It's Therapeutic

Walter Reed Hospital, 1918

Shorpy gives us a photograph of recuperating soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital in 1918 with World War I still blazing in Europe. I imagine that these wounded soldiers are knitting for fellow soldiers. (Knitting for soldiers was also the presumption of critics of Knitting in Highbridge Park by George Luks.)
The sight of wounded men knitting highlights the therapeutic effects of all such hand crafts--knitting, hand sewing, crocheting, and embroidery. For example, when the crafty colorist genius Alicia Paulson of Posie Gets Cozy was forced to stay in bed for a full year after her foot had been run over by a truck, she started making things--crocheting, knitting, sewing--to make her recuperation bearable and in the process found a whole new career. I find the repetition of knitting and hand sewing to be relaxing. It calms the soul as an activity in itself and the bonus is that you have something to show for it! It seems that the administration of Walter Reed Hospital in 1918 understood this principle, and so set wounded soldiers to work to knit. That this might be regarded as women's work seemed to be beside the point. It is good work that probably helps the one who does it the most.

Knitting in Highbridge Park

Knitting in Highbridge Park was painted in 1918 by George Luks. Highbridge Park sits on the Manhattan side of the Harlem River separating northern Manhattan from the Bronx up near 155th to 174th Street, the eastern side of Washington Heights. Judging from the looks of these ladies, at this time, this was an affluent neighborhood, and at this time, Highbridge Park was akin to Central Park further south, although no longer.

Luks called the painting Knitting, but it was soon renamed by the art world as Knitting for the Soldiers, with the assumption being that these ladies were knitting woolens for American boys overseas in World War I. There are five women, who all appear to be of different ages, with two white-haired lady and the perhaps the one on the far right the youngest. It is easy to imagine that these ladies are intent on their work and are speaking only occasionally; knitting is first and conversation second. Then there is a boy who also seems to be intently concentrating and may be knitting (I can't tell).

I just noticed that they are huddling outside in the snow! It is cold. Babies are asleep in the carriages, in keeping with the view that fresh air of all temperatures was best for infant lungs. I know that my mother bundled me up in my carriage for naps on the front porch in December.

Whether knitting for soldiers or not, this painting is an homage to women and their work, a tone set by their bowed heads and the humble head tilt of the lady in the center. Patience, diligence, care, endurance, Luks seems to say, are qualities of these women. I suspect he is right.

Knitting Wedding Washclothes

Here I am...knitting in the park.

I used to knit when I was in college, and made a yellow and orange striped afghan (I was very into orange and yellow) and a teal lace shawl. I used to sit there in political meetings protesting whatever and knit.... Then I stopped knitting. But knitting, like hand sewing, is very relaxing, and I decided to take it up again to knit some scarves as Christmas gifts. I find it extremely beneficial when I am so tired from work that I can hardly move, but I can knit, so that while I try to recuperate, I can at least be a bit productive. So far, I have tried only simple things, not yet up to making lacey shawls, and definitely not into making sweaters, as my grandmother and mother did. But I have made some scarves and these wedding washcloths.


Wedding Washcloths, pattern compliments of Purlbee.

There are tons of fun patterns for washcloths on the Internet, but I chose this very simple one. AI've made wedding washcloths for two lovely young women--the daughter and daughter-in-law of a close friend--who have recently married. I find myself doing rework whenever necessary, since a mistake creates an alternative pattern and is seen as a flaw immediately. Purlbee supplies nice patterns for scarves and simple stitches and ways to get practice and self-confidence to maybe go onto the next step, as I hope to someday.