stitch, has packaged a kit
including yarns and needles which may be ordered by
phone at 504-522-4451.
The National World War II Museum was dedicated in 2000
as The National D-Day Museum and recently has been
designated by Congress as the country’s official
National World War II Museum. The Museum illuminates the
American experience during the war era and celebrates
the American spirit, the teamwork, optimism, courage and
sacrifice of the men and women who won World War II. The
National WWII Museum recently completed the first phase
of a $300 million expansion that, when complete, will
create a six-acre campus of exhibition pavilions, an
advanced format 4-D theater, USO venue, and a research
and conference center in downtown New Orleans. For more
information about The National World War II Museum, call
504-527-6012 or visit online at
www.nationalww2museum.org.
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