What's in a Name?

Recruiting Poster by AJC1 on Flickr, used under Creative Commons licence.

This famous First World War recruitment poster is known worldwide and has been reproduced and parodied relentlessly. But did you know that Lord Kitchener was also said to be the inventor of kitchener stitch? You might have used this method if you have made a pair of top-down socks. It makes a seamless graft of two edges and was a real breakthrough in the 1910s as it made the troops' socks much more comfortable for them to wear.

The National Portrait Gallery is holding an exhibition, looking at the stories behind some of the people in their most famous paintings: Lord Kitchener is one of them and the exhibition tells the story of his drive for home-front knitting of 'forces comforts'.

If you want to try kitchener stitch out for yourself, why not knit one of Woolly Wormhead's sideways hats? Slouchy beret Ziggy and this issue's Molly both use this finishing method.

Ingrid
editorial assistant