Operation Helmetliner Update

I received my Operation Helmetliner newsletter today: starting April 2005 to Feb 2006 they have shipped 6,020 helmetliners, 89 gators, 19 scarves and 4,320 neck coolers to soldiers stationed overseas.

I found out about the Operation Helmetliner through an article in the October issue of Cast On Magazine, which I receive as a member of The Knitting Guild of America (TKGA). It was on a page towards the back of the issue asking yarn shops to display the article and a URL for the directions.

I was reminded of the stories my grandmother told me about, when she and her mom would make knitted scarfs, mittens, socks and hats for the soldiers during WW1. Sending knitted items is such an old fashioned way to support the troops and I couldn't imagine that I would have an oppertunity to do such a thing, but when the chance presented itself I jumped at it. I felt like I was holding up a tradition.

That came with mixed feelings. I don't agree with the war. I don't like the fact that our soldiers are not properly equipped and it really makes me angry that our government does not seem to care. It also makes me sad that here it is almost 100 years later and I'm knitting things to send to soldiers overseas. People of my great grandmother's generation called it the 'Great War" the "War to end all wars" because they thought something like this could never happen again... While I don't consider the current Gulf War to be equivilant to WW1, it certainly is just as futile. That being said I never thought twice about spending time and money to make these liners. Men and Women need them and they were easy to make. Many times people would ask me what I was doing and I would tell them and kind of hold my breath, waiting for the "I can't believe you're supporting the war!" accusation. It never came. I think everyone I spoke to thought that what I was doing was a great thing, some even asked how they could help or where I got the pattern, or if I could teach them to make one. That made me feel really good. It took me on average 8 hours to finish one, or roughly two evenings. I think from start to finish I had all 12 done in under a month.

I may never know who gets them, but I hope they are used and I hope they are useful. It makes me feel good that somewhere a soldier has received something I made and maybe he/she will realize that we are thinking about them and that we want them to be safe. I have a feeling that I'm going to keep yarn on hand and just knit one up on ocassion. I'd like to do another 12. I used Merino Wool by Patons.