All posts tagged knitting

Wed July 12 9.45 P.M. [1944]
# JEAN’S EXAMS TIRING BUT SATISFYING
# MORE SOFT TOYS SOLD
# BAKING PIES, CAKES AND SCONES
# SEARCHLIGHTS LIGHT UP BEDROOMS

The sun is still some distance off the horizon but Jean and I have come to bed. She is tired with exams, very fussy because she completed a sum in Algebra that Geo[rge Ranson] had not. Does not seem so nervous now that she is well started. I am afraid I am starting a cold, do hope not. Cleaned coal-house today, i.e. swept cobwebs down and lime-washed it and incidentally the coals. Am pleased to say I have 4 or 5 bags in store as we do not burn much this weather and alas I have not much cooking to do. Have had a quiet day as Rene was only here a little while before dinner and Ciss was busy ironing this afternoon and went out to Cen[tral] Hall to pictures to-night. I was glad to rest after dinner but did a little knitting. Am making a penguin from odd bits of wool. After tea I cut out a rabbit and a Teddy Bear. Emmie wants more bears if possible. Had a letter from her today and 30/0 for month’s rent etc. The bears sell well and indeed are very nice. She was very pleased with pink velvet “Scottie”. Rene took “Gollie” to-day. She thinks it fine.

Had 2 letters from Ron too written early in June. He seems to have been quite fit and does not find it as hot as last summer but more like our English climate. I did a little baking with ¼ marg and 2 oz drip[ping] today, made a milk curd cheesecake, rhub[arb] pie, short cake and scones, not bad I think. Jean and I walked up the road to get rabbit-meat after tea. “Jane” has made a nest in one corner but nothing doing yet. Planes are droning round and round, there were a lot about last night and a lot of searchlights lit up my bed-room. Jean’s too. Mist is rising so it may be hot tomorrow. Expect Rene will come for dinner if Tom goes to work.

‘Getting rabbit-meat’ referred to collecting ‘herb Bennet’ etc. from the verges, as food and bedding for the rabbits.

Have you read an introduction to May Hill & family (includes photographs) and explored ‘The Casualties Were Small’?

Mon 28 Feb. 8.50 am [1944]
# SNOW COVERS WOLDS
# MUCH LETTER WRITING
# RON AND CHUMS IMPROVISE STOVE
# COUSIN BRINGS FARM SAUSAGES ETC.

Ugh! The snow is coming down like sago as Jean says, and the wolds are thickly covered this morning. It has not “laid” here so far tho’ we had snow showers all day yesterday. Father said it was freezing when he came in just now. He has gone to M[um]by. Rd. Stn. to take a woman from Anderby to meet the train. Snow shower has whitened roofs and fence tops, it looks more like staying to-day, but tomorrow (being leap year) is the last of Feb. so we should not have it long. I hope we don’t, I am past the age of revelling in snow tho’ I like to see it.

Wrote to Ron, Dennis, Frank A and Vic last night, must write to Jock sometime. Roy is taking a course for N.C.O. [non-commissioned officer] now. Still I expect Ron wouldn’t exchange his African Star for stripes. He says “No, he hasn’t forgotten how to smile, one of the fellows calls him smiler.” I think I am more pleased to hear that than about his star, tho’ we are very pleased he has that. He and another fellow have made a stove for the billets, complete with pipe, out of an oil drum and biscuit tin. They heat up stew and beans and make Oxo and toast over it and get quite warm he says.

Amy and Ken came on Wed. Ken is growing now, he has shot thro’ sleeves and legs of his suit and looks long tho’ not by any means lanky. Amy brought us p[ork] pie, saus[ages], and mince pies, they were a very nice change. She is looking well in spite of having a nasty cold a week or two ago. Auntie [Jet] had finished knitting my tea-cosy, was very pleased to do it Amy said. She is getting on with her rug but it tries her. Wish I could think of something else for her to do, it is so difficult in these coupon days and she can do so little too. Gers. came over several nights last week some over London, chiefly over flats, several casualties. Jean is at home, it is half-term (Friday and Monday.) I think she must do the work and I will sew as I am having a bout of asthma after being free for nearly three months, at least nearly so. Well I can find plenty of sewing.

Have you read an introduction to May Hill & family (includes photographs) and explored ‘The Casualties Were Small’?

Mon Jan. 24. 9.50. P.M. [1944]
# KNITTING AND RENOVATING GLOVES AND GAUNTLETS
# FIERCE FIGHTING IN ITALY REPORTED
# GEORGE FORMBY ON WIRELESS
# MAKING TREACLE TOFFEE

Father is on watch and Jean and I have been busy all the evening. Jean with school-work, hair washing tho’ I washed it, and then with a little glove knitting and is now putting curlers in her hair. I knitted a little after tea at Rene’s glove which I am renovating, re-knitting gauntlets, from wrist as the hand and fingers were worn out with cycling. I am using 3 different oddments of wool and they will look quite nice I think and be very useful. We did a fairly large wash, as we left sheets last week. It dried slowly and started to rain soon after dinner so they were only half dry. Still they are ready to put out tomorrow if fine and won’t take so long to dry in the house if it is a wet day. Wind keeps rising. I think it is probably rain-squalls. It rained fast when Rene went home and when Jean came from school. Father chopped his thumb when getting kindling and splitting little logs. The shed floor is springy, not good for chopping on.

New landing in Italy very successful, but Gers. fighting very fiercely on old front. George Formby gave the Postscript on Sunday night. He and “Beryl” his wife had been on tour of the Med. Forces. He was most interesting and absolutely unaffected. I detest his broadcasts as a comedian, but was pleasantly surprised with his P.S. and feel he is a better man even than comedian, popular as he is. His wife must be a fine woman too. I have done a bit more to my kapok quilt, in fact I did about 2 to 2½ hrs work on it and I think it is going to look very nice and be useful too. Now I have got a good start it doesn’t seem so formidable a job. During the evening I made some toffee with treacle, sugar and marg. No recipe. It is very good, but perhaps not boiled quite long enough. When we try to get a piece out of the tin, it reminds us of the way the elephant got its trunk. We prise a piece up, seize it and pull. It pulls out longer and longer and at last a piece comes off. It’s most eatable tho’. Sometimes we feel as tho’ we must have something sweet, over and above our sweet ration.

The Postcript’ was on the radio, following the evening BBC Nine O’Clock News. Audio clips of comedian George Formby and his wife Beryl, describing their activities as wartime entertainers, are available online.

Have you read an introduction to May Hill & family (includes photographs) and explored ‘The Casualties Were Small’?