Yesterday, I finally had the excuse to share the opening line of a particularly favourite poem of mine. The occasion arose during an online discussion about whether to use the word knit or knitted. The conversation meandered for a couple of hours with some people using knit, others using knitted and others again using both depending on the context. One of the general assumptions though, was that knitted was more of a UK based phrase and knit more of a US one - The first more traditional, the second more modern. Interestingly, as the discussion drew to a close and many of us, including myself, coming to the conclusion that this assumption was reasonably probable, I remembered this poem. Written by one of my knitting heroines, Flora Klickmann, and published in England in 1915. Flora was the Editor of Girls Own Annuals and the author of over 40 books about knitting, crochet, sewing, etiquette, gardening and more. This is the poem:
The End of the Coat
I knit my doll a
walking Coat
All fluffy white and
red,
I laid it out, for her
to wear,
Upon her little bed.
But when I went to get
her dressed
To pay Aunt Maude a
Visit,
The Coat was nowhere to
be seen;
And though I asked,
“Where is it?”
My dolly stared in
great surprise,
Then fell down flat,
and shut her eyes!
I hunted high, I hunted
low,
While Mother said, “Now
hurry,
Or we shall miss the
train!”
I got in such a flurry.
But not a vestige could
I see
of fluffy white and
red.
At last I had to dress
her in
Her old blue serge
instead!
And all the while, our
Nanny Goat
Was gaily eating up the
Coat!
Flora
Klickmann, The Little Girl's Knitting & Crochet Book, (Pub: 1915)
I'll share about and from Flora very soon.
But, for now,
Susan xx
