Well let’s face it. Our world is going crazy. The sadness on the news. The frustration in politics (doesn’t matter which side you are on AND we won’t discuss it here!). And not to mention if you are going through anything on a personal level. Life can seem overwhelming. So, I always escape into a book. One genre I love is historical fiction. I realized I liked this genre in college when a history professor assigned a research project, and one guideline was to use an historical fiction book for our research. Who knew then where my reading would take me.
Well, the book I’m currently reading is called Stealing Freedom by Sylvia Leontaritis. The story is about a young girl living on a Greek island that has been taken over by the Italian Army during WW2. The reason I love the story is because the main character is asked to join the Resistance and it is through her knitting that she uses Morse Code in her stitching to pass on information to help her community.
I have always been interested in this concept. I first learned about morse code in knitting during a knitting guild meeting. It is hard to find information regarding this concept, but I was determined. After several random phrases I was able to find this book on Kindle. If the concept is true, women knit in public, on park benches, etc.; and they were actually spies knitting messages of what they were hearing from soldiers in the area. Think about that next time you see a person knitting in public. Hmmm? Makes you think, doesn’t it?
Well of course, me being me, I decided that next I needed to learn how to knit messages into my knitting. So, I went to Ravelry. I found the Morse Code Chart & Worksheet by Jennifer Leith. And I was off on an adventure.
Here is a washcloth I made using cotton yarn with a secret message knit into it. I loved doing it. You will need to use graph paper to plan your message. As I began knitting the message, I realized I had to knit the graph upside down so that when I held the dishcloth up the correct way, the message was facing the right way. Sounds confusing, but it was actually easy once I made the graph. I cannot tell you my message because it is an unkind thought I had this week. However, most will not be able to read the Morse code, so it keeps my unkind thoughts private. 🤣 I think I’ve discovered a way to say things that should stay in my head and not come out of my mouth through using the Morse Codes in my knitting.
So, next time that person who drives you crazy says the wrong thing, or does the wrong thing, knit them a little washcloth as an act of kindness. They don’t need to know what you are really thinking!!!! (I might have to give this washcloth to my husband.)
Happy knitting!!!
Loved your post. Isabel Kraemer has a sweater called purl code using Morse Code. Have ordered the book you recommended. Have a great day.
This is so cool…
My father was a pro whistling Morse code – he worked in his youth at the post office and then he was also a ham radio operator! I never learned but loved that he had this “secret” language!