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National WWII Museum Launches
Nostalgic Knitting Project
Gifts for Veterans Recall WWII Efforts
NEW ORLEANS, October 2,
2006: The National World War II Museum in New Orleans
has introduced a national, grass-roots program to
produce hand-knit scarves for WWII veterans in
appreciation of their service to our country.
The Museum has commissioned the design of a World War
II-inspired scarf pattern which is available at no cost
to knitters nationwide. Knitters donate their completed
scarves to The National WWII Museum, which will
distribute them to individual veterans through V.A.
Hospitals and other veterans’ organizations. The
knitters will receive special certificates commemorating
their participation.
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 National WWII Museum’s knitting project was
conceived and organized by Lauren Handley, an Education
Programs Coordinator, in collaboration with Amanda
Madden, a master knitter and informal knitting
historian. Madden created the striking and simple scarf
pattern, which can be downloaded free from the Museum’s
website,
www.nationalww2museum.org/education/knitting.html.
Recommendations are given for two color combinations:
Khaki green with cream stripes, or navy blue with cream
stripes.
The pattern also may be requested by calling Lauren
Handley at 504-527-6012, ext. 229 or 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 Museum opened in 2000 as The National D-Day Museum
and has been designated by Congress as the country’s
official National World War II Museum. It illuminates
the American experience during the WWII years and honors
the courage, teamwork, optimism and sacrifice of the men
and women who won the war and changed the world. The
Museum recently completed the first phase of a
visionary, $300 million expansion that, when complete,
will create a six-acre campus of Museum exhibition
pavilions and experiences, advanced format theater, USO
venue and an education and research center in downtown
New Orleans.
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