An article about Civil War soldiers’ socks started me thinking about knitting for soldiers. Something I have never done. Then an email from my friend, Anne, whose son Darren is serving in Iraq, nudged me even further. All weekend, she wrote me, they waited tensely to hear from him. Worrying the big worries until they finally did. “Would he like a hat?” I offered, embarrassed that I had overlooked knitting for him, and for others.

In every war, American knitters have been called upon to fill the gap in what the country was able to provide. Socks, wristlets, vests, helmet liners. Warmth for the troops. What kinds of needs were there now? Looking for answers to share with those of you, who like me, have never knit our bit, but might like to start, I googled “knitting for soldiers.” That’s where I found The Ships Project and The Handmade Afghan Project.

In October 2001, Ellen Harpin’s letter to “Any Sailor” mentioned her love of knitting. The sailor who answered mentioned her very cold feet, and joked “maybe Ellen could send her a pair of knit slippers. She did. After the first pair, and the snowball effect of the demand it created, Ellen launched the Ships Project. In eight years, with the help of over 1,000 volunteers, 284,000 hand-made slippers/socks, hats, neck gaiters and other items have been sent to soldiers on the land, at sea, and to those wounded and injured. The troops have nicknamed their gifts “hugs”.

To read the rest of the story and for more links, go here…