I’m not sure if the huge international following of this blog uses the term “Peggy Squares”. In New Zealand the term goes back to the early 1930s when a six-year-old girl called Peggy started knitting squares (6” by 6”) and getting her mother to darn them together to make blankets for the poor during the Great Depression. It caught on. Every girl and boy in the country began using mother’s unused wool to knit Peggy Squares.
I grew up knitting Peggy Squares. Most boys of my generation did. Boys knitting was commonplace until it was associated with girls only. Sexists.
I THINK that Peggy Squares are different from Granny Squares which I believe came later and are crocheted. Is this right?
Anyway – Peggy and Peggy Squares true or not… every country claims the origin of most things except viruses.
It was 1932. Tommy was seven. He had knitted three Peggy Squares and was taking them to school to go on the pile intended for blanket making. An old spinster aunt called into Tommy’s house. “What are you doing knitting? It’s woman’s stuff,” said the aunt.
Tommy never knitted again. Funny how one little comment can force the whole world into a box.
Sadly true.
A while back, I followed with interest and envy the blog of a fellow from Denmark. He did the most beautiful knitting, even knitting garments for a new royal baby.
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Has he disappeared? People seem to come and go.
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After creating 2 masterpiece sweaters for his adult daughters, he bade us a farewell, as far as blogging went. He is no doubt happily kniting for his grandchildren.
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Your mown knitting prowess is pretty high standard!
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I am trying to work out a reply with mown grass in it, but failing due to no sleep!
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Why did you not sleep?
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I have no idea. Well, that is true about a few aspects of my life, come to think of it! How are you and the menagerie?
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Fair. We have a plague of earwigs in the garden at present.
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Meh!
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That’s too bad. After all, sailors do macrame and I have met a few in my day that you wouldn’t casually insult.
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I would treat many a sailor with care!
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Tommy’s Aunt sounds like a real square.
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Let’s hope she doesn’t have nits.
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😀 You two.
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I can see the connection of Peggy squares with your tiny stories. Of course, you’ve been Weaving a Web for us!
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Although weaving and knitting (I speak in ignorance) are difference things.
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Myself, I can’t knit or sew well at all! If you have the skill, do it!
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Those squares make a colorful quilt. And most New England fishermen and whalers knit in the winter to keep their fingers nimble for mending nets!
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That’s interesting – the fishermen. We had knitted our own top bed blanket as kids. Not a big bed of course!
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