During the month of November, we wear a poppy to remember the armed forces who died in the line of duty during WWI, along with the many others who volunteered their time to help. Elizabeth Lundy was 87 years old during the height of World War I. At the time, she was the most prolific knitter in the Niagara Falls region and spent her time knitting socks for the troops. Years later, she would become a widely embraced figure for Canadians. Elizabeth 'Bessie' Lundy courtesy of Fenning Genealogy During the First World War, there was little female presence in the Canadian armed forces. Most of the representation came from nurses. Even though the presence was small, thousands of women supported the war effort by volunteering their time to knit, sew, and prepare “comfort packages” made up of pillows, socks, scarves, and other wearables for the troops fighting overseas. In 1914, the Canadian Red Cross sent out a plea to Canadians at home, asking them to prepare and send woolen socks for the troops. When Elizabeth Lundy heard this plea, she quickly got busy and started using her skills to help make woolen socks. Elizabeth was a well-known knitter in the Niagara Falls region. She participated in local fairs, where she won prizes for her beautiful embroidered center pieces, knitted sweaters, and bedspreads. Word about Elizabeth’s wonderful socks spread quickly and shortly after, soldiers based at Camp Niagara started coming to Elizabeth to get a pair of her famous handmade socks. She spent the next few years knitting over 300 pairs of socks for soldiers fighting overseas. She received great praise from Canadians, as well as much appreciation from the soldiers who sent her many thank you letters. Overtime, Lundy became known as the “Grandmother of the Canadian Army”. Newspaper Article and Canadian Red Cross, Knitting Instructions courtesy of Niagara Falls Museums We love to share charity stitcher stories, like Elizabeth’s, as they inspire our community to stitch for great causes. Elizabeth’s story has shown us that even at 87 years old and amidst difficult times, you can still make a huge difference in other people’s lives. Elizabeth Lundy was an original charity stitcher and by sharing her story we hope to continue her legacy. The Niagara Falls Museum is also sharing Elizabeth’s story this year. They have based their Remembrance Day display around Elizabeth’s favorite hobby, stitching. The display consists of a large-scale installation of knit and crochet poppies that drape over the exterior of the museum. In June, we asked our community of stitchers to work up poppies for the display, and thanks to their efforts we were able to help the Niagara Falls Museum complete their large installation. Thank you to all the stitchers who sent in poppies! Museum photos courtesy of Niagara Falls Museums If you would like to make a poppy to wear during November, the Niagara Falls Museum has provided knit and crochet patterns you can find on our blog post here. Let us know if you’ll be knitting or crocheting poppies this year, and don’t forget show off your work on social media and tag @Yarnspirations!
