Knitting for the jungle fighters

Yes, I know I´m not writing a knitting blog anymore. But I can´t help posting this picture of a Second World War poster that was hanging in the restaurang/cafeteria at Bletchley Park, the code-cracking fair ground we visited this summer.

It´s just not that long ago. I imagine every woman in England knitting away at every spare moment. Every woman knew how to knit socks back then. Had to know. My mother-in-law, who is still with us, knit stockings for my sister-in-law in the 40´s and 50´s, that she wore to school every day. When they were worn out - usually the heel went first - she´d just re-knitt the foot.

We have other skills now. I help my mother-in-law with computer stuff. Like writing, communicating with authorities and friends, paying bills, loading the miniature audio-bookreader with two dozen books at a time. Still, I was satisfied to know, when I saw that poster, that I´d have coped then, too. I´d have knit my share of socks for the jungle fighters! Or maybe I wouldn´t have, being allergic to wool. They weren´t allergic to wool in those days, were they? (Sigh.)